"Yesica and Kely"

I got to meet up with my good friend, Kelli (or "Kely"), in Heredia yesterday!

She and I studied Spanish and Foreign Language Education together at UD. We also lived with the same host family, Loli and Jesus, when we studied together in Spain.  Our host mom in Spain always called us "Yesica and Kely", and so, the names stuck. 

Kelli has actually been living in Costa Rica since we graduated college, so every year I'm down here, we try to meet up and at least get lunch! We grabbed a cereva and some pizza at local restuarant/bar called Bulevar. It was too short of time together, but it was wonderful seeing her! Until next year... : )

A couple of noteworthy things:

1. I successfully took the public bus there and back! There is no need to take a taxi in the middle of the afternoon when a bus costs a total of $1.19 round trip.

2. I needed another set of pants for volunteer work with my next group. I stopped by the ropa americana store and bought a pair of Old Navy jeans for $11.90. I probably could have had "Hollister" for the same amount if I wasn't worried about my dignity being attached to a brand designed for 14 year olds.

3. I had to sleep on the sofa cama last night at the apartment. My feet actually hung off the end. Who is doing the designing around here?!

Pura vida : )

Jessica

Sewage Sardines

Two nights ago I was staying in a Bed and Breakfast called, La Dehesa, with my group who was about to return to the U.S. the next morning. I was lying in bed reading when I got a soft knock on my door.

Voice: "Jessica?"
Me: "Yes?"
Voice: "Um...Mike* had an accident."
Me: "What?!"

I shot out of bed. Usually when I get a knock on my door like this it means we are going to the hospital.

I opened the door.

Male group member: "Well... we were playing "sardines", and there was a big tank, and Mike..."
Other male group member: "No, no it's okay! In case you're wondering Mike was safe! He's in the shower right now cleaning up."

In my mind, I'm picturing blood, head trauma, the worst of the worst.

Me: "Is he bleeding? Is he injured? Do I need to call a doctor?"
Group of boys: "Hahahaha. No, it's nothing like that. He just fell through the ground into a sewage tank."

Lord.

Chalk that one up to a new chaperone experience. Apparently, this boy had found a great hiding spot for the game of "sardines". That is, until the ground gave way and he found himself plunging into a tank of bottomless, brown, murky water.

He seemed to be able to laugh about it though. He said it wasn't scary, just confusing. One minute he was hiding from his classmates, and the next, he was emerging soaking wet and covered in brown water. He said his feet never touched the ground but that he managed to grab the sides of the tank to keep from fully submerging.

I think we were all grateful for that.

I think we all tried to convince him it was just rain water as well.

Pura vida,

Jessica Lynn

Mi trabajo

If you've not been a long-time follower of my blog you may wonder what I actually do down here besides eat ice cream and speak Spanish.

The following was copied from one of my blog posts a couple of years ago. As any good teacher would do, why reinvent the wheel?

Official CPI Grupos polo. I apologize for the "Costa Rica" hair.

Here is the long and short of it all:
Centro Panamericano de Idiomas (or CPI for short) is a language immersion school that teaches Spanish to students of any age and ability who want to come to Costa Rica and learn. The school is based on full language and cultural immersion so we have small class sizes (max. 4 to a class) and homestays with Tico families. We have three campuses throughout the country--Heredia in the Central Valley near the capital of San Jose, Monteverde in the mountains (my favorite!) and Flamingo on the beach. We have individual students, families, high schools, universities, grandparents, priests, nuns, children, international and local students all attending our school. I first came here with the University of Dayton in 2008 to earn Spanish study abroad credit after being in Spain the summer before.

At CPI, I work in the Groups Office. Any high school, university, community college or other group that comes to CPI goes through the Groups division. Each summer I am assigned numerous groups to 'chaperone.' Essentially, while the group is here, I am in charge of their itinerary and making sure that things go smoothly--checking on homestays, classes, meals, lodging, activities, transportation, volunteerships, etc. I am like a 'fill-in-the-blanks' person for the group. If they want to know what to bring for the day, where we are eating, what to wear, where class is, how long the drive is, and so on, I'm the person they come to. In the last couple of seasons I've also helped train the new chaperones and give guidance throughout the summer. I've been doing this for a while. : )

On the contrary to what most think when I say that I work for a language immersion school, I do not teach in the summer. In a way, it's wonderful. I enjoy teaching Spanish in the States, but this is a completely different venue for me. It's all business and customer service and seeing that the customer (the students) have the best possible experience while they are here. It's also immensely rewarding knowing that I am helping to plant the seed to becoming a global and worldly individual. What they do with it when they leave is up to them, but I've helped to plant it!

