Tuanis Mae

¿Adivina qué? I’m having a great Spanish day. The group I have now is a Language/Service combo group so the chaperones really want to speak to the kids in Spanish all time. It’s great because then I have to speak Spanish all the time. I had a long conversation with the husband of the woman who runs CPI Flamingo at the volunteer site and it was great because I was actually participating in the conversation at a normal rate of speech. He complimented me on how good my Spanish was. I was thrilled! I finally feel confident again. : )

Secondly, apparently I have lost a lot of weight since last year. At least four different people from CPI commented that I looked a lot thinner and they couldn’t believe it was me. I didn’t realize I looked so different last year! It’s been the running, I know, but apparently it’s made a bigger difference than I realized. Today I ran 4.5 miles as the sun was coming up. I can only stand to run at early hours because the heat and humidity are at least mildly tolerable.

Tonight we have a fogata at the beach. The bonfires are always fun and an enjoyable way to end out a day. Let’s hope for no rain! We finished our volunteer at the school today and it looks great! Check out the pictures, it’s amazing how much a little paint can do for a place.

I unfortunately don’t have any great stories at the moment. My Tico experiences have been limited because I’ve mostly been working this year. I’ll keep my eyes out for fun Tico Facts and random animal sightings. Meggie and I are ‘working’ right now, so we are amusing ourselves with dance versions of Lady Gaga songs. Just another day in Costa Rica…

I should go do something productive.

Wieners and huevos,
Jessica Lynn

Costa Rica Running 101

Buenos días : )

I got up this morning and went for a run like always and decided that if anyone is reading this and happens to visit Costa Rica and go for a run, they should know a few things first.

1. When in Rome… Down here, most Ticos walk with the traffic. I was never really comfortable with this, but trying to follow Tico customs I used to run this same way: with traffic. I wouldn’t recommend it. At least when you’re running against traffic, you can jump into the ditching when a crazy, pothole avoiding bus approaches you head on.

2. Think: Luis Sacher’s book Holes: Run as close as you can to them on dirt roads. Why? Because you can easily run around them, and the cars won’t go near them. This frees up plenty of space for you to run.

3.Holy Torrential Downpour: it’s inevitable. Just be aware that your shoes may not dry for days.

Last night I taught dance class to my group. Yes, this gringa teaches Salsa and Merengue with a little bit of Cumbia and Bachata. Last night we only got to Salsa because the group was so big and because I made them have a dance off. It was a lot of fun! I wish we could do Zumba with them. I’ve been to a few classes, and wow is it a blast! It’s a pretty workout too! Double bonus.

With this group, I basically have a full time job making sure they are a fed. I have to take care of their lunch and dinner menus everyday and I feel like all I do is ask for food orders! We volunteered at a local elementary school today painting, weeding, and beautifying. We will be back there for one more day tomorrow to finish the project.

Most young children in Costa Rica attend public schools where the education is free. When Costa Rica abolished its army in 1948 the government put that money towards education, thus, Costa Rica has a 98% literacy race. In this particular town, there aren’t a lot of resources to ‘fix up’ the school. What little resources they do have, they put toward school supplies. This is where we come in. We paint, repair, and tend to the lawn area so the students have a beautiful setting to walk into each day. It’s a pretty neat transformation of the school.

I also went on the best snorkel cruise ever yesterday. This water wasn't very clear so we lacked any great fish sightings, but it was still fun nonetheless. The last time I was on this particular cruise, it was a year ago with Kristen and it was in the middle of a tropical storm. The waves were also pretty big yesterday, so we had numerous kids at the back of the boat sending their goldfish back to sea. Pura vida.

Smooth sailing...New group Chaps and I on the snorkel cruise.

Okay, time to get more food orders. Yum!

Arroz y frijoles,
Jessica Lynn

P.S. This is was the view from my bedroom at my last homestay. Not bad, eh?

Waka Waka Eh Eh

Well I made it to Monday. Since Friday, I really haven’t had much time to think or write. Friday night I had a nice fogata on the beach with my group before heading back to my homestay. On Saturday, I had a ‘day off.’ Days off around here are in limited supply and by 4:00 p.m. I was in full work mode.

