A Franciscan Blessing

May God bless you with discomfort at easy answers, half truths and superficial relationships, so that you may live deep within your heart.

May God bless you with anger at injustice, oppression, and exploitation of people, so that you may work for justice, freedom, and peace.

May God bless you with tears to shed for those who suffer from pain, rejection, starvation, and war, so that you may reach out your hand to comfort them and to turn their pain to joy.

May God bless you with enough foolishness to believe that you can make a difference in this world, so that you can do what others claim cannot be done. 

Amen.

Dos Semanas.

I will be home on the couch with my family watching tv in English (without Spanish subtitles) in two weeks exactly. I can't believe the time has already come. I am definitely ready to be home, but have also fully enjoyed my time here. In honor of coming home in two weeks, I have made a list of things that I can't wait to eat and things that I am excited to be able to do again. 

*Disclaimer - I don't want to eat all these foods in one sitting. That would just be ridiculous. 

Foods I can’t wait to eat again (in no particular order):

-       Fruit (strawberries, blueberries, kiwi, raspberries, blackberries, mangoes)

-       Sushi (protein roll, crunchy roll, edamame)

-       Tuna melt (Sourdough and sharp cheddar cheese)

-       Chicken Sandwich

-       Salad (strawberry poppyseed chicken salad from Panera and bleu cheese & pear salad from Nordstrom)

-       In-N-Out (cheeseburger, no onions, fries and neopolitan shake)

-       Brownies (regular and Mom’s ooey gooey peanut butter chocolate chip)

-       Ice cream (especially coffee – preferably from Haagen-Daaz, and Moose Tracks and Ben & Jerry’s Phish Food)

-       Chocolate chip cookies (warm and fresh out of the oven)

-       Kim’s Mexican chicken casserole (with sour cream on the side)

-       Mom’s chicken tacos

-       Hodad’s (cheeseburger and chocolate shake)

-       Lindsay’s fruit salad

-       Aunt Joan’s pumpkin pie (because I missed it on Thanksgiving)

-       Daddy’s grilled anything

-       Steak (medium-rare)

-       Candy (Mounds, Reese’s, York, Reese’s Fast Break, Look – to share with Momma)

-       Mango-a-go-go from Jamba Juice

-       Double Decker Supreme and Cinnamon Twists with Mountain Dew from T-Bell

-       Minute Maid Lemonade (with the perfect amount of ice)

-       Original Pancake House (chocolate chip pancakes and hot chocolate)

-       Kim’s egg thing and cinnamon rolls on Christmas morning

-       Mom’s Lasagna for Christmas

-       Cranberry sauce (Ocean Spray, jellied, from the can, cut on the lines)

-       Kim’s ziti bake

-       Mom’s Chocolate Chip Bundt cake

-       Mom’s birthday cake (yellow cake with chocolate butter frosting)

-       Everything bagel from Costco (lightly toasted with cream cheese)

-       Lightly toasted croissant, egg, cheddar cheese, turkey bacon

-       Spiced Chai from Lion Coffee

-       Vanilla yogurt, cut up strawberries, and granola

-       Nutella (with pretzels)

-       Sourdough bread, extra-sharp cheddar cheese and cranberry juice

-       Daddy’s pancakes on Sunday morning (with blueberries), sausage/bacon & OJ

-       Iced Manhattan Irish Cream from Common’s (decaf, of course – unless I’m with Bill)

-       The chocolate chip cookies Eagle’s used to have

-       Berry Cool (original tart, strawberries and cheesecake bites)

-       Original Cheesecake with strawberries from Cheesecake Factory

-       Mini Sweet Pig from BJ’s and chocolate chip Pazookie

-       Kim’s scallops (maybe even wrapped in bacon)

-       Daddy’s French Toast (not made with thick bread)

-       Peanut Butter Blossoms (but I want to make these)

-       Submarina turkey sandwich (6” on white, turkey, swiss cheese, mayo and lettuce)

-       Fudge (again, I want to make this, dark chocolate – I think – no nuts)

-       Peas, artichokes, asparagus

-       Kraft Mac & Cheese – The Cheesiest

-       Peppermint Hot Chocolate from Starbucks while walking around Christmas Card Lane and Candy Cane Court

-       Heidi’s Patty Melt and her bread (chocolate chip banana)

-       Donuts: Chocolate Long John, Jelly filled, and Krispie Kream)

-       Double-stuft Oreos

-       Devil’s Food Bundt cake from that one place

-       Special K with strawberries

-       Aunt Cindi’s Peppermint Bark

Things I want to do:

-       Be with family

-       Hot shower with dry, non-moldy towel

-       Go on a brother/sister date with Garrett

-       Text

-       Watch movies with Nick

-       Go on a walk with Daddy, Kim, Linz and Garrett (oh, and Benny, too!)

-       Exercise.

-       Shave

-       Wash my face with warm water

-       Watch AFV and Game Night at Daddy’s house

-       Mani/Pedi with Mommy

-       Get my eyebrows waxed

-       Eat normal portions (eat what I want and how much)

-       Show my family all my pictures

-       Drive

-       Stargaze in Atascadero

-       Hug Lani and play with Benny

-       Poop regularly

-       Not wash dishes by hand

-       Walk around the house (and outside) barefoot

-       Go to church

-       Wrap presents

-       Dry my clothes in a dryer

-       Bake

Paso Llano

So, I’ve been MIA for about three weeks, but I’m finally back in San José. Just a head’s up – this blog is going to be a little long. But I just have so much to say!

This past month I have been living with a family in Paso-Llano of San José de La Montaña outside of Heredia for my internship. My mom and dad (I found out later are actually third cousins. Weird.) have five children. One of them lives with them, José Alberto, 33 years old. The three daughters and other son all live within a couple feet of each other. The neighbors are family. There were children running everywhere. That was actually kind of fun sometimes. Originally, I was assigned to work in a flower farm for this time, but because there has been so much rain, many of the flowers are diseased and they didn’t want me working in there, so I could avoid getting sick. So instead, my internship was being a housewife.

Yippee. Kind of.

Every morning I woke up around seven and ate breakfast, which usually consisted of buttered bread, tortillas and eggs, or gallo pinto). After eating, I would do all the dishes (without a dishwasher), sweep the floors, and clean off the table. Then, I would make my bed, and sometimes help out with making the other beds. After showering, I would help wax the floors (I’m not actually sure what I was doing, but that’s what it looked like). When it was sunny, I would water the flowers. I planted cilantro one day. Went to feed the cows twice. And picked the kids up from school another day. I liked working around the house because it will prepare me for my future as a wife, but it was boring a lot of the time. After lunch, there wasn’t anything for me to do. I usually used this time to work on homework, read, or journal.

Life out in the campo was very interesting – a learning experience for sure. I didn’t really like how they raised their children. My 33 year old brother didn’t make his own bed or do his own laundry. One of the girls was 8 years old and still used Sippy cups and wore diapers to bed. One of the kindergartners drank milk out a bottle. The parents pretty much did the homework for their kids. I felt that the children were raised to be able to support themselves.

I also didn’t quite understand my mom. Not just because she spoke another languge (and very quickly, I might add), but I never really knew if she liked me or not. After lunch some days, I would sit in the kitchen, hoping that she would talk to me, but she told me that I could go to my room because she was going to do whatever she needed to do. I did as I was told, and a little bit later she would come by and shut my door. Maybe she thought I wanted privacy. I don’t know. Sometimes, I ate in the other room while everyone else ate together in the kitchen. She talked a lot about the past students they had. She told me that I needed to study more after college and that I shouldn’t get married – a civil union was good enough. Very weird. And her tone was kind of like she was talking down to me a lot. I felt like I was being judged a lot. However, to my surprise, one day she said that I was like a daughter. Maybe this is part of her culture that I don’t totally understand yet. I hope that one day I can understand.

But she did feed me very well. Too well. I can’t explain how much I actually ate while I was there. The first day, my mamá tica tells me that I am going to get fat while I’m at her house. All of the past students did, so I will too. Let me tell you… She wasn’t kidding. The portions were all SO HUGE. More times then not, I would go to my room (which was actually a hallway with doors) and just lay down because my stomach hurt so much. After a couple of weeks of this, one day she actually told me that I had gained weight – which was definitely true. I even had to go to the next notch on my belt. So ridiculous.

I had some very interesting and memorable experiences in Paso-Llano. The one day I helped plant cilantro, I heard a lot of screaming coming from where the pigs were kept. I asked José Alberto what was going on and he said, matter-of-factly that they were killing a pig. The next thing I know, one of the guys walks by with a white bucket with the pig head in it. It was just staring at me as he digs a hole to bury it. I will never forget the look on that pigs face. And sure enough, the next night we ate chichurrones.

