Milestone 100

As of the July 4, 2011, I officially hit 100 blog posts. Hopefully I've brought a few laughs and a few good reads to all those that have taken the time to browse my collection over the last three years.

Why do I write? Initially it was to keep track of my own thoughts each day and allow my family to stay connected since I can't call home every day. As the blog gained popularity, although it still served as a journal for me, it was also used for entertainment purposes and cultural insight. Today, that is my mission. Teach people a little about my life and the world in a thoughtful and often humorous fashion.

As long as I'm here, and as long as I continue to experience everything Costa Rica has to offer, I'll be writing. Thanks for reading : )

Pura Vida,

Jessica Lynn

Memories of España

I am learning all about España right now on T.V. There is one day left until San Fermines (aka The Running of the Bulls). This brings back so many memories of when John and I went together five years ago (July 7, 2007). First and foremost, John flew in from Oxford, England for the weekend and ran in it!! Secondly, we stayed awake for 48 hours straight thanks to my poor planning. : ) We wandered around Pamplona for nearly 21 hours just trying to stay awake so we wouldn’t miss our bus on Sunday morning after arriving on Friday night. Lesson learned about planning ahead…

Upon our arrival on Friday night in Pamplona

Regardless, it was a really amazing experience to share with my brother that I’ll never forget. I’ll also never forget the phone call to Mom and Dad afterward informing them of what he had done and that yes, he was alive and well. Sometimes it’s better to do something and beg for forgiveness than to ask permission. : )

John almost didn’t even run that Saturday morning, but I remember telling him, “Give me your backpack. You didn’t come all the way here not to run. I’ll meet you at the park bench when it’s all over.” It was a long wait for him to get back, but when he got there, he had the most amazing experience to talk about and share with everyone. Love you, Brother.

Naturally, John chose to run in the most dangerous part of the course: the start.

It should be noted that this was also the weekend that I infamously ordered half of the Burger King Value Menu for him and I. Whoops.

We ate everything.

All right time to learn more about España and go to bed.

Feliz San Fermin,

Jessica Lynn

The Gang Is Back Together!

From July 5
Gerry came today!!!!! This may not be big news to anybody but the chaperones of CPI, but we are all celebrating in the office today. Gerry was the chaperone who trained Meggie and me three years ago. We were quite the team between Muni, Gerry, Meggie and I. Thus, having Gerry back to work with us is like getting the A-Team of chaperones back together again. Pura vida : )

Today was spent prepping for the extra group I’m taking on starting on Sunday and heading to Heredia with Gerry to obtain new contact lenses and a few other odds and ends things.

Yesterday was a rather uneventful for the Fourth of July. By the time we chaperones got home we were all too tired to go out. So in typical Schulte Family tradition, I decided to make an ice cream run. I came home with a Mmmio. It was delicious. It is vanilla ice cream covered in chocolate, caramel, nuts and well, pure goodness.

Highlight of my 4th of July yesterday? Hablando con mi hermanita. La extraño mucho : )

Viva la Pura Vida,
Jessica Lynn

Notes to Self

Notes to Self:

1. Arroz con Pollo (chicken with rice) can NOT be made with just any old rice. Just ask our cook at CPI. On second thought, don’t. You’ll get an earful. Just trust me on this one.

2. There is a secret subculture within our choferes that has to do with nicknames and then having those nicknames on a faux license plate in their front windshield. (i.e. CABALLO (horse); CHIQUITIN (little guy); CACHETES (cheeks…on your face); SUAREZ (his last name)). It’s quite the reveal when they pull up in the bus and you are anxiously awaiting the big reveal as to who your driver really is.

3. It’s an issue for me that, in heels, I am taller than 80% of the tico men at the disco.

4. I think I failed to mention that the man-eating rottweiler is a SHE.

5. I still don’t like snakes…even if they are in cages.

6. I have a two mile loop that I’ve run 13 times this week. I averaged 15 minutes and 48 seconds per lap. That’s about a 7:54 mile. I’ll take it.

7. I ate yogurt and granola for lunch today. I think my tummy actually smiled. This is my first rice and bean-less day since I’ve been here.

8. Skype is amazing.

9. The quickest way to make a man uninterested in you down here (gringo or tico) is to tell them you are super independent and not interested in starting a family…even five years from now. Easy. I don’t even have to pretend to have a boyfriend.

10. It’s been 5 years since I’ve celebrated within the U.S.A. Happy 4th of July : ) Feliz dia de Independencia

La gringa (and proud of it),

Jessica Lynn

Weekend Update

That's definitely a mariposa on my head. : )

From Sunday, July 3

Saturday was spent in La Carpio working with the Costa Rican Humanitarian Foundation. The organization was founded by Gail Nystrom who came to Costa Rica around 35 years ago with the Peace Corps and has stayed every since. She has dedicated her life to this town and seeing that it pulls itself out of poverty by its own merit and hard work. It’s an impoverished area with a lot of crime that was initially started by Nicaraguan refugees. The CRHF has so many wonderful projects going on to help teach skills to the people within the city, not just hand out money. It’s an important trait for the people to learn—that hard work, dedication and trust will help them out of their current state. I am impacted every time I walk in.