Saturday was spent hanging out in the morning watching the U.S. fútbol game with my friend and fellow CPI chaperone, Muni. She and I hung out at my host family’s house for the afternoon being lazy watching the game and enjoying the cool afternoon rain. After she left, I began working for the next 4 hours. I was in the midst of receiving the itinerary for my new group coming in Sunday and wrapping things up with my old group. I had so many things going on in my head, it’s a wonder it didn’t explode. I didn’t even have a full itinerary by the time it was all said and down. However, I somehow managed to coordinate things well enough that it looked like Sunday might be flawless.

Sunday morning, I woke at 5:00 a.m. for a run and to continue working before picking up my group to take them snorkeling. At the snorkel point, I had to say goodbye!

Anyway, from the snorkel point, I was whisked away to Liberia to meet the chaperone of my new group (West Coast Connection) at their hotel, take them to the supermarket and then to the airport to collect their kids. We waited at the airport for all of the flights, packed all 37 of them into a bus and headed to CPI Flamingo with pizza en route. At CPI they took their placement tests and we then headed to the hotel to check-in. After the hotel it was dinner and gelato before ending the night around 11:00. Whew. I made it. : )

That is my hectic life in a nutshell. Although it doesn’t look like much, it took a lot of intense planning on my part to see to it that everything went according to schedule (like picking up the pizzas on time and checking flights). My life slowed down a little today with a snorkel cruise and class. Más tranquila…

All right, time to check in on my estudiantes. I am teaching dance class tonight : )

Chao for now!

Jessica Lynn

La vida mía

Vámonos Gringos!

Yay team U.S.A.! Now I can tease my papatico down here that the gringos won. : )

Yesterday was a good day with the group at Playa Conchal in the morning. I love this beach because the waters are so blue and the beach is actually made up of shells. It’s beautiful. I finished out the day at work and returned home for a wonderful dinner and conversation with my host family. I even had time for a gelato run with my group!

This morning I woke up at 5 for a 10k run out to Playa Grande in the rain! It was a great run and I was soaked by the time I got back, but it was worth it. Tranquila...

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I want to take a moment to explain what I’ve been doing down here every day for the past two weeks. It occurred to me, in a suggestion from my mom, that those who are new to this may not be able to follow exactly what it is I’m doing. Let me explain…

I officially work for the Spanish language immersion school called Centro Panamericano de Idiomas (or CPI). I work for CPI Grupos. Contrary to what most think, I do not teach English here. CPI is a school that offers Spanish courses for those interested in learning the language in Costa Rica. CPI was started in 1991 in a house in the Central Valley. It has since grown into three campuses located in Heredia (Central Valley), Monteverde (Mountains) and Flamingo (Beach, Pacific Coast). The courses are designed as full immersion for beginning to advanced speakers with a maximum of 4 students per class. The school is equipped to hold university, high school, individual and families of students coming through.

I work for the division of the school called CPI Grupos. I am hired as a chaperone for the summer. Basically, my job description entails working with high school or college groups that are taking classes through CPI. I am the intermediary between the group’s own chaperones and CPI. I am the “fill-in-the-blanks” person. I make sure their classes are ok, that they get fed and that they get to their other activities on time. I travel with them throughout the country and transfer schools with them when they do transfer. When I pick up a group from the airport, I am with them usually until they leave the country. Thus, I am very nomadic in the summer and typically won’t stay in one location for more than five days at a time.

A typical day includes waking up early around 5:30 a.m. and meeting my group at the pickup point around 7:30 a.m. before heading to a planned morning activity (i.e. canopy tour, surfing, volunteering, dance class, coffee tour, jungle tour, hiking, etc.). After the activity, we get lunch somewhere that I have coordinated and then return to CPI at 1:00 p.m. for Spanish class from 1:00-5:00 p.m. At 3:00 there is a 20 minute snack and coffee break. While the kids are in class, I am in the office usually uploading pictures, writing the group blog, confirming the following day’s activities or anything that needs to be done. After class we will all go to an evening activity if one is planned or I will make sure they arrive back at their homestays. This is usually the point when my job ends for the evening, around 7:30 p.m.

In a very small nutshell, this is what I do. There is very little personal time or down time and some of the groups can be intense while others are very relaxed and in touch with the pura vida lifestyle. However, I absolutely love my job and love being here for the summer. I work with a wonderful group of people and for a wonderful school. I am exhausted but content at the end of each day. : ) I will explain more in upcoming blogs about what all goes on here at school. This should give you all a good start!