Another aspect of my journey down here every year is getting to see the friends I have come to know and adore. I love returning each year and getting to spend with them no matter how chaotic la temporada alta (high season) is. Outside of seeing familiar faces, I get to encounter so many new ones as well! One of the greatest benefits to this job is all of the people you meet! You make connections, build relationships, network, and make friends with people from all over the world. It's amazing the kind of unique individuals I have met and continue to meet while I am here.

Pura vida,

Jessica Lynn

Monteverde Mornings

I am unsure that there are better mornings anywhere in the world outside of Monteverde.

During the rainy season it is not always possible to have them, but when you do, they are cool and beautiful.  It's not the cool, Autumn mornings we have in Ohio--those are beautiful too--but rather, cool and sunny with a crispness in the air that you only get by being in the mountains in the middle of a cloud forest. If the hills weren't so difficult to climb, I could run for days.

On the really clear mornings, you can see all the way to the Gulf of Nicoya with only a thin layer of clouds surrounding you.  The air is completely clear and the sun is warm. There is a slight breeze and the flowers are vibrant.

I head down the mountain this afternoon and will dearly miss my mornings like these. I have yet to find a morning more beautiful than the ones I experience here.

I can't really capture what it's like, but this is on my way to school looking out to the Gulf of Nicoya!

Pura vida,

Jessica Lynn

Coffee Beaker

Gabby already reported on this, but our coffee maker in the apartment consists of a coffee beaker instead of a coffee pot. It has been my goal since arriving in Monteverde to use the coffee beaker at some point. Considering that I transfer out to the Central Valley tomorrow, I was running out of real estate in terms of mornings to use the mechanism. Thus, I decided this morning I would use the coffee machine.

I don't claim to know a lot about coffee making unless it's in a french press or Keurig machine, but my attempt this morning failed miserably.  My coffee byproduct looked, and tasted, like diesel fuel.

I was sort of tempted to drink the coffee directly from the beaker, but I'm kind of glad I actually mixed it with leche y azucar. The milk and sugar didn't really help the awful taste, but it was better than drinking it straight.

I didn't finish the cup. In fact, I only drank about two painful sips before dumping it out.

In reality, my only goal was use the coffee beaker so, mission accomplished.

I promptly came to school and got a cup of properly prepared coffee.

Pura vida,

Jessica Lynn

Girls Night!

Last night, the girls in the CPI Groups office went to dinner. We ate a place called "Belmar" that over looks the Monteverde area. It was a great time!

Gabby, Sarah, Muni, Jonle, Arelys and Me

We ate cheese, steak, coconut flan dessert and flowers. Well, some of us ate flowers. The rest of us were pretty sure they were actually edible.

We had fancy drinks and wine to go along with the wonderful meal. I ate a filet mignon with a coffee glaze. I figured I would treat myself to something other than rice and beans. : )

It was two hours of absolute enjoyment with these women. I am so blessed (or rather, #blessed) to be surrounded by them. (For the record, I despise hashtags, but it was funny moment in conversation last night.)

I'm pretty sure the snake in the woods was about this big.

Our dinner was a great way to kick off the locura of groups about to start here in July. It may be the last time we can all really get together. I live for moments like this down here.

Pura vida,

Jessica Lynn

Zumba + Beetles

Any interesting title, I know. I'm just trying to condense the events of the last couple of days!

On Monday evening, Gabby and I went to the Zumba class that we stumbled upon the previous week. It was a cultural experience--in a good sense! 

Cultural Differences:
1. We only paid 800 colones which is roughly $1.50. Where can you get an hour long workout for that price in U.S.? No where. 
2. The songs were also different! 
3. We did it in big open salón instead of a fancy studio.
4. Men! There was one token male in the class, but I don't know if this is a difference or similarity.

