The Journey's Almost Over: An Earthquake and Mi Tica Familia

This post is a little bit of everything. I will be on a plane back to the U.S. in less than 36 hours. I am ready to go home, but it will be hard to leave my host family and friends that I have made. Wednesday, I went to the artisan market with Bailey and picked up some last minute souvenirs. I finally got the soccer jersey I had been wanting since I got here. I think I finally have gifts for everyone. I also went back to the market yesterday morning with two girls from my program. Wednesday night was my last class. I turned in my 8 page research paper and gave a PowerPoint presentation on human trafficking in Latin America. It feels so nice to be done! I was allowed to leave class a few minutes early to make it to my study abroad program's farewell gathering. I met Bailey at the school and we took a taxi to a nearby jazz cafe. Our site director met us there and paid for everyone's first drink, which was very generous of her.

At the Jazz Cafe

On Wednesday night we went to bed and were awoken at about 3 am. There was an earthquake and it shook the entire house and our beds. It was so strange to me. I was in a deep sleep, but it woke me up and I was very confused. Nothing fell off my dresser or anything, which I thought was weird. Our Mama Tica told us it was about 20 kilometers away (so only about 12 miles). There have been three or four earthquakes since I've been here but that was the first one I actually felt. At breakfast Thursday morning, Mama Tica was telling us how one of her daughters is so afraid of earthquakes and the other one always says to her, "They're normal and we have them all the time."

Costa Rican flag on a beautiful day

We went to the National Museum Thursday afternoon with a group. There was a beautiful butterfly garden that was included in the admission price. It was cool to just see butterflies fluttering around. I'm going to miss our host family so much. They taught us how to make gallo pinto (rice and beans) the other day. And they are always joking around. It's so funny and sweet. They always ask about our families at home and our boyfriends. Bailey is getting married within the next year and so they were asking me if I was marrying my boyfriend. I just started laughing because I didn't know what to say. One of the other girls met a guy down here who is also from the states and our Papa Tico saw them in the park together. He was giving her a hard time and kept saying, "Love is in the air." It was hilarious. Last night was sad because I had to say good-bye to Bailey since her flight was at 6:30 this morning. She was such a big help to me, and I will always appreciate that. Here's to my last day in Costa Rica.

From the butterfly garden

Our host family!
Natalia & Lesley (on the ends, also students from the U.S.), Papa Tico, Bailey & me, Mama Tica
Ana & Maria, their biological daughters are missing because they were taking the picture

Pura Vida Chicos!

The Best Last Weekend: Hot Springs, Waterfalls, & Zip-Lining

This past weekend was absolutely incredible on all levels. I wasn't sure what to expect, but I was happy that we were staying in hotels instead of hostels. We departed for the Baldi Hot Springs on Friday at 1 PM. Those of us on the trip had no idea what to expect of hot springs. We assumed they were natural and not man-made. We checked into our hotel and immediately left for the hot springs. The springs were man made but still extremely cool. There were about 20 pools total, with the majority of them being over 100 degrees. There were also a couple that were only about 62 degrees. Baldi had a few awesome water slides. I only went on one because one was for kids and the other was super fast, and I was not about to lose my bikini. After we relaxed in the springs, we had dinner in the restaurant connected to Baldi at 8 PM. It sure does take a while to get used to eating dinner so late. We were all ravenous by the time we ate.

Baldi Hot Springs with Jill, Layne, Shannon, & Lettice

Saturday we woke up and had a delicious breakfast in the hotel. It was typical Costa Rican food (gallo pinto, eggs, toast) but it also had avocado, plantains, and cheese. It was fantastic. I will miss some of this food when I go back to the states. After breakfast we headed off to the LaFortuna waterfall. It was an amazing sight. We hiked down about three-quarters of a mile to see it and then back up the same distance. It was intense. I guess it just proves how out of shape I am getting here. It was also difficult because I was wearing flip flops. I didn't want to wear tennis shoes because we went into the water. If you ever come to Costa Rica or plan on going hiking in muddy/water-filled areas anywhere in the world, I suggest getting a pair of chacos. I had no idea what they were until I saw people wearing them. They are basically adventure sandals suitable for wet environments. They are also good for ziplining, but tennis shoes are fine as well. They'll cost a pretty penny though. (About $100). After the waterfall, we left for Monteverde. The views heading to Monteverde were magnificent. The lush green mountains and windmills were spectacular. The only part that wasn't particularly enjoyable was the ride. The road was so bumpy we were practically smacking our heads off the windows and seats. It was entertaining to say the least. We got stuck in the mud so all of the guys had to go to the back of the van and jump up and down. I'm not sure what that did, but it got us going and out of the mud.

LaFortuna Waterfall

Sunday was the day I was looking forward to the most. At 7:30 AM, we departed for our canopy tour (zip-lining). I was so excited. When I saw how high off the ground the platforms were, I got quite nervous. Also, the guides went over all of the rules, and I was afraid that I was going to mess something up. It wasn't difficult, but if you do something wrong you could end up seriously hurt. We started on two quick and easy ones and then moved on to the 600 meter zip-line. After that, we went on the longest zip-line in Latin America (1590 meters, nearly a mile long). It was exhilarating! We were even able to go with a partner. Being above the cloud forest and seeing so much of nature was breathtaking. I can't even describe how awesome it was. The final activity on the canopy tour was the mega Tarzan swing. I was so afraid to do it. It's a free fall from 295 feet off the ground. Talk about an adrenaline rush. It was probably the most frightening thing I have ever done. I felt like I was going to die at first. My fear of heights is most definitely something I got over on this trip. I still can't believe I zip-lined in the rain forest of Costa Rica. I'm so thankful for this experience and all of the opportunities I have been given! Only four days until I say good-bye to the happiest and most beautiful country on earth.

Hanging Bridge after zip-lining with Jill

I survived the Tarzan Swing!

 Pura Vida, Chicos!

I Survived Spanish!

Here's a post just because. I actually have a little bit of time to write today. My Spanish class is finally over! It was four weeks instead of five like my elective. Today was our oral final and yesterday was the written exam. I also did a presentation on how to make Galletas de mantiquilla de mani (peanut butter cookies) today. It was fun, and after everyone's presentations we had a little fiesta. Our Spanish teacher was so kind and patient. I'm sad that we had to say goodbye to her today. I realized that I never posted a picture of the university so you can check it out below. My final weekend here is quickly approaching, and I couldn't be more excited. I'm going to the Arenal Volcano, the La Fortuna waterfall, Baldi hot springs, and ZIPLINING! I feel like a little kid in a candy shop. Ziplining was the one activity I wanted to do when I found out I was coming to Costa Rica. I will have to wait until Sunday to find out how it is! Next week I will have a lot of time to explore since I will only have class Monday-Wednesday for two hours a day. My class is going on a field trip to downtown San Jose and hopefully we will be able to see the Inter-American Court of Human Rights. Our professor is still working on getting it set up. I'm not leaving until next Saturday, the ninth so I should have some time to finish picking up souvenirs and hopefully see a movie at the Cinemark here.

Last day of Spanish class

Universidad Veritas
 (I'm not sure why the picture flipped, but I couldn't fix it)

Pura Vida.