Going Home!

Well, time is up and I have left Costa Rica and am now sitting in the airport in San Salvador, El Salvador on my way back to Victoria. Wow, what an incredible time it has been. It is going to be a long journey home, hence the kick-ass deal I got on the ticket. Tonight I will sleep in LAX and then tomorrow night in Seattle! I will finally arrive home on Friday morning. I think that I am going to feel gross by the time that I get there!!!

I am even more sad than I thought that I would be to leave. I feel like I am a kid again leaving Cornwall at the end of a summer – sitting in an airport, biting my lip trying not to cry…..I don’t want to go but I have to. Don’t get me wrong, I am very excited to see family and friends and so on but there is just something about this place that has me. I met great people, explored a lot of cool towns, had the funnest (whatever, it’s a word!) of adventures and fell in love with a whole country. It is hard to put into words why this place is so special to me. It just has that je-ne-sais-quoi quality to it. I can’t pinpoint it exactly but I really enjoy that I can still use the internet and buy brown bread but at the same time the water might shut off for hours at a time, the whole town will lose power for the night and the road might be completely washed out with no option but to walk. And then there are the special little things like not having to worry about packing snacks to the beach or even water because you have coconuts, and the cute little geckos that pop up everywhere and all of the old men riding around on beach cruisers – actually on several occasions I have seen a whole family riding on one bicycle! It has been awesome and humbling.

The only thing that I think could have made this trip better is that if I was fluent in Spanish. Although, my lack of Spanish skills showed me how genuine and helpful the people are even when you have difficulty communicating. There was one circumstance in particular that I remember – I was chasing a bus that I thought was the one that I was suppose to catch but I had my pack on my back and was carrying another bag in my arms. A Tico saw me and started running after the bus and got it to stop. I then realized that it wasn’t actually the bus that I was supposed to take so it left and I stood there feeling like an idiot. I apologized to the guy that got the bus to stop (by the way, lo siento means I’m sorry in Spanish – it’s a good one to learn quickly!) but he offered to stand with me until the bus that I was actually suppose to catch came. And, when it finally did come he spoke with the driver and told him where I had to get off. I still wonder where I would have ended up had that guy not been there at that moment. There is no such thing as luck though, eh?

I am sure that I have grown as a person from this experience but it is hard to self-reflect so soon. Time will tell and I look forward to bringing new perspective back home with me. As for home, I literally am picking up where I left off – I am going back to the same two jobs that I had before leaving town. I will have to find a new place to live but that shouldn’t be a problem. I am also going to start taking Spanish lessons so that when I do return to Latin America I can communicate and have an even richer experience. I do feel like a stronger person and that I am going in the direction that I feel I should be. I understand that if you live right, work hard and treat others with compassion and respect you will have calmness in your heart and soul. Wow…it has been a journey.

And….the journey will go on :)

Nikki, Scott and I had a memorable last day while they were visiting. We went white-water rafting on the Pacuare River in the middle of the country. The river had class 3 and class 4 rapids, which was a bit wild when you've never been rafting before. We spent more than 3 hours on the river, covering something like 50 kilometers of water. It was so much fun. Apparently, I had a smile on my face the whole day.

Nikki and Scott then left on Sunday morning and I hung out at the hotel until the very last minute that I could. We stayed at a very nice Best Western (I know, that sounds funny) on their last night here. So, I enjoyed the amenities while I could. I then caught the public bus back to the Coca-Cola bus terminal in San Jose and returned to the Nicoya Peninsula.

My confidence has really grown when it comes to getting around. I definitely would not have caught the city bus in San Jose a month ago. But, I recognize the city now and can somewhat understand what is being said to me in Spanish. So, instead of having to take the $20 taxi ride to the bus terminal I managed to get there for about $0.75 without a problem. Yes!

I am now back on the peninsula but am in a very small town called Playa Hermosa. I am renting a studio apartment that is really meant for the locals but someone told me about it so I checked it out. It is great - less than 5 minutes to the beach, a kitchen and the family that owns it gives me all the eggs that I want! There is no internet, phone or tv so I am in town right now as I give you this update. I had to come in today to pick up groceries and check about a couple of emails regarding work when I get home.

I have also rented a surfboard for the week so it is really time that I get good at this thing called surfing! I have been trying but unless you practice, practice and practice you will always stay at the same level, which for me is worst than beginner! Or, at least that's how I feel about my skills. The good thing about the beach in Hermosa though is that there is barely anyone there so you don't have to worry about running into others.

That's about it for now. I have less than two weeks left. I am a bit sad that I am leaving. I really, really like this country. I am excited to go home though and see family and friends. I am also excited to start coaching again. I just checked the weather in Victoria though and there were these funny looking flurry things in the forecast...what is that all about! Yikes - I am in for a shock when I get off that plane. Someone is going to have to bring me a fleece and real shoes at the airport!

Hope everyone is well :)