Cultural Similarities:
1. A lot of the moves were similar to ones I've done in my limited Zumba experience, but it was still new and interesting! 
2. It was just like the U.S. in the sense that some people know all the moves and some people are always one beat behind. 
3.There is always one person who seems to know all the moves already. In this case the person was wearing long powder-blue spandex and a fanny pack.
4. Zumba clothes seem to be like the U.S., unless you're me. I looked exactly like I normally do: a runner wearing her running gear but doing a different activity in it (Nike running shorts, running tank top, and Asics running shoes).

All in all, it was great to get a different type of workout AND experience it in a different place! Me encanta!

Okay, on to the beetle... Nothing too much to report here other than I got on the bus and our driver had found a Hercules Beetle and wanted to save it so it wouldn't die. It was roughly the size of my hand: 6-7 inches long. At one point it fell under his seat while driving so I had to retrieve it. Picking up an enormous bug? No problem. Snakes? Barf.

Anyway, it's always pretty cool to see these creatures up close instead of in an insectarium!

Oh, and last night, we made cookies at Muni's house. It was a banana-peanut butter-chocolate-chocolate chip cookie combination. Anything chocolate is good to me. : )

Pura vida,

Jessica Lynn

Drive-By Mass

Hey Fellow Catholics!

Drive-by mass and communion is a real thing apparently. Put a priest on the back of a truck, give him a microphone and some speakers and you can catch mass by standing on your front porch. Or you can catch it as you go flying by the priest-mobile in your bus full of students. Either way, I think it counts.

Just kidding. In all seriousness, we really did pass a priest in the back of a truck saying mass. Yesterday all the towns heading up the hillside to Monteverde were celebrating Corpus Christi with celebrations along the way. The priest began at a town at the bottom of the mountain and stopped at every pueblo on the way up to say mass or pray. As he passed through each town, the townspeople would gather and follow him up to the next church. The great processional ended at the top of the mountain in Monteverde. The route along the way was decorated with balloons and beautiful displays of flowers! It was really amazing to witness for the short time that I did!

On the downside, I don’t think it actually counted as mass.

Pura vida,

Jessica Lynn

Mr. Snake

I. Hate. Snakes. My boyfriend says it’s because I don’t know enough about them. Quite frankly, I don’t think it would matter. Their movement is unnatural to me. (I realize that’s a funny thing to say given that they live and are created in the natural world.) They are scary looking. They can kill me. Shall I continue?

When it comes down to it, I think I inherited this trait. No one in my family likes them either. Sigh... I guess since it’s hereditary, like my height, there isn’t much I can do about it.

Unfortunately, when you are alone on a trail in the middle of a rain forest and you scare one up, that paralyzing fear does nothing for you—except make you sweat profusely and leave you wondering if you are going to have to spend the night in the rain forest because the snake is blocking your exit.

I was running low on daylight on Saturday evening when I headed down a trail that promised to bring me to El pozo rojo, the red pool. I had plenty of time to make it down the .7 km trail and back before the sun was completely down. Nevertheless, I was walking at a quick pace to get there in time. It was a half run/walk/shuffle step that I was doing.

I was keeping my eyes low to the ground to ‘spot’ any crazy creatures when all of the sudden, something recoiled and jumped back right next to my right shoe. I looked down, quickly realized it was snake, and nearly wet myself. I shot off down the trail high-stepping and hollering unintelligible phrases to the extent of “Ahhhhhhhhhh, Oh my goodness, oh my goodness, mmmmgrrrrrrruummmpphhmmmmmoffff.”

When I finally stopped to breathe, I came to the realization that this snake was blocking my exit to get off the trail and back to the safety of the hotel. I walked back close enough to locate it on the ground and then retracted back about 1o feet just to keep a safe 7 meter distance in case it charged.

Now here comes the part about having little knowledge about snakes. I didn’t know what kind it was, poisonous or otherwise. I didn’t know of its capacity to strike, and if it did, just how far it could go. I felt like my 7 meter buffer would be sufficient if I needed to get a head start running from it, but how could I know for sure? At this point, I had conjured up nearly every scenario of gravity-defying gymnastic feats that a snake could do to get to me. If it bit me, then what? Did I have enough time to get off the trail and call for help? Just how fast do they move? With a 7 meter head start, could I still out run the potential Usain Bolt of snakes? I had no answers. Just a lot of sweat and a pounding heart.

