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!!!

Beans are delicious!

So much has happened since my last entry! But I can't remember anything! Anyways! As usual, I am loving it here! My new little edition...oh yeah! My new edition! Zuli!!!!! I got a dog since the last time I wrote! His full name is Azul Jose Dove, but I call him Zuli for short! He is so adorable, I've almost squished him to death! So, he is one of the big things going on right now! He's learning both English and Spanish! I say "Come here Zuli!" and then Alejandro (my little brother) will say "Venga Zuli!" So, he'll be a bilingual doggie for sure! I've had to sneak him on a few bus rides to San Ramon so that he can get his vaccinations and stuff, and so far so good! He doesn't cry or pee in my purse! Yeah! I'm like a proud mamma! In other news, I've been looking for my own place to live! I absolutely love love love the family I'm living with right now, but it's about that time to set off on my own and have my own place! Finally this morning, I found a place and confirmed it, so I'll be moving in April 1st! Now, I have roughly a month to find furniture and other household appliances! And I am so so so excited! It's in a great location and I love my neighbors and the lady that is renting it to me! Todo bien!!! This past Saturday was a special day! Me, along with some other volunteers, got to meet Senators Dodd and Corker! I got invited because I'm from Tennessee and that's where Senator Corker is from! How cool is that? And Senator Dodd was a volunteer for Peace Corps back in the 1960's!!! Right when it first started! He served in the Dominican Republic and he can still speak Spanish today! We had a really nice breakfast at the fanciest, schmanciest hotel I've seen in Costa Rica! It was amazing! I got their cards afterwards, so who knows? I might have to hit up Washington after I blow this banana stand! My english class is still going strong! They've had their midterm exam and things went well! I really love them! And I've been up to the colegio to talk to the english teachers and we'll be starting a schedule in the next few weeks once everything gets organized up at the school! Yeah! And I'll be doing 2 more projects starting next month! I'm trying to help an elementary school in Piedades Norte get a roof for one of their buildings and then I'll be starting Junior Achievement up at the high school here in Piedades Sur! I'll explain more about that another time!!! Anyways! Hopefully the next time I write, I'll have a bed!!!!

Alejandro with Dino!

Zuli eating a chicken wing...It may be a little raw!

Okay, I'm obsessed!

Me and Senator Corker!

¿Por qué será?

Wow! It's been a while! And once again, so much has happened! I ended up spending my Christmas Holiday in Panama! It was absolutely amazing and I would love to go back there again some day! I went with a couple of other Peace Corps volunteers and we were able to go to Panama City, stay on a tiny island out in the middle of nowhere, hike in the mountains, paddle around on a beach, and have a cool time in the old city. It was one of my most favorite vacations ever! Besides our trip to Alaska Zoe! :) Anyways. After all the crazy vacationing, Kelly came to visit me! We spent 10 days visiting my different host families and seeing San Jose and staying at a beach house that these people from Memphis own! It was great! And now, I'm back to teaching my english class and waiting for the new school year to start next month. Oh yeah! I almost forgot! The weather here has been so crazy! It's freezing!!! And the wind is so strong that it seriously knocked over 2 18-wheelers! And it knocked over a really big tree in my town! I've been wrapping myself in blankets and wearing 2 pairs of socks on my feet! Tropical paradise, right? Anyways! Next week kicks off a really huge beer festival here in Costa Rica and it happens to be pretty close to where I live. It's in a town called Palmares and I'll be going to see what it's all about. It's a bummer that I don't like beer. Why can't they have a wine festival? Oh, I remember...Hurricane Leah. Anyways! I'll write again soon!

p.s. I miss my Rock Star!

Old City

On the Island

Cool Foot!

Our Island!

That was the hut I stayed in! Look how close we were to the water!