Day 1

Hello beautiful people! I am experiencing some mixed emotions on this first day of my semester in Costa Rica. A bomb of the broken-heart dumps fell on my life just two days ago and it's been hard for me to bounce back and maintain the excitement that I had for this trip before I got slapped in the face (figuratively speaking). I've been feeling ups and downs: part of me wishes I could go through the usual break-up therapy with my buddies in the USA, but another part of me is happy to get away and find peace of mind on my own in this new and beautiful place. My adventure started this morning by driving into the blizzard at 3:30 a.m. to catch my flight, and for a moment I thought that I was never going to get here through the Michigan snow. After a quick stop in Atlanta, I arrived in hot and sunny San José, Costa Rica. The view from the plane was really inspiring for me, the blue waters and green mountains lifted my spirits and gave me the excitement again to explore! But I had to wait to start adventuring so that I could meet my host family for the next three months: a mom, dad, and two adorable young boys. I moved all of my stuff into my new room and I suppose that the best word to use right now is surreal. It feels strange that I am actually here after months of planning! I was happy to meet my roommate and go for a walk after dinner before our long week of orientation and classes that starts up tomorrow. I am so thankful for all of the greenery in the streets, pretty trees with beautiful flowers everywhere really lift my energy levels. I thought that this tree was really cool: a eucalyptus, a large rainbow colored tree that looks as if somebody painted it. They apparently only grow in so many places around the world! The energy that these beautiful trees had can't be explained in words. Namaste.