So, from 7 meters away, I began tossing sticks at Mr. Snake. I had already contemplated routing myself off the trail and into the forest just enough to get around it, but what if there were more snakes that I couldn’t see under the leaves? I couldn’t take my chances. 

Thus, the onslaught of small sticks and rocks began. I didn’t try to kill it, just bother it enough to leave the trail. I know I was probably provoking it, but given my range, I was hoping I could still out run the snake if necessary.

It was all to no avail. The snake never budged. At this point, I felt like an eternity had passed and now I was really stuck with some big decisions—of which I had no idea what they might actually be. I just knew they were big (life and death) decisions.

At some point (roughly 10 minutes), the snake grew weary or uninterested and slowly made its way off the trail and into forest. When it was stretched out, it was about 1 meter in length and the size of a quarter in diameter. It might as well have been an anaconda.

As soon as I could no longer see the snake’s tail in the brush, I took off sprinting down the trail toward the hotel, again high-stepping and mumbling things to keep my morale up.

I finally broke free of the forest and stopped running once I was safely on the wide-open road. Red-faced and sweating, I quickly gathered myself, and my pride, and calmly walked back to the hotel. No more hiking for me.

At the point I returned, grateful to be alive, I quietly say myself in reception until dinner. No sense in stumbling upon anything else that evening.

 My arch-nemesis: Mr. Snake

Apparently in all my terror, I took a blurry picture of my leg.

Everything but Pura Vida when it comes to snakes,

Jessica Lynn

Me and Bosco

Horseback riding. Oh, blah. 

I try to have a really good attitude about, I really do. It's just that, well, I'm let down every time. Even when I think I've got the docile horse, it ends up biting every other horse by the end of the endeavor. We rode for 40 minutes today, and there were at least 25 horses. You do the math. Nearly every ninety seconds I (well, Bosco) was making another horse angry. Mi caballo loco. 

Me and Bosco

Mi caballo loco. That's actually what the guide said when I got on the horse. He laughed when he said it. I laughed too. Except it was a nervous "is he kidding?" laugh. I could only hope.

The reality? Bosco (I nicknamed him) was a piece of work. For that reason, I couldn’t name him Nibbles. We weren’t solving problems, we were causing them.

(If you are a Reds fan you’ll get the Nibbles reference from the Joey Votto “Mountie” interview. If you’re not a Reds fan, here’s a link: 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Asf5Exg94NI&feature=kp)

I guess, all in all, I could have had a worse horse. At least this time I stayed on the trail! I also only scratched up one leg as we went barreling down a trail and cut too close to a tree. My fault, I know. My students in the U.S. are probably laughing. They have heard the horse horror stories.

One of the students from the group asked, “Do you not enjoy horseback riding?” I guess I didn’t practice my game face well enough.

Yay horseback riding!

Thankfully, horseback riding is always followed by river tubing! I love that activity! It’s going down rapids in an inner tube. In most instances, I forget all about the horseback riding that led to it. Water, tubing, and rapids. Me encanta.

Following the horseback riding and river tubing, we ate lunch and made our journey back to Monteverde where I finally managed to get my coffee ice cream before watching the U.S. tie Portugal in the World Cup!

Coffee Ice Cream!

All is well in my world.

Pura vida,

Jessica 

Los Llanos de Cortez Waterfall

This past weekend was amazing!

We started the weekend at Los Llanos de Cortez Waterfall. I’ve seen several waterfalls in Costa Rica and each one is as beautiful as the next--all in their own right, of course. No exception here! This waterfall was tucked back off the side of the Pan-American Highway with only a big, white cardboard sign with the word “Waterfall” spray painted in bright orange. You’d miss it if you didn’t know what you were looking for. We nearly did.

There is short hike to get to it and then you are there, standing in the warm waters of this breathtaking waterfall. I am astounded nearly every time I get to witness something like this.

