¡Finally here!

Today is my fifth day here in Costa Rica and it is incredible! For the first two days I had orientation in San Josering the orientation we just hung out and learned more about the culture of Costa Rica and the lifestyle in which the "ticos" live in. Oh and before Costa Rica we had another orientation in Miami, and that was all about the safety rules etc... Those four days of orientation were very tiring and overwhelming because we were constantly moving from place to place! But it was also a ton of fun because I met so many other kids who were going to Costa Rica, not only for the language program but also for the community service program. The bus ride to San Carlos (Ciudad Quesada) was around 2.5-3 hours. It was really long but probably the most beautiful car ride I have ever been on. Quesada is "muy tranquilo", tranquil and relaxing, and it is just so amazing. It is very quiet and small and everyone is so nice. My house is on a hill and has the most amazing view of Volcán Arenal and all the green hills and mountains surrounding it. There are lots of cows here too so part of the view from my house is seeing all the cows grazing on the grass across the city. It's so beautiful. The food here is amazing too. The difference though from eating here and eating in the U.S. is that they eat a lot! My mom in the beginning told me she was worried because I wasn't eating as much as they were and that I should come home more fat. :) I am now getting used to it and starting to eat more but I feel like I have a food baby all day because of all the food! The food is delicious though. Everyday I eat rice with hicken, cheese, fresh fruit juice, beans, and tomatoes. It's so good. Qeada is great but it does rain every day. And when I say rain....I mean RAIN. Every day after 2er 3 pm., it pours! It is crazy but I love it! In the morning it is humid, hot, and sunny though...Sometimes too humid! The weather here is definitely totally the opposite than at home in Seattle. On a funny/scary (for me), the second night here I was visited by 2 "cucarachas" (cockroaches)! One was on my floor in my room and the second one, about 5 minutes later was in my bed!!!! That was probably one of the scariest things I have ever been through haha. Also, this morning I woke up with my sister, Pao,saying¡tu ojo¨!". Well it turns out, a misquito bit my eyelid and so my left eye was huge! I didn't end up going to school today because my eye was so swollen and it was so embarresing. School though is great. It's really fun and all the students are so interested in us so I have met a ton of new kids lately! Things have been great here and I can't wait to go on more adventures and learn more. I already feel like my spanish is extremely better than it was when I first got here. Today is my momsand the housekeeper, a close friends, birthday! Also I couldn't go on the internet yesterday so I wasn't able to say happy birthday to my friend Emma. So here's a little shoutout to one of my best friends Emma; !Feliz Cumpleaños, te amo! Also, unfortunately, I think I left my camera USB at home in Seattle so I can't upload any pictures! Hopefully I will find another way to put of pictures though. Well adios for now, but I will write again soon! Hope all is well in Seattle!

One Week To Go!

Hey guys I leave for Costa Rica in just about a week! I'm so excited for this trip but a little nervous at the same time. I haven't gone shopping yet because it's finals right now in school, so I need to focus on those for now. Once they're done, which is on Tuesday, I'm going to go shopping for my trip! I don't know who my family is yet, but I hope to find out soon before I leave. If not, I'll probably find out when I'm in Miami during my orientation, but I really want to find out before. I'm really going to miss my family and all my friends, but I'm not complaining about anything because this is such an amazing opportunity and I'm so lucky to be able to do this.

I live in Seattle, Washington, and I will be the first person in my family to be going to Costa Rica, so it's pretty exciting. I really wanted to go abroad because it's a once in a lifetime opportunity and I love traveling and I've always wanted to go to Costa Rica. I am also taking AP Spanish IV next year so I want to be solid in that class; hopefully this trip will help me be very prepared for next year! I'm a little bit nervous because my Spanish is not perfect so I'm scared I'm not going to be able to communicate very well. But I know in time, I will gradually get better but it may be tough in the beginning. I'm also nervous about all the bugs...I am not a fan of insects but I guess I'll have to get used to it and overcome that fear because I hear there are tons of bugs in Costa Rica...! :/ I bet I'll have some good bug stories though when I come back.

Over all though, I am more excited than nervous for this trip. It's going to be amazing! I can't wait, I'm counting down the days! I leave in 10 days; so soon! Well I'm going to go study but the next time I write a blog, I'll be in Costa Rica or in Miami, so adios for now!