First week!

Right now it is raining and I’m sitting on my cozy L-shaped couch in the cabin. I’ve been here in Monteverde for less than a week, but I’m really enjoying it so far. I feel way more relaxed than I have in a long time, and it’s a nice change from being so stressed that I can’t sleep at night. The first few days were a little lonely and overwhelming, especially since my first full day was my birthday. I spent the day at work and the evening walking around town and eating at home. I had planned to Skype with my parents but the internet went out (although I still had power, but it was out through most of town).

The area is made up of different zones/neighborhoods. Where I am is called Cerro Plano (flat hill) and it is very central. I like it for that reason, and it’s really nice to live on my own, although I had a wonderful roommate in Berkley. I lived with people in Nicaragua as well, and throughout my 20s I’ve always had multiple roommates and shared housing situations, but there’s something very gratifying about being on my own and I feel ready to enter a different life stage in that respect. The first few days I felt like I definitely would want roommates, but now I don’t think I do. I most likely can’t stay in this cabin because there is a 2nd bedroom that needs to be filled. The landlady said I can pay half rent until August ($200) and then move if I don’t find someone. I love that I have a porch and a little kitchen and area to relax. The only issues are that it is right on the highway so I start hearing cars around 5:30 or 6, and the front door is a sliding glass door- good in terms of space and feeling but the issue is that the lock doesn’t work. For now, I’ve been keeping my valuables locked at work or in a locked dresser in the bedroom here. The cabin is on a family’s property and they are usually here, but it is just dumb to not have a lock. I keep being told it will be fixed, but I’m starting to lose faith. I am also still very traumatized from the robbery that happened in Nicaragua, and I think it’s a good thing that I’ve finally realized that I’ve been carrying that fear and paranoia with me.

I am about 10 minutes from the school walking uphill. I can also take the school bus which stops 5 minutes away around 7:40 if I want to skip the steep walk. The school’s campus is set on top of a hill and their property extends back in the jungle/forest. There are about 200 students and it goes from pre-school to high school. The teachers are mostly international from the U.S., but half the staff is Costa Rican, so I speak in a mix of Spanish and English. Graduation is happening next week so this past Thursday was something called “Project Share” where each grade level shares something from the semester. I saw the pre-school perform different songs in English and Spanish and it was all very adorable. The school functions on a bilingual 50-50 model.

In general, people have been really friendly, and other staff has made an effort to invite me places or show me around, which I really appreciate. It took a few days for that to happen, but I’m very grateful it did. There are quite a few international couples/families here who are moving on in June (some back to the U.S., and others to Colombia and China). It’s been nice to meet people who are so adventurous in how they view their lives and embrace transitions.

Monteverde is the neighborhood north of Cerro Plano and a little more isolated. There are fancy hotels (one is over $300 a night!) and it is a popular place for foreigners to live because it is near the nature reserves, but I think for now, I’d rather be more central. The area started as a Quaker central 50 some odd years ago, and there is a Quaker school close to the reserve. The housing there is more spacious and larger, with big houses set back in the woods. Eventually, it seems like it would be a nice place to live. There are also a few cafes, a couple art galleries and a store called Whole Foods haha. Most things in Monteverde are in English and the Whole Foods even sells things like almond butter and kombucha home-made by what I presume are gringo farmers. This, along with a whole bunch of other things, makes it clear that CR is definitely not Nicaragua! So far, I like both countries but CR seems a bit more stable politically, and it’s kind of a relief to be able to drink the water, which comes directly from mountain springs here. It’s been quite the contrast to being in the public hospital for eating a salad in León my first night last year. I love Nica despite the challenges I faced, but this place is pretty lovely. 

Below Cerro Plano, there is the Tico town of Santa Elena, which has supermarkets, hostels, the farmer’s market on saturdays, banks, restaurants, etc. I like being close by since it is so convenient. Everything here seems to be built on hills so I’m always walking up or down...like a mini-San Francisco. Below all that is another neighborhood called Cementario, but I don’t think I want to live there since it’s kind of far to one end and at the bottom of the hills- everything would be an uphill struggle!