I wasn’t going to swim too much since I was there with a group, but after a while I knew I couldn’t resist. How could I be standing there in this incredible place (Costa Rica + Waterfall) and not experience every part of it? So, I swam up under it and sat beneath the water as it came pouring down. What a feeling...

Enjoy the journey.

In a nutshell, my Saturday morning was incredible.

Pura Vida,

Jessica Lynn

Giant's Mirrors

Honestly, who installed these mirrors? The Ticos didn’t do it. I’m the same height as they are, and I can’t even see in these things.

It must have been a Giant.

That’s the only logical way to explain this.

Why else would these mirrors have been hung so high? Never before have I noticed just how uneven my eyebrows are or tan my forehead looks. I’ve never had a vested interest in my hairline either, but given that I can't see anything else in these mirrors, I’ve started to take note of a few things on the upper 1/3 of my head.

The mirrors are so tall that I can't even practice my game face for horseback riding this weekend. You know, that pained smile that says ‘This activity is loads of fun kiddos! The last time I did it, I put my knee straight into a horse’s poo-filled hindquarters.”

Nope, I can’t practice my forced smile—but my forehead is looking pretty convincing.

Oh well, such is life. Maybe I’ll head down into the tiny gnome closet in this apartment and find a mirror that is short enough for my ankles. I’ve been meaning to take a closer look at them…

Pura Vida,

Jessica Lynn

Viva la Sele!

Viva la Sele!

¡Oeeeee, Oe, Oe, Oeeee!  Ticooooos! Ticooooos!

¡Hoy, todos somos Ticos!

Work was nearly non-existent this morning as Costa Rica took on fútbol powerhouse, Italy, today in the World Cup. Hey, even I can band-wagon with the best of them.

What a huge win for Costa Rica! You can see from the pictures and video what a great celebration it was here in Monteverde. I can only imagine what the Central Valley looked like…

Anyway, what an amazing experience to have in another country—especially where soccer is so highly valued and followed. It’s like a segunda religión. It’s awesome. They celebrated today like I celebrated during UD’s run during the NCAA tournament. : )

Trying to watch the projection of the TV coverage.

Switching to an area more equipped for the eventual celebration!

On a side note… I went out last night! (There’s a Kenny Chesney song that’s playing in my mind right now.) Bar Amigos with the girls! It started at my boss’s house with dinner and wine and then carried over to the bar. We danced. A lot. I brought my figurative dancing shoes last night. (Where is Adam when you need him?) : )

I’m happy to report that I didn’t close the establishment down. Rarely do I do that in States unless I’m at Tim’s with my siblings or college roommates. In reality, as I’ve aged, I’ve happily settled into that comfortable point in life where you can leave the bar early, get a good night’s sleep, and wake up happy in the morning. That’s just what we did last night.

I’ll probably be staying in tonight though. I’ve also reached that comfortable age where going out once a week and/or month is enough for me. Jaja.

Anyhoo, it’s off to Rincon de la vieja national park this weekend with my group.

Heaven help me. I have to do horseback riding.

Pura vida (until I have to get on a horse),

Jessica Lynn

Cold. Wet. Worth It.

My group got to go Zip Lining today!! I love this adventure activity no matter how many times I’ve done it in the past! Today’s journey consisted of 9 cables ranging from 1500 to 2500 feet across valleys that drop 250-300 feet below you. It’s a thrill ride the whole way!

The only thing I don’t absolutely enjoy is cold and rain during the 2 hour endeavor. Thankfully, today it only rained REALLY HARD for 10 minutes half through. Lovely. It’s a good thing I had my fast-drying pants on. It was windy, raining, and really cold. But always, always worth it.

However, when we finished, I had mud and dirt all over my face and clothes. I apologize for not having a picture of the mess that I’d become. Gracias a dios, everyone looked just like me. When I got back to CPI, I was allowed to go home and take a nice, warm shower. I was so grateful.

When I began to remove my clothing I realized just how many mud stains I had all over my clothes. Normally this isn’t a problem in the States because I have enough extra outfits to choose from and plenty of laundry cycles to clean out the stains. Here, it’s different. Based on my small ration of laundry detergent, and clothing for that matter, I needed a way to clean these clothes efficiently.  (I just did a full load of laundry yesterday.) A few years back, I did a load of laundry in my bathtub here in CR. This was similar today but without a bathtub.

Upon surveying the situation of cleaning supplies that I had at the apartment (and not wanting to waste water on one frivolous laundry cycle), I grabbed a bar of “ecological bath soap” and hopped in the shower. Half a bar of soap later, I had clean laundry! I think. It remains to be seen when I get the clothes from the dryer.

This really isn’t the first time I’ve lived like this in CR. Pura vida, right? I’m not worried. Thankfully, I have already somehow won over a boyfriend who already knows (and appreciates) this about me: Low. Maintenance. : ) I don't always live this way, but I don't mind it either. 

So now, we wait on the dryer to do its job......

30 minutes later…

Dryer check: Clothes are spotless!

This is a win.

Zip lines, mud, and ecological soap,

Jessica

P.s. Dinner last night! Tortillas with rice and avocados. It was delicious. Really.

I Just Want a Little Ice Cream

How can you come to Monteverde and not have coffee ice cream every day?

I've been here 5 days and all I want is a little ice cream. Both are grown and produced locally. Even if you don't like coffee, the ice cream is amazing in its own right. Every time I'm in town my mouth starts watering...and then by some cruel twist of fate, I can't get my hands on it. To add insult to injury, they have closed down the nearest ice shop to the school and where I'm living. Ay de mi!

Sigh, maybe tomorrow...

On another (random) note, I love the flowers and vegetation here!

And I love my co-workers. : )

Trillizas: Me, Lucre, and Gabby! 

Is it just me, or does it look like I awkwardly inserted myself into their picture?

Pura vida,

Jessica Lynn

The Last Few Days in Pictures

1. The Boruca tribe was here in Monteverde! They are indigenous to Costa Rica and known for their vibrant masks that tell of the story of conquering the Spaniards in the 1500s. I love their hand-painted and hand-carved masks! I bought this one (below) to add to my collection. Find out more about the Borucas here: http://www.boruca.org/en/

2. In Monteverde for the next 2 weeks! I love this place. You can see the Gulf of Nicoya from here (Pacific coast!).

3. Normal hiking/day wear. Plus, my arsenal of self-defense and survival gear--should I be attacked by another dog while running or lost in the bosque.

4. Finally getting some of the typical foods here that I love! (1) Gallo Pinto and fresh fruit for breakfast. (2) Aztec Soup. (3) Guanabana Smoothie

5. San Joaquin de Flores Catholic Church from earlier in my trip. Nice little town outside of San Jose, the capital. Fun fact: Catholic churches in Costa Rica face West! If you are ever lost here and can locate a Catholic church (which are in every town), you can at least figure out your cardinal directions.

7. This guy: Mack (and sister too!). Our 4 month old lab (and 23 year old sister) waiting for me back home. : )

Pura vida,

Jessica Lynn

Candlelit Dinner

Happy Birthday, Dad!

Last night, the other chaperona and I had a nice candlelit dinner. It happened by chance because our kitchen cabinets consisted of canned mushrooms, a lot rice, beans and two packages of unidentifiable 'salsa ranchero'.

**So I reread this blog today (Wednesday) and realized I tried to make a funny story out of something rather ordinary. Fail. It was rather long-winded, so here are the highlights of that candle lit dinner instead.**

1. Gabby and I are sitting at the apartment. Starving.
2. The lights go out once.
3. We try to call several restaurants to see if they offered express (delivery). Lights come on.
4. The lights go out again.
5. We call a taxi to go to Sabor Tico, a restaurant in town.
6. We order our food.
7. Power goes out at the restaurant.
8. The kind waiter brings us a candle-in-a-cup.
9. Lights come back on.
10. We finish our quesadillas and guanabana smoothies in a well-lit place.
11. The end.

Our next plan of action was to go grocery shopping after dinner. As luck would have it, the grocery was closed at this point. Luckily, I only ate half of my quesadilla, so I now have food for tonight!

However, we felt like we struck gold when we stumbled upon a Zumba class that was going on in the plaza! You’d better believe that next Monday at 7:00PM we’ll be joining a Zumba class with all the locals!  : )

Headed off to do some volunteer work in the cloud forest!

Pura vida,

Jessica Lynn