Costa Rica Day 2

What a day. I have a feeling that's how I'm going to feel at the end of every day here, but that definitely isn't a bad thing. In the morning, we went straight to the volcano place and spent the morning hiking through a beautiful forest and then seeing both an active volcano and a lagoon. The sights were gorgeous and even the hike was great because the greenery was lush and looked amazing. I love hiking and so I had a lot of energy getting through the hike and enjoying the long uphill incline. I even got to spend the hike getting to know some of the other girls better which was awesome because that's another reason why I love hiking, it's a great bonding experience. At lunch we went to a great native costa rican restaurant and I had the opportunity to sit next to Santi, short for Santiago, our trip coordinator. Santi is 5'3'' and has a nice round face that matches his loving and caring personality. Once we all started to talk Santi told us more about his family. We learned that there was a girl he was dating who ended up getting leukemia and then dying two days before his next date with her. But ironically Santi ended up meeting his wife and her wake. After dating her for two years they finally got married which is wonderful. The only thing that held them back from having kids is that Santi's wife was born blind, a trait that they could potentially pass down to their kids. They decided to adopt their son, who is now 6 and definitely a cutie with a lot of energy. After hearing Santi's story, I really did learn that you never know what is going to happen, and you always need to move forward, because there's always something awaiting. I loved how happy and sweet Santi is and I could tell his personality is so great because of all the things he has dealt with in the past. I also learned about our bus driver, Julio, at lunch. Although Julio speaks no english we spent time learning about his life and how he has two children and that he is divorced. Julio seems to be one that keeps more to himself, but I hope to use my spanish to hopefully talk to him more on the trip. After lunch we went to the hummingbird garden right outside the restaurant which was amazing! The garden was gorgeous and peaceful and the birds were all intricate and colorful. At night we went to a nice dinner where we really learned the idea that Costa Ricans spend time at dinner, and it takes a long time to get your food. Although some of us understood this culture difference, some girls were really upset that their food hadn't come and started getting frustrated with the waiters. Going to this dinner definitely gave me perspective on what it means to be in another country. I want to respect the culture and traditions of other countries and I want to make an effort to assimilate. Although some girls didn't understand that, I think that's the point of traveling: learning to adopt to new cultures and using these different cultures to get more of a worldly perspective. Even though every culture isn't the same, that's the beauty of different cultures. When you combine all the differences you end up with a mix of cultures that gives you a more real perspective on the world and humans. I want to be a versatile person, and that's why I love studying other cultures and that's also why I chose a major like comparative literature because the idea is to get as many perspectives from all around the world as possible. In the night, we ended up waiting in a line for a bar for 2 hours and then instead just heading back to the hotel. Even though we didn't end up going out, I really enjoyed seeing all the people and the night life. I noticed girls dressed slightly more casual and definitely less provocative than in college, which I definitely had a lot of respect for. I loved that people were more classy in the bars as well. It wasn't about getting wasted and black out drunk, but instead the Costa Ricans were there to drink and converse and have a good time. It wasn't as much about the alcohol as it was about spending time with people to enjoy the night. I also learned that people here don't play drinking games and don't chug drinks because their goal isn't to get really drunk. I love that about the culture because everyone was more chilled out and not as obnoxious. A lot of people when they are drunk tend to scream loudly and not have manners, but everyone in Costa Rica stayed composed, were very quiet even when they were drunk, and knew how to chill out with their alcohol. It's a quality that I definitely admire. As I end the night again by the pool in the complete silence I can't wait to start another day! Tomorrow is our first clinic and I'm excited to practice my spanish and also learn to diagnose patients! But until then, here's the quote of the day:
“One’s destination is never a place, but a new way of seeing things.” – Henry Miller
“Traveling is a brutality. It forces you to trust strangers and to lose sight of all that familiar comfort of home and friends. You are constantly off balance. Nothing is yours except the essential things – air, sleep, dreams, the sea, the sky – all things tending towards the eternal or what we imagine of it.” – Cesare Pavese
.....sorry there's two, I couldn't chose one :)

Costa Rica Day 1

I have officially arrived to Costa Rica. After anticipating the landing in a new country for so long, when I got here I still felt slightly nervous. Walking out of the airport felt like I was in India all over again, with people surrounding me, awaiting for arrivals. It's definitely a different environment than what I'm used to at home, and it took me a second to have that sink in. But as we left the airport and started driving through the streets of San José, I realized the appreciation I had for places like Costa Rica, completely different from my own home. I loved seeing all the small shops, houses, and finally our scenic hotel. As I sit here now on a lounge chair by the pool, the light of the day is slowly fading away. The lanterns have all turned on and there is a peace and quiet as the wind makes the evening chilly. Since it's the rainy season here the weather isn't too warm, but with a blanket and a light jacket, this moment is perfect. I love looking at the landscape that the hotel has at its center with palm trees and green plants giving the hotel an exotic look. I could definitely get used to this. We're leaving soon to go out to dinner and see the town which hopefully will help me work on my Spanish speaking! Coming on this trip has been a dream and I'm so thankful to be here in Costa Rica right now. I can't wait to work at the clinics and learn about the patients, and I also can't wait to explore this beautiful place and the culture! As I end my first year of college, I love this transition into the summer. I hated leaving school because of how great the year was, and who likes it when something great has to come to an end. But coming to Costa Rica was something for me to look forward to and I know this experience will be unique and interesting because I am older and able to appreciate more. As the first day of this trip closes and we celebrate tonight, I'm ready to open my eyes to this view of the world.

Quote of the day: “Tourists don’t know where they’ve been, travelers don’t know where they’re going.” – Paul Theroux