It it truly amazing to think that two years have flown by since I was last in Costa Rica! So much has happened too -- surviving two Chicago winters; teaching two years in public schools; graduating with my masters degree in bilingual education; moving not once, not twice, not even three times... moving FOUR times (lol... that's a long story); paying off all undergrad and graduate loans; and now (finally!) a reunion trip to Costa Rica.
Whew!
This time will be a little different though. Five years ago (seriously, time has sped by), I left for Costa Rica without knowing a single soul (besides my wonderful new boss, Tia Reilly), but this time, I will be visiting the many friends and families that have become part of my international support system.
Just to walk you through a few familiar faces:
Trish!! Can't forget her :). I think half of my blog is about Trish and my adventures. She is now married to a tico (as Costa Ricans proudly call themselves), Albin.
Familia Cabezas Ramos -- Such a wonderful family that adopted me for about 11 months during my first year of teaching.
Sojourn ladies -- Mimi, Elsa, Mau, Karol, and Maria Marta are amazing teachers at Sojourn. Seriously, these ladies have worked so hard and have faced so much change as new North American teachers come and go every year. I am excited to saw hello!
Melissa -- Okay, so this is embarassing, but I'm realizing that I don't have a blog post about Melissa! We became good friends during my last six months in Costa Rica, and she continues to live in San José and works as a missionary with EFCA ReachGlobal. We're planning a beach trip during my stay :)
Aydee -- I will never forget Aydee's generosity and her patience with my Spanish as she taught me Peruvian words and phrases. I nearly bought out her artesan's stand twice and I plan to buy it out again :).
Familia Marin Garcia -- Santiago holds a special place in my heart. He had just turned two when I moved back to the States... Now he'll be four! We'll see if he remembers me.
Familia Mejia Simpson -- Another family that I do not have a blog post about, but there are plenty of photos on Facebook! I had their daughter Ruth in my 5th grade class at Lighthouse and their daughter Dani also works at Lighthouse as a teacher's assistant. I am excited to catch up with this generous family!
Familia Rodriguez Villafuerte -- This is the only family I will be meeting for the first time on this trip. Why would I want to meet them, you ask? Well... :) For those that do not know (or haven't figured out from my Facebook), I am dating a tico, Marlon, and we figured it was time for me to meet his family. Wish me luck!
This trip gets even better!! After two weeks in Costa Rica, I will head further south to Argentina, where I will stay with the Diem family for 10 days.
In other words, this is going to be an awesome summer vacation :). Stay tuned for updates throughout my new Costa Rica (and Argentina) adventures!