El Señor Sapo y La Polilla (Mr. Toad and the Moth)

Sounds like a fairytale doesn’t it? Well, allow me to inform you that at 4:45 in the morning, neither of these seem much like a fairytale.

I had a small zoo in my bedroom this morning.

Let’s begin. At approximately 4:30 a.m. I was awakened by the sound of something hitting the walls and windows inside of my room. I remained in bed because it was dark, I couldn’t see anything, and I thought I could tolerate it. Fifteen minutes later, I could no longer sleep because the fluttering of wings against the window was too obnoxious to ignore. As my eyes gradually adjusted to the darkness, I saw a moth about the size of my hand sitting on the wall. Awesome. I climbed out of bed knowing I would never sleep with this creature flying around me and spent the next 10 minutes ‘ushering’ it out of my room with my bath towel. In the spirit of the Tico culture, I try not to kill things thus, my exhaustive efforts to see that it made it outside alive.

Finally free of the giant moth, I made my way to the bathroom to use the facilities. Upon entering the bathroom I was first greeted by a centipede. This animal was not so lucky. Either the centipede or millipede is poisonous and because I couldn’t remember which one was more dangerous, this creature suffered at the mercy of my sandal. I’m sorry, Costa Rica. Feeling better, I took one more step toward the bathroom and was alarmed to see a large frog sitting in my shower looking up at me. Neither one of us could move, so we just sat there looking at each other until he hopped a little bit and hid under the shower curtain. Satisfied that he was out of sight, I used the bathroom and went back to my room wondering what to do.

As I laid in bed (gearing up for my big race) I heard a couple of hops and then nothing. By the time I went back in 30 minutes later the frog was gone. I have no idea where it went or how it got in for that matter, but it was gone. I can’t imagine what will await me tomorrow. : )

Anyway, I had my big 5k race today. It should be noted that this is my second 5k ‘race’ ever—outside of the one that I raced against two other teachers in the fall. None have been official but they have been fun. I lost today but it still felt good. Time: 22:49 on hills. I’ll take it.

It is 7:30 a.m. now. Time to get my day going with volunteer work and classes!

Chao pescado, <-- Oh look, another animal…
Jessica Lynn

What just happened here?

So I some how just volunteered myself to race a 5k tomorrow morning. How did this happen you might ask? I’m not really sure.

Yesterday in Arenal I ran with some of the group members on a ‘recovery run.’ However, it ended up being more like a 7k hard run uphill. The runners asked once on a climb if I wanted to slow down and I said ‘no’ because if I had slowed down I never would have made it. I think they took this as a sign of competitiveness.  Near as I can tell, this is how I got pulled into a race tomorrow morning. Oh dear. This should be fun. : )

We did put a small wager on it, so the efforts won’t be for naught. Dos refrescos, por favor. Keep in mind though, I do not race 5ks—that is always something I have left to my brother and sister. Any racing tips might be nice. I measured the ‘course’ twice just to make sure it was accurate. Heaven help me. I told my host family that if I didn’t make it back for breakfast that they should come looking me.

Amor y suerte,
Jessica Lynn

P.S. Went surfing today--muy tuanis. : )
P.P.S. The button on CSI Miami is not the same en español.

Gecko Kisses

Feliz Dia de Padres! Te amo Papa!

Allow me to share with you why it is 9:00 p.m. here on the coast, I am absolutely exhausted but I know without a doubt that I won’t sleep for a while.

Those that know me know that I am not particularly fond of snakes. I found out tonight that I am not particularly fond of chameleons either…even if they are on a leash. I met my new host family tonight (I’ll talk about them later because they are amazing!) and I also met their neighbor and son—who happens to have a pet chameleon. He walked in the door and I nearly jumped out of my skin. My papatico joked that there was an even bigger one sitting in my bedroom, hence, why I can’t sleep a wink. Although I know there isn’t a chameleon in my room, I do know for a fact that there is a big iguana in a cage somewhere on this property… Lord help me.

Anyway, I am in my quarters now listening to the geckos giving kisses to me outside of my room. That’s literally the sound they make—the smacking of lips. My new host family here in Lajas is fantastic. The area where we are staying is a poorer area and although the families aren’t destitute, there is a definite difference in living style compared to those in the Monteverde or the Central Valley. However, I must have won the lottery with host houses. This house is modern, well furnished, I basically have the ground floor to myself and a pool just outside of my double doors that lead to the patio. The family itself is great too! The husband and wife are so warm and welcoming and very laid back and friendly. I have a feeling my group will have a very different experience with their families, so I might not tell them about my living conditions. Tuanis : )

Basic run down of the weekend includes the volcano and hot springs. This morning the group hiked to La Fortuna waterfall. I haven’t been there since I went with UD, and I had forgotten how beautiful it is. I fully intend to take my family there. You can actually swim right next to the waterfall! The rest of the day was spent driving out to Flamingo in the pick up truck with Mario, the chauffeur. The volcano actually erupted during the day today, sending a large mushroom cloud into the sky. I’ve never witnessed that happening before so I was amazed. Of course, this followed last night at the base of the volcano where I enjoyed one of the most beautiful evenings I’ve had in Costa Rica. The sky was clear, the moon was bright and one could see the silhouette of the volcano and the ash rising toward the sky. It was beautiful.

Okay, I really am pooped. I ran 7km today in hills and I am beat. I am going to take a recovery run tomorrow before surfing.

Besitos,
Jessica Lynn

Banano Loco

¡Buenas tardes!

I spent Friday finishing volunteer work at the school with the kids before returning to work for the afternoon. Movie night was cancelled so that freed up my evening a little. My big evening off: packing and sleep. I transferred out to Arenal with the group today and then we are headed to Flamingo tomorrow to meet the new host families.

Today was an adventure of varying degrees. It started out when my luggage transportation arrived. It was a mid-size pickup truck. I actually thought the driver was mistaken, but no, it was I that stood corrected. We loaded the students’ luggage into the back of the pickup while it was pouring down rain. To keep the suitcases dry we managed to jimmy rig some pieces of tarp and plastic together with some rope. It seemed to have worked well enough… Once we tried to get underway, it was realized that the other van wouldn’t start, so once again the students had to push it down the road to get it started. This was all before 7:30 a.m.

Once on the road, however, things seemed to smooth out and we arrived at Don Juan’s Organic Farm right on time. A short tour and organic lunch followed before heading into the town of San Carlos, or La Fortuna. Remind me to tell my family that there isn’t much going on in San Carlos so we can take our sweet time driving there.

Right now, I’m at the base of Volcán Arenal and enjoying relaxing and listening to the rain. In about an hour, the group is headed to the hot springs. Assuming I’m not sporting a rice and bean belly yet, I’ll don my swimsuit and enjoy the springs too. I'm thinking I'll introduce Meggie to the banano loco that is complementary for guides.

Oh, and I am sitting through one of the hardest rains I’ve seen down here this year wondering if I should even attempt to get back to my cabin…I’m thinking otherwise.

Arroz y frijoles,
Jessica Lynn

P.s. Kristen, if you’re reading this, I looked all over for Jet bars today and couldn’t find them! I will keep searching. I must keep searching.

Ants in the Pants

The nocturnal nature hike is all fun and games until someone gets ants in their pants.

Naturally, these wouldn’t be your normal Ohio ants. They would have to be some form of rainforest ant that stings you. (I was told that ants don’t bite, they sting.) And of course, there wouldn’t be just one ant, there would be 12. As chance would have it too, you’re not on the hike alone and you have to try and play it cool in front of the group you are chaperoning by pretending it doesn’t sting or your leg is on fire. Welcome to Costa Rica.

The rest of the hike was pretty neat though. We saw a tarantula and some other enormous spiders along with a giant rodent and something that looked like a raccoon. Unfortunately, there weren’t any jaguar or puma sightings.

