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.

George Clooney Came to Piedades!!!!!!!!!!!

No puede ser. George Clooney came to my town! We heard that some helicopters were going to land in our soccer field. I didn't really care. I thought, "I've seen helicopters before. Big deal." So I didn't go when I heard them arriving. But later, my friend and I took Zuli for a walk and as we got to the field, there were the 2 helicopters and everyone in my town surrounding the field. We could see that there were some people in the middle of the field taking pictures, but I wasn't really paying attention. I was too busy talking to people and introducing my friend to people. Then, after about 5 minutes, the helicopters took off and a man with gray hair waved to everyone as they were leaving. I asked people, "Who was that?" receiving answers like "Some rich man from Switzerland" and "An Italian guy." It wasn't until 3 days later that we all found out who that really was....George Clooney! George Clooney waved at me!!!!! It was all a big secret when he came. He visited a family in my town to see their farm. So the girl in that family has put up some pictures of him and her family. I'm so jealous! I love him! In other news....George Clooney came to my town!!!!!!!! Hehe! Well, I'm still teaching my English class and we're almost done with level 2. I'll be going on to level 3 and I'm excited because it'll be more conversational and I really feel like I can make a big difference with these last months I have here with these students! I'm starting to realize that I really don't have much more time here!!! :( Before I know it, it'll be June and I'm off! I'm cherishing my last months here! I'll be spending Christmas with my adopted family in Piedades. And I might be making a trip over to Nicaragua, too! We'll see! Anyways, I just had to write about the biggest news to hit my little pueblo!

George Clooney and his Helicopter!

George Clooney and the Family

No sea pola!

So, gracias a dios, I'm back in Costa Rica!!!! My knee is doing great and I'm just so thrilled to be back! I unpacked and reorganized my house in one day and felt completely adjusted! It was such a great experience in Washington and it made me really appreciate my time here in Costa Rica. I'm so happy I'm not leaving yet! Zuli was so excited to see me when I returned, I took a video and it's hilarious! I've started a couple of new projects since being back! I'm helping a little women's group with cool 80's jewelry and started and English speaking club! So far, so good! In a week, I'll be visiting my old host family in Jorco and then it's off to AVC with all my peace corps peeps at Juan VVIII! I don' know why, but I just get so excited for this stuff! It'll be nice to see everyone! It's been so long! There's really nothing much more to report! I'm still teaching my Centro Cultural course and have ended my relationship with ice cream. That's about it! All in all, everything's just puda vida!!!

Cool leaf butterfly thing-a-ma-bob!!!!!

My friend Steven waiting to start his concert! Go Steven!!!

A random house in San Ramon

Beautiful art that Ms. Andrea Arias made for me!!!!! I fell in love with one she made just like this in black and grays, and asked her to make it for me with lots of colors! Just amazing!

Foggybottom with a walker

Well, things have taken a turn for me! I'm actually in Washington DC right now because they had to medevac me! Remember that crazy bone in my knee? Well, it had to be removed! But my experience has been great! I'm staying in a nice hotel with a fellow volunteer and they were so awesome at the hospital. And they were super fast! Literally, I flew in on Sunday evening. Monday I had appointments all day and Tuesday I got the surgery! So have no fear! I'm going back to Costa Rica by the end of the month! Though, I am a little disappointed. I had a goal to not go back to the States the entire time I was in Peace Corps, but this just could not be avoided. But good news! My sister and my father are going to visit me! Kelly's arriving today and my father on Monday! I'm just so thrilled! Hopefully we can go eat at Bonefish so I can get my Bang Bang shrimp tacos! :) My healing is going well. I'm able to walk now without my roller walker or my cane! But I looked pimp doing it when I needed them! I feel really great and in high spirits and I'm definitely so happy to return to Costa Rica! I'm not done there yet! And my little doggy is still there! I think that's been the hardest part! Not having Zuli with me! But if everything goes as planned, in about 2 weeks or less, I'll be returning to CR! But I've been having a great time in DC! Everything is so new, nice, and clean! And me, the most directionally challenged person, has been using the metro like a breeze! I've been trying all the newest candies! Pretzel m&m's, coconut m&m's, milky way with just the caramel, double flavor skittles, and my old favorites, rolos, york peppermint patties, and almond joys! I've been in candy heaven! I also get to watch Wheel of Fortune, a forever favorite of mine! So life is good! I'll keep you posted for my return! Hurricane Leah belongs in Costa Rica!

Zuli's new friend/sister, Nina! I'm trying to find her an owner, poor thing! She's such a great dog!

Flying back from Brazil! Just beautiful!

Zuli bear! In his little sweater!!!!!!!!!!!!

So, there was a mouse attack in my house! We found and got rid of 5 mice!!!!!!!!!!!!!! A terrible experience! Rat poop everywhere = Nasty!

It's A New Day!

Whoopsi! I haven't written since February! How did that happen? Well, I've been a little distracted, as of late! But the distraction is over and I'm back to blogging again!!! Since way back when (February), I've gotten a house! Well, it's not mine, but I'm renting it! I love the little family that lives in front of me. They're my landlords, but are more like a family! For my birthday, they threw me a surprise party and it was so sweet. They didn't know how old I was turning, so they put a question mark candle on the cake! Hilarious! I was really lucky to have very generous people in my life who have loaned me furniture and all household appliances! I'm loaded up! I've got a full size bed, a fridge, a sofa, a table, a microwave....what else is there to need? I've been collecting cool art work from all across the country that I can finally display! I'll have to post some pictures of them! In work news, I've just now started my Level 2 Centro Cultural class! I love it! I'm going to be more strict this time around and use a lot less Spanish when explaining things! Oh, and in other huge news....It turns out that I have an osteochondroma aka a bone spur!!! In my knee!!! I went to Clinica Biblica in San Jose and they took some x-rays and there is this bone jutting out of my knee! It's crazy! So, I'll have to keep you posted on the next steps to resolve this issue!! Zuli is still adorable as always and has made new friends and now weighs 5.8 kilos! They grow up so fast! Oh, and Tico 19 (my group of Peace Corps Volunteers) has reached and now passed the halfway point of our Peace Corps service!!! I've now been in my community for close to a year! It's incredible! The time is just going so fast! I'll be sure to stay up-to-date on the old blog...at least once a month!!!

The art work in my kitchen! Brigitte's old host-mom made it!!!!

Can you see the bone? That is messed up!

My little birthday party! Zuli stealing all the attention!

20 sounds good to me!!!!

My new house before I moved all my stuff in it and got settled!!!