At the top of the mountain where I was living, there is Volcán Barva. The higher you go up, the colder and rainier it gets. Well, one day, Anna, Kristen (two other students who lived nearby), and I went to the volcano. Anna and I walked to the school, where she worked as a cook for her internship, and waited for some man to pick us up. Being the Tico that he is, he was almost an hour and a half late, but that’s fine. I’m supposed to be engaging in the culture, right? Anyways, after picking up Kristen a little further up the mountain, he dropped us off and pointed us in the direction of la laguna. When we started walking, it was just raining a little bit. After about 45 minutes, it was pouring. Rain, wind, and really cold air just don’t mix very well. We decided to head back without going to the lagoon because we were just so uncomfortable. When we found the man and the Ranger’s Station, we were expecting to get back in the car so that he could drive us back. Ha. Silly gringas. We had to walk back. Again, in the rain and cold. When we finally got home, we had been walking for almost 4 hours. Most of it was downhill, thank goodness. Let’s just say my legs hurt the next day.

This year I didn’t have a typical Thanksgiving. That morning, I told my mamá tica that it was El Día de Acción de Gracias in the United States, and at lunch she said a few things that she was thankful for. That was really nice. Later on that day, Anna and I went to the pulpería (like a little general store) to buy foods that were similar to the foods we would have eaten if we were at home. We bought popcorn because that’s the closest thing they had to corn. Little packets of jell-o because it was like cranberry sauce. Chocolate for dessert. And ice cream cone because I love ice cream. Then we ate it at her house and said things we were thankful for. It was a very strange Thanksgiving, but a memorable one, as well.

All in all, my time in Paso-Llano had its ups and downs. It was a great experience as a whole, but I am thankful to be back in San José. And I can’t wait to be home. Just a little more to go!

It's been a while...

Sorry everyone. These past couple of weeks have been crazy busy with school, but I have finally found the time to sit and write. Although, I should probably be doing my homework, but that can wait, right?

So just an overview of these past couple weeks: We started our concentrations. My concentration is Advanced Language and Literature (AL&L). It sounds just as intense as it is. We read short stories, poems, and novels in Spanish. Most of them are actually really interesting. They all require deep thinking - which I am learning to love. The homework these past two weeks have been more laid back in the sense that I don't have due dates that are set in stone (which would usually be a problem for me because I am a huge procrastinator, but I am proud to say that it hasn't been an issue thus far). However, it is no laid back because everything is so deep. There are so many layers to everything that we are doing. It's a nice change of pace.

But more about the fun stuff...

My friends Sarah and Kelsey and I have discovered this amazing bakery just down the street from school. Everything is so good and cheap (important factor to already poor college students who are living in a foreign country). I don't always know what I am eating or what it is called, but I know that whatever I order (more like point to) is going to be good.

Another fun fact: my handwriting is permanently tattooed on Kelsey's back. Not many people can say that their handwriting is tattooed on someone else. The tattoo says "La Fe, La Esperanza & El Amor" (Faith, Hope, and Love). Sarah, Kelsey, Maddie and I went into San Jose on Saturday so that Sarah and Kelsey could get their tattoos (Don't worry, Mom. I stayed away from the ink).

I am leaving Monday to live in another part of Costa Rica for three weeks. There, I will be doing my internship of working on a flower farm. I am super excited!! I'm just warning you because I'm not sure when I will have internet next, so I don't know when I will be able to update the blog. I miss you all. Please pray for safety as I travel to my new home on Monday.

PS. Happy Birthday Kim!!!

Fall Break

This past weekend, I went to Manuel Antonio, a top tourist destination, with about 12 other students. We stayed in a hostel and just hung out. On Saturday, we went zip lining in the Canopy and ate the most amazing arroz con pollo. It was so great to just have a weekend off, and just relax and not have to really worry about anything. The hostel was a lot of fun – I really like meeting people from around the world and hearing their stories. We met Dan, from New Zealand, who just finished school and working at Disneyworld. He’s been traveling from Mexico to Costa Rica for six weeks and is going home to find a job in a couple of days. We met Chris and Aled, from Wales, who work together and decided to take a month off from work and just travel. Sophie and Liz are nurses from Denver, CO who are just in Costa Rica for a week, enjoying some well-deserved time off. We met a girl and her boyfriend from some tiny island near Scotland who are just traveling around the world for about a year or so. There were guys from Delaware and a girl from Belgium. There was a group from Florida, and a guy from Tahoe. It was so cool to meet random people just enjoying life and traveling just like we are.