I finished off yesterday by going to a place with the other CPI chaperones called Mata e Caña and had a great time. It was nice to just hang out with everyone and relax for a little bit. Who knows when we will get to do this again…

On a different note, if you remember, I decided to do my laundry the other night and was really excited about have a washer and dryer to use. Well, let’s put it this way, I had a washer to use. I got my entire load washed, threw it in the dryer, pushed the button and waited. Nothing. I pushed the button a second, third, fourth and fifth time. Again, nothing. I now had a full load of soggy laundry and no way to dry it. All I could do was laugh. Fortunately, this isn’t the first time I’ve been in this situation so I took the laundry back to my room and laid it everywhere hoping it might dry by Friday. By the morning, it was still soaked. However, the maintenance man showed up by chance after my run and I explained my predicament and he promptly fixed the situation. Twelve hours later, I dried my laundry. Considering the normal turnover time for drying laundry, this wasn’t bad!

I have one day left in Monteverde. : ( I got ice cream yesterday with the kids from my favorite Costa Rican family, Julian and Diego. Of course, I had to do my backflip for them. Good thing I’ve been practicing over the past year!

All right, time to get my day underway!

Chaooo,
Jessica Lynn

P.s. Feliz cumple, Papi! (Yesterday) : )

Going Extremo

On my way to work this morning!

Today began with a trip to Extremo Canopy Tours with my group. The last time I was able to do this particular zipline was 2 years ago when I was here with The University of Dayton. I’ve been on others since, but personally, Extremo is the best. It’s the longest/highest/fastest canopy tour. It has 12 cables, a Tarzan Swing and a Superman cable (new this year). Naturally, I would be inclined to like this zipline the best.

Toward the end of the zipline the group got to the Tarzan Swing and unfortunately I did not get to partake because I was taking pictures. The guides told me I could go twice next time. Tuanis. Anyway, the very last cable now has a new option: Superman. This means that instead of riding it like normal you can opt to be suspended in your harness from your chest and legs. You are literally facing the valley below you as you soar across the cable head first. It’s a pretty cool rush. Familia, prepárense. : ) Afterward, in town, I finally got my coffee ice cream! From there, we headed back to school for Spanish class and dance class (my favorite!).

Superman Cable.

I was telling someone today that I was pretty frustrated with my Spanish at the moment, but today has been a good Spanish day for me and I am relieved. Whew! I thought I was going to need remedial courses. We’ll see what tomorrow brings…

Ok, what started as a beautiful morning here has turned into wind and rain. It’s Costa Rica so I should not be surprised. Time for dance class!

Laundry night tonight with a washing machine! Those of you might remember from last year my laundry night involving my shower and ceiling fan and why a laundry machine this year is a really big deal.

Chao pescado!

Jessica Lynn

Mountain Marathon (Costa Rica Style)

Oh my goodness, what a run this morning! I woke up at 5 a.m. to go running at 5:30. (Before leaving, I heard Howler Monkeys. (Monkey sounds!) I ran from CPI up to the Monteverde Reserve. Let me emphasize up. It was a steady 22 minute climb from the bottom up to the reserve, and wow was it a killer. The climb was nearly relentless in its ascent and my foot was hurting pretty bad. Once up at the top, I looked around the reserve a little and began descending. While my foot hurt on the way up, I could not have predicted how bad it was going to hurt on the way down. Ouch. I can hardly walk now. De ninguna manera, la carrera fue fantástica! I am so glad I went. La naturaleza is beautiful on the run.

Vista de Monteverde al atardecer. Me encanta : )

For those of you that tuned into my blog last year, I am still a true believer in the adaptation of the dogs here in MV. They tend to be much shorter than most dogs. My theory last year was that they adapted shorter legs to decrease wind resistance and increase aerodynamics here on the mountain when the winds start to blow. Thus, most dogs in MV have really short legs to keep them low to the ground. Science teachers, correct me if I’m wrong.

Today was another busy day in the office with too few persons trying to accomplishing too many tasks. I really like the spirit of this office though with everyone helping each other to accomplish the montón of tasks in front of us. It makes everything more manageable and we have our share of laughs and conversations. It’s really a great place to work. I am continually amazed at one woman, Arelys, who somehow manages to keep every group’s information, itinerary, placements, food and housing organized and in order. She really is an incredible woman, and CPI is so fortunate to have her!

Meggie, Muni and I went for sushi last night in Santa Elena and in the middle of dinner, a transformer blew in town and the whole restaurant went dark. We finished our food by candle light. ¡Qué romántico! After dinner, Meggie and I visited the SuperCompro for provisions for the week. I bought cheerios and whole grain crackers. Initially, before embarking on this trip, I was concerned with eating too much. Now, I am almost concerned I am eating too little! I plan on living on Cheerios this week. Don’t tell my mom.

