I came, I saw, I conquered. Hasta luego Costa Rica!

27. No Puede Ser.

So, I turned the big 2-7! I can't believe it! But I had a wonderful birthday celebration!!! I went to visit some other volunteers in Bijagua and we went to Rio Celeste! Spectacular! It is so beautiful there and the colors were so vibrant! I got to eat my favorite pizza and had brownies for my birthday cake! I'm really glad I went because its been on my list of things to do my whole time here! And my time here is quickly coming to an end! I leave on May 28! What?! I definitely feel ready to go back now. I've had a really good time here, but with preparing for my return to the states, it's made me really want to get back and start the next chapter of my life. NYC!!! I've got some semi-concrete plans to move there at the end of July, so that gives me all of June and most of July to apply for jobs and visit family and just readjust to American culture again! I'm really going to miss my peace corps friends! I know I've formed some friendships here that I'll keep for the rest of my life! Everyone is going in different directions now and it's sad to think that we'll never all be together again. But the beauty of technology eases the pain somewhat. As long as we've got facebook, we can stay easily connected! In my last month here, I'm refining my resume, with the help of my sister who speaks better English than me, and finishing up a lot of paperwork for Peace Corps! I've been going to physical therapy for my knee recently and it's feeling a lot better. I'm hoping to go to Monteverde before I leave as well, and then I'll feel complete. Everything checked off the list! I can't believe 2 years and 3 months can go by so fast, yet pack in so many experiences and memories! I have to admit though, I'm excited to get back to the States and get the iphone 4! hehehe! But I know I'm really going to miss some of the fruits and vegetables here that are hard to find or not available in the States, like manzana de agua. I'm hoping NYC can help me out with that! Today I'm going to Jorco to visit some family and then I'm off to Santa Teresa! It's most likely the last time I will see my group of friends again, at least all together! Unbelievable! Por dios, Peace Corps, por dios!

Rio Celeste

The Blue Lagoon

Chalupas

Typical Costa Rica

More Rio Celeste!

Whoops! Time flies!

So, yeah, it's been a little while since I last posted! And of course, tons has happened! George Clooney? A thing of the past! Christmas and New Year's passed, quietly and uneventfully. And it actually made me sad and really miss the States, for really the first time. Here, Christmas is celebrated so differently/almost not at all. Last year, I happened to be in Panama to celebrate it with other US friends. So this year, when I literally did nothing on Christmas, it was a new experience and really made me appreciate the traditions of my family and friends back home. But at the end of January, I took a trip to Nicaragua with some Peace Corps friends and had an awesome awesome time! I love Nicaragua! It's a country that has managed to attract tourists without changing everything to cater to the upscale taste of many Americans and Europeans. Everything was cheap and good and I had some great experiences with the people! I'm so glad I went there and saw the country for myself! And then we had COS! It's our Close of Service conference! Unbelievable. This trek is almost done! I'm at a 3 month countdown now! It was really great to see everybody at the conference, and sadly, it probably was the last time I will ever see most of them again. Everyone's going back to different states and countries and the likelihood that we'll all be together again someday is so small! That's why I'm glad we have facebook, so I can stalk them! So, now I'm freaking out about my next chapter! I am definitely moving to NYC!!! But, I am totally stressed about getting a job! Yes, I could waitress or babysit to get by, but I really want to find something I like! Now it's time to dust off the old resume and update it with all my Peace Corps stuff, which is actually quite hard to do. How do I quantify all of this on one piece of paper in a few short blips? Good thing Kelly is coming to visit me and has promised to help me with it! Anyways! That's the latest! I promise to write again before my time here is done and Hurricane Leah hits NYC!

I might use this for my book cover, "Must Hate Mariachi." It's good, right?

Hey! It's like a little Rio de Janeiro!

San Juan del Sur. So beautiful. My camera can't do it justice!

Nicaraguans love those rice and beans, too!!! :)

A house for sale in Los Chiles. I'll give you $10.