This break also marked the half waypoint. Only 7 more weeks and I’ll be home! Unfortunately, I’m sick now. If you could please pray for a fast recovery and strength to finish out the semester, that would be greatly appreciated. I miss you all so much!

Before zip lining. 

After zip lining - all wet!

The beautiful beaches of Manuel Antonio

 

I'm Back!

After almost two weeks in Nicaragua, I have finally returned. My time in Nicaragua was one of eye-opening and learning experiences. The first two or so days were spent in the capital of Nicaragua, Managua. We visited sites that are important to the history of Nicaragua and influential in Nicaragua today. We went to a national park/memorial of Sandino. He had an influential position in the political spectrum and still is important today. After, we went to the heart of Managua where there were hundreds of families living in a shantytown in protest of the banana plantations. They have been living under sticks and tarps for almost three years. They are protesting against companies such as Dole and Chiquita because of the use of harmful chemicals used on the bananas which gives the workers skin cancer, kidney diseases, and other forms of cancer. From the companies, they are asking for compensation for the trouble they have had to endure, and medical attention. It was amazing to see the conditions these people were willing to live in so that their voices might be heard.

We also had the chance to hear from an amazing woman of Nicaragua who also protested against the government. Dora Maria Tellez led a hunger strike when she was just 20 years old. She led this strike against the government because the people weren’t being heard or listened to. I found it so interesting that woman at such a young age could lead such a empowering strike against the government. Because of her strike, she now leads her own political party, which focuses on helping the poor and oppressed.

In Nicaragua, it is obvious the influence the government (or lack thereof) has had and continues to have in the lives of its people. The church of Santa Maria de Los Angeles has beautiful murals along the walls of the inside of the church, but they are forced to keep them covered up because of the controversy they hold. The murals are depictions of times when the Nicaraguan people have seen God work in their lives through oppression. Many people don’t approve of them because in many of the scenes of the murals, the National Guard is seen as a horrible monster that kills the citizens. It is sad to see that the people can’t express themselves or have the freedom of decorating the church as they see fit.

For six days, I lived with a Nicaraguan family in a town called El Eden, like the Garden of Eden. To get to the tow, we had to take two buses and a moto-taxi down a dirt road. My Nicaraguan family is a little complicated and confusing. Everyone seems to be related but I’m not exactly sure how. I’ll try my best to break it down. My mom was Julia, and she was the mom to Rachael and Annie’s moms (two other students). My sister, Carolina had a daughter Esther. My nephew (?), Elvis, was 22 years old. We all (excluding Elvis because he gave up his bed to me for the week and slept elsewhere) slept in one room where the beds were separated by sheets.

Throughout the week, we just lived life with our families. We helped out the church by building a fence, and we played with the kids. We went on a couple hikes ate the freshest pineapple ever and drank straight out of a coconut. I chewed on some cacao seeds and drank lecheagrila. I also had the most amazing shower of my life. After playing soccer with the kids for a couple hours, I was so hot and dirty. The shower was outside with walls made up of thin metal sheets. The water wasn’t even lukewarm and I was a head taller than the walls, but the shower was so wonderful. There is nothing like showering outside.

Nicaragua is such a beautiful lush country. Unfortunately, it is lead by an unstable government, but its people are so content with what they have. It isn’t about who has the biggest house or best job. The people just live life off the land, which I imagine is more like what God had intended for his people, like in the real Garden of Eden with Adam and Eve.

Heck Yes!

I did it!! I get to cross off another thing on my life list. That makes two things since I’ve been in Costa Rica. The first was swimming under a waterfall. And yesterday I BUNGEE JUMPED – 265 feet!

I’ve wanted to go bungee jumping since I was a freshman in high school, but never really told anyone. I am so incredibly stoked I got to experience the ultimate rush. And let me tell you, I wasn’t even scared! When I first woke up yesterday morning, I was a little nervous, and I thought my nerves were going to take over. But they didn’t! I stood up on that platform, with my ankles securely fastened, listening to my friends cheer me on, and just jumped! I felt like I was flying. I jumped with my hair down so I could feel the wind. When I bounced back the first time, my back cracked a little and it felt great. I swung back and forth before they pulled me back up, with the blood rushing to my head. It was so awesome. And it didn’t even seem I fell that far. I could go higher. New Zealand apparently has the highest bungee jump in the world. I may just have to make my way over there next.

Here is a picture of me mid-air! 

Ps. I'm leaving tomorrow morning for Nicaragua for two weeks, so unfortunately I won't be able to update my blog until I get back. Just keep me in your prayers!