Anyway, tonight I plan on relaxing and making some calls to loved ones as long as the internet connection holds out. It’s really raining here right now, which means I’ll be nice and soggy by the time I reach my apartment. : )

Buenas noches amores,

Jessica Lynn

Mañana Oscura, Tarde Segura

¡Buenos días!

I arrived in Monteverde yesterday afternoon after lunch on the road and a van that wouldn’t start without a gentle push down a hill. It was eventful.

Once at the school, however, the students took their placement tests for Spanish and I gave them a brief introduction to Costa Rica and their homestays. I called it Homestay 101. I gave them all of the important information about how to work the showers, how much food they would be given and where to put their toilet paper. I kept it light and amusing and actually enjoyed the whole experience. Because Meggie had another group here at the same time and there was an emergency in Flamingo, I was enlisted to give my spellbinding orientation twice to the other group from a college in California. I used a lot of dry humor during my presentation but the groups seemed to laugh a lot and my boss enjoyed it too. I might have another job calling my name. : )

After we got everything squared away at the school, Meggie and I headed to our apartments next to CPI. I am staying in something similar to a matchbox with just enough room for a bed, small sink, and tiny bathroom. I love it! It’s really cozy and Meggie and Muni are just down the way. After settling in, Meggie and I went to Santa Elena for food and ran into a professional guide that she knows and his friend. We finished our food and headed to another establishment called Mata e Caña before calling it a night.



My room!

Today, my group when to the mariposario (butterfly farm) and had cooking class. I really enjoyed the mariposario today. I have never been there and the vegetation and butterflies were really intriguing. Currently, the students are in their Spanish classes and I’m working on uploading pictures to the CPI website.




Mariposa.


On a side note, the title ‘mañana oscura, tarde segura’ means “dark morning, certain afternoon.” It’s like saying a dark morning means it’s certainly going to rain in the afternoon. The phrase is kind of like “red skies in the morning, sailors take warning…”
Me gusta.

Ok, time to work. Chao for now!

Jessica Lynn

Aguaceros y Hambre

Bueno…

Hoy fue muy productivo por la mañana, pero en la tarde, yo no hice nada.

Today, I got up, ran, and headed to work at 9:00 with Sonia. Together we work for about 3.5 hours getting folders ready for groups and taking care of details. By 12:30 p.m. the U.S. soccer team was playing, we were done working, and we were hungry. We watched the first half of the game and then made soup for lunch before watching the second half. It is now 4:00 p.m. and I have been at school this entire time. I will probably be here until 7:30 or 8:00. Rock on.

Sounds uneventful, but we are in the midst of monsoon like rains and lightening that is getting uncomfortably close to our grupos office. Two minutes ago I thought about venturing across the street to the pulpería for a snack, but the rain somehow managed to upgrade itself from a torrential downpour to something one might experience if they simply filled a 5 gallon bucket of water and just dumped it over their head. It’s beautiful actually.

I have been mildly productive this afternoon in my quest to reserve hotel rooms for my family. I have some great ideas and options for them. Now, I just need to make the reservations.

Sonia and I have been watching the news for a while now trying to kill time. It’s mildly working, but my hunger is starting to kick in. Time to go in search of food and to get ready for my group to come in!

¡Buenas noches y buen viaje mañana!

Jessica Lynn

Where The Sidewalk Ends

Today I got up at 6 a.m. to run. I like to play a game when I’m running called ‘The Sidewalk Game.’ It involves me figuring out where the next sidewalk begins when the one I am running on abruptly ends. It’s better than playing “Dodge the Crazy Tico Drivers” I suppose. I’ve found a nice quiet residential area to run in around here which is great, and considering the sun is up by five, I can get a good run in before work.

I spent the day in the office completing simple tasks until my boss and her family arrived. I was so excited to see them! The oldest son has grown so much! After a rather hectic afternoon, my boss and I finally sat down to go over the logistics of my group which arrives Saturday evening. I’m jumping right in. In the midst of everything though, I still had time for a pick up game of fútbol with two of the other chaperones and Diego. Diego and I won. : )

Finally, after returning to my homestay and eating dinner, Sonia (another chap.) and I sat for a while and just talked. It was a great way to unwind from the day. I have to go into work tomorrow for most of the day and help get folders ready for incoming groups and then around 4 p.m. I’ll start preparing for my group to arrive!