Thursday night I was invited to 2 teachers’ shared house in Monteverde where a group of teachers had dinner and we played cornhole and Cranium. There was a thunderstorm going on at the same time and it was nice to see the lightning. Overall, it’s been really nice to kind of get back to a more simple life and not depend so much on technology for entertainment. It’s still nice to have internet access, but I’ve forgotten what it feels like to just hang out without technological distractions. A small percentage of people have smart phones (though I have noticed quite a few Ticos with IPhones) and if they do, their internet is not usually turned on because it eats away at $$, so there is no reason to constantly be checking your phone. 

Friday there was an end of the year party for school staff at a nice hotel in town called Poco a Poco. We had a big buffet lunch and used the pool and jacuzzi.  

Saturday there were a few flea markets going on hosted by teachers at my school and the Quaker school which they call Cachivache in Spanish. This was great timing for me since I needed some household items.  

Although I miss friends and family, I feel really relaxed and happy to be this unique, friendly community. Hope everyone is doing well!

Tico time

Hi friends! I decided to make the blog I keep private (or more accurately, only share with people I think will want to read it...for now). Photos I take are still public though on my other blog (http://wildviewwest.blogspot.com). Maybe it's too many blogs (gasp!), but I'm going with it.

I just arrived in Costa Rica today after a long overnight flight that stopped Florida. I felt very lucky to have a wonderful send-off at a family friends' house in Brentwood, California. My parents and my aunt and cousin were also there and it felt really touching and wonderful. Leaving Berkeley the week before last was also very difficult, and I miss my old roommate Allyson (who I've known since preschool), every day....along with a lovely network of friends. I had a small goodbye fiesta there too, and I am very grateful for all the kind thoughts and well wishes.

My fear about living out of the country has always been that I may lose contact with friends and family, or that relationships will somehow end, but I think I'm starting to learn that I have some power in avoiding that. It's a nice feeling and makes me feel better about being here. I've already spoken with my dad (who is prostate cancer free- go dad!!), and skyped with a good friend in Nicaragua. I was having terrible anxiety just about the unknown and my life decisions being different than friends/family, but I'm doing better now that I'm here. Even though I've moved 14 times since I graduated from high school 11 years ago, that anxiety never goes away.

Tomorrow is my first day of official work at school and my 29th birthday. I'm feeling a wee bit old to be single sometimes, but I'm also happy with the choices I've made and I really don't feel like finding someone can be forced. It does get kind of awkward sometimes. Two couples came to pick me up from the airport today, and my landlady Vicky already asked me if I have a family/kids/am married. It didn't take long! I got some pity that I didn't- I'm sure she thinks it's somewhat strange. The second question she asked was if I'm Catholic; (note: not "Are you religious?"). Both were pretty amusing and to be expected. I have been thinking that this may be the loneliest birthday of my 29 years, but I'm going to go into it with no expectations, just grateful to be having a new experience.

On a side note, I'm living alone for the first time ever. My coworker Kathia found me a cabana (cabin), in Monteverde, that is part of Vicky's family property. I'm not sure if I'll be able to stay here because it's a 2 bedroom and the other woman who was supposed to live here had to turn down the job to work at the school because of a bad accident. I hope wherever she is, she's ok! Right now, it's looking like I'll be here for the next 3 months (paying half rent). If it doesn't work out here, big V (that's what I'm calling her in my head), has other 1 bedroom apartments on this same piece of property right across from the cabin. I do hope I can stay here though. It's super cute! I am on the 2nd floor and it's all hard wood floors and wood everything. There's a corner couch and a small kitchen, my bedroom, and a bathroom. Big V's dog Tonka likes to sit on the porch outside, and I've already spotted a puppy at her house. Her son and his 2 younger kids live here as well, so it's nice to at least be nearby people and be speaking Spanish all the time. The house has quirks like the faucet handle tends to fall off, and I haven't figured out how to use the propane stove (I need a guide for that). The shower sort of has warm water after a while. There's also a problem with the front door- which is a sliding door. The lock isn't really working and big V says no one really locks their houses here, but hopefully she's fixing it tomorrow. I told her I was robbed in Nicaragua and so I would like to have a door that locks and she went: "Oh....Nicaragua!" haha. I do miss friends in Nicaragua, but hopefully I'll be able to visit at some point and start meeting people here.

This wasn't a very exciting blogpost, but I just wanted to quickly send out an update and say thanks for the support! I'll leave you with a photo of mi casita: