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: