pura vida!

 My life is starting to feel like a long game of the Amazing Race. Not that I'm complaining, this is the life! Now that I'm in Costa Rica and have been blogging for what seems like ages I was hesitant to start a new one. Read it or not, I'm just going to try and stay organized with all of my travel blogs.

After only 3 full days in Costa Rica, I feel like I've been here for months. Life is so slow here on the Nicoya Peninsula. Wake up when the sun comes up (otherwise you slowly roast like a turkey), take a shower, or not? Pour another cup of coffee, or no? Sit outside and watch crazy people for longer? Go to the beach? Go to school? Sound boring? I love it! It's like looking into what life will be like in 50 years, I just have the pleasure of doing it now!

Anyway, I arrived in San Jose at 2am, slept and showered at a hostel there. Then my bus left at 2pm for Cobano-my new home. The journey would take 2 hours on the bus, then 2 hours on a ferry, then another 2 hours on a bus. Well, I had 3 hours to kill before the bus left. What to do with my huge backpack? Sit at the bar near the bus stop of course! I decided to have a couple beers before the journey...duh-umb! After only 30 minutes of sitting on the bus I had a painful urge to release the contents of my bladder. An hour and a half to go! I was seriously ready to go in a bag, but that would be embarrassing, I still have 5 hours on this bus with the same people! To avoid embarrassment, I decided to hold it till we stop, run off the bus toward el bano, but I was interrupted mid jog with premature urination-I was wearing a skirt for a complete display. Costa Rica is known for beautiful waterfalls, I just didn't think I would be one while running down the sidewalk. Most embarrassing moment of my life!

 view from the ferry

I live in a beautiful house with amazing roommates. Julia and Rudy are a couple my age from Chicago, we get along great! My other roommate is Heske from Amsterdam, super cute and energetic! I think we will have a lot of fun in the house! My first day here Julia, Rudy, and I went to the beach. I could get used to this lifestyle real quick! The beach town is amazing. Basically a hippie town on the coast, people selling homemade jewelery everywhere, and organic food stores.

 front porch

Rudy, Julia, and I exploring the beach

The school I am working for is adorable. There are 4 classrooms, grades 1-2, 3-4, 5-6, and 3 high school students. I will be teaching agriculture and organic farming, as well as helping with P.E., and painting a mural. There are only 26 students in grades 1-9. I am really excited to start school tomorrow and meet the students. I feel privileged to work with a small school where I agree with the vision, curriculum, and ethics of the school system.

It's about that time to head to the beach...