Dentro de las montanas! (In the mountains de Cartago)

Yesterday I traveled from San Jose to the providence of Catago. It took about 2 hours by bus to the station in Turiallba and then another hour by taxi. I forgot how drastic life in the mountains is. The trip was interesting! "SUBE SUBE y SUBE" was what my taxi driver kept saying. "UP, UP, UP!"

But how gorgeous it is here!!!! Last night I was walking home from the school at night to my house and the stars were absolutely incredible!

Here is a video from part of my ride into Pacayitas, the village I will serving in for 4 weeks.

Esoy aqui en San Jose!

I made it to San Jose. This is the view from the plane leaving NYC. The face of my host father in the window at the airport was absolutely priceless! He had his head and hands pressed up against the glass waiting. I was so glad to see him and my host mother after waiting in a custom line for 2 hours. Driving back to their house it felt so surreal, and I couldn't believe I was back in Costa Rica. The first thing that hit me was the mountains surrounding the city. How vast and beautiful they are. The second thing was how crazy the people in San Jose drive, especially my poppi. He drives so fast and beeps all the time, swerving here and there to dodge all the traffic and making his own lane for himself. It makes me crazy!

Among the hustle and bustle of the city, I guess I forgot just how humbling living with this family is. It made me reflect and appreciate many small things in my life that I take for granted. Some of these include a pillow, blankets, running water in the bathroom, a hot shower, food to snack on, and a house free of roaches.

Even though my host family doesn't have many material things they definitely have hearts full of love and hospitality and that is what has drawn me back. It's is interesting because I forgot how little they have but I will never forget the love that they have in their hearts!




This is my host mommi, Xiania y yo en San Jose.

In the words of my brother...."She's hooked!"

So here I am less than a week before my flight to Costa Rica and I am totally pumped! I cannot believe that in a few days I will be flying back to Costa Rica for 2 months. I am really excited and blessed to have been given this opportunity to go back to the families and community I lived with while I was abroad and reconnect with them.

Through a course at school I was able to set up my own summer mission project and receive a grant for the work I will be doing while I am abroad. The work includes teaching English in the communities high school everyday and sharing the love of Christ with them. While I am there I will be teaching the same 7th, 8th, 9th and 10th graders I worked with while I was teaching there abroad. The only difference will be my students will be all one year older!!

Some things I am excited for:
1. Travel Independently
2. Visit my host family in San Jose again!
3. Eat Gallo pinto! YUMMMM
4. Teach in the Mountains of Cartago
5. Walk to school everyday
6. Take freezing cold showers at 6 a.m. (this one, not so much!)


I was talking to a friend of the family and my brother this past weekend about my traveling endeavors and how they began with a church mission's trip to Thailand together a few years back. I mentioned how that trip really opened my eyes to how vast the world really is around us and how I love learning about different cultures. My brother's responded jokingly but true, "Now she is hooked!"
He is right! I am excited that I am able to travel and learn about others through service and I pray that God would be glorified in these next 6 weeks!