Saturday night was spent out with some friends at 212 (Two-Twelve/Dos Doce). It’s a disco that is rather close to my house, and it’s great! : ) I made it an early night though because I needed to be up at 5 a.m. on Sunday to run and pick up the group for their excursion.

Sunday we headed to Poas Volcano and it was a gorgeous morning. The volcano is a crater and it was so beautiful yesterday. We were very lucky that the clouds hadn’t overtaken it when we arrived! Following Poas, we head to La Paz Waterfall Gardens which houses all sorts of biodiversities and animals, as well as the waterfall itself. Naturally, it started raining before we even started the two hour hike. Being Miss Preparada I had a rain jacket, keen sandals and my umbrella to stay dry. And boy, did I ever. Besides my sandals, I was dry to the bone. : )

Poas Volcano with my UD Magazine

Sunday night was spent back the apartment with Meggie and Claire watching a movie and hanging out after Skyping my family back home. : )

Hasta pronto,
Jessica Lynn

Dreads

From Friday, July 1

Well, today marked a new experience for me. I accompanied one of my students to Heredia to get his hair put into cornrows. Early on in the week he asked me for a number a place where he could get his hair done. I got a number from a friend in Monteverde who knows someone here in Heredia. By the time we got everything worked out, I had rather vague directions on how to get to this lady’s house in the city. I repeat, house. It was in some place called ‘Jardines 2’, the first right after the Universidad Nacional and in front of the red taxi stop. I was supposed to call her when we got there and she would meet us. We all know how that works out…
We were dropped off by a taxi in a rougher neighborhood where we spent 20 minutes looking for Shantell and waiting for her to get us. Her house was literally right in front of where we were standing, but she couldn’t see us from the house so she didn’t come out and get us. It was raining of course. : )

The process took approximately 3 hours. How in the world does it take 3 hours to do a man’s hair?! Well…when he has to get extensions (something I previously thought only a woman could get) it takes forever. And to boot, he didn’t even like it when we left. The cheerleader in me kept trying to boost his confidence by telling him I really liked it (which I did), but it wasn’t helping. Men…

My boss texted me at one point to ask what I was going to get done, but I think I’ll just stick to doing my own hair for now. I can’t imagine how long a full head of hair like mine would take.

Time to go home for the night,

Jessica Lynn

P.s. For the record, I was super impressed with the work Shantell did. I thought it looked amazing and she had the patience of a saint!

Paella and "Puppies"

Healthy and Happy, Always

I love paella. It was confirmed two nights ago at the party for Doña Romy, the founder of CPI. I am currently living in one of the apartments that is part of her house. My boss, Jonle, invited me to the party, and I had such a good time. The paella came in a paella dish that was easily two feet in diameter. It had rice, jumbo shrimp, clams, oysters, chorizo, chicken, calamari, peppers and asparagus. I was in heaven.

This week continues to move quickly and things in the office are always busy. I lost my roommate, Jesus, to West Coast, so I’m staying by myself now for a few days. While I’m at it, I’ll take a moment to describe my new living conditions. I stay in a small apartment with two beds, a great bathroom and little kitchenette. The kitchenette has a microwave, toaster oven and mini-fridge. I think I can make anything with that equipment.

Every day I come and go from the house, I am greeted by a ‘welcoming committee.’ Doña Romy and her husband have two dogs that are super cute…when they are sleeping. I love animals, especially dogs. It saddened me greatly when I received a phone call from my mom letting me know that our dog, Bo, had been put to sleep after 13 wonderful years of being a part of our family. That being said, I was initially overjoyed that the family had pets—until I actually met those two ‘pets.’

These two enormous, man-eating rottweilers stay penned up all day and furiously bark and try to jump over the fence every time someone enters the gates. Doña Romy has assured me that these two bundles of joy have never escaped and that they can’t. I don’t believe it for a second. I have not once entered the gate and not felt my adrenaline and heart rate sky rocket. We chaperones scurry from the house to the gate as quickly as possible and usually appoint someone to walk out there first and open the gate so the others have a clear exit. I’m sure it is quite the scene from the house as we fumble around nervously try to get the gate unlocked to get out. Heaven help me if I ever drop anything close to their cage. It’ll be like a scene from the Sand Lot. It’s a big day when the dogs are sleeping as I’m leaving…

Please watch the video allowing for your viewing entertainment. This is my walk every day.

And in case you're wondering, I made it safely into the house and up to my room, but I didn't stick around too long with the perritos.

Puppy love,

Jessica Lynn