On a side note, I received my cell phone for Grupos yesterday and let me put it this way: I really upgraded from last year. This phone is a modern phone with modern applications and a color screen. It’s almost too much technology for me to handle after the dinosaur of a phone I received last year. Whoo!

Okay, I need to get ready for bed. I plan on multitasking tomorrow and watching the U.S. soccer game.

Heading to Monteverde Sunday!

Hasta Luego!

Jessica Lynn

Monkey Sounds

Rockin' my CPI gear.

Kely y Yessica take on Heredia.

I’ll give credit to my brother for the title of today’s entry. This has been his signature sign off for emails/text since I’ve been in CR. Ever since I ‘wowed’ my family with my rather accurate impression of a howler monkey, he’s been quick to remind me of my talent.

It takes a special person to witness my talent. It’s all the rage on jungle tours. Ask anybody.

Anyway, today was my first official day of work and I’m not sure exactly what I accomplished because most of my time was spent readjusting myself to the language and being reminded how much I really do still have to learn in the language! Oh boy.

Last night I got a full night’s sleep so I was awake by 5 a.m. I was at work by 7:30 and so began my day preparing for my group that comes in Saturday. I have almost everything ready to go which is a good feeling.

Tonight I met up with my good friend from college Kelli (pronounced Kee-lee if you’re our host mom in Spain) for dinner in Heredia. I was so excited to see her! We ate dinner at a soda and spent the better part of two hours catching up. It was a wonderful evening that I am so thankful to have shared with her. We probably could have stayed longer, but Tico buses don’t wait for Gringa Girls. Hopefully I can see her again before I leave. Anyway, it was a great way to finish out my day. Kelli has been living in Costa Rica for 10 months working in a school during the day and is looking to stay in Costa Rica for maybe another year—more incentive to return to CR for me. : )

My Spanish is improving, poco a poco. I have a long way to go, and I know this. It’s difficult to understand nearly everything you hear but not being able to reciprocate your thoughts verbally. Patience…

Tomorrow is the first game in the Copa del Mundo de Futbol (World Cup) at 6 a.m. CST featuring México y Sudáfrica. My host family is planning on waking up early, making gallo pinto and being ready for the game at 6 sharp. I just plan on waking up. I think I’ll wake up, run and then sit down for the game. I plan on watching the U.S. on Saturday though!

Ok, time to call it a night and get some sleep. Tomorrow my boss and her sons will be coming in to CPI. I am really looking forward to seeing them!

Nos vemos, mañana!

Jessica Lynn

Tommy Bahama

¡Un gran saludo a todos!

I’m back! In Costa Rica that is… I made the successful journey from the Midwest to the rainforest today. It feels good to be here.

The plane ride from Detroit to the ATL was exciting. I hadn’t experienced turbulence like that since Dad and I flew to Peru. The plane made violent dips in altitude and was jerked around for the last half of the flight; even the landing was shaky. That probably didn’t bode well for Tommy Bahama sitting two rows up from me who found it necessary to wear his sunglasses for the entire flight and then remove them every time he needed to locate a flight attendant. From the sights and aromas around me, it appeared that Mr. Bahama went big last night. Thankfully, the flight from Atlanta to San Jose was much calmer.

I arrived at SJO at 11:40 a.m. and waited for over an hour to get through immigration. Once out of immigration I passed through customs with no problems and proceeded to the airport exit where I met up with the CPI driver, Alexis. He took me to CPI where I met up with Mayi (my host-mom) and the rest of the CPI chaperones. I stayed at CPI for about an hour before heading to Mayi’s house for the remainder of today. My first group doesn’t come until Saturday evening so I have plenty of time to prepare for them. I’ll spend two weeks with this group in Monteverde and Flamingo before receiving a West Coast group for 21 days. After the West Coast group I’ll be finished. Amazing.

On a victorious note, my first meal down here was NOT rice and beans. : ) I can’t guarantee what I’ll get for dinner, but it’s a nice start.

Time for a siesta and then hopefully a run later on.

Chao for now!

Jessica Lynn