The title pretty much sums up my last week. The whole second
week of training was a total whirlwind that just flew by! Let’s go day by day…
Monday: We had a massive rainstorm with tons of wind, which,
according to the Ticos, is rare for this time of year (It’s not the rainy
season). I was pretty much wet all day (we’re talking horizontal rain). The
rest of the week was rather rainy as well, but one awesome thing was that I saw
more rainbows during the week than I had seen in my whole life before then.
They were so beautiful. We’re talking full, sometimes even double, rainbows
arching all the way across the sky. I legit walked THROUGH a rainbow.
Monday was a little rough for me, because I was feeling
homesick and also getting tired of the ridiculously unhealthy Costa Rican
diet...
Tuesday: After my rough Monday, I woke up Tuesday morning
around 5:30, opened my bedroom door, and was met by….a crazy, spitting,
hissing, rabid cat. The best part? My host family doesn’t even have a cat. I
was pretty startled and disoriented since I was basically still half asleep. I
ran back in my room, slammed the door, and hid for about 20 minutes before I
got up the courage to go out. I had tried calling to my host mom, but she couldn’t
hear me. So I talked to my mom on the phone for a while and we both cracked up
about the incident. That was kind of a turning point for me. It was that moment
when I simultaneously felt like sobbing and laughing, and I decided to laugh.
In fact, I am still laughing about it even as I write this. And I have felt
much better about everything since then. So, thank you, Rabid Cat, for
terrifying me to my very soul.
Wednesday: We visited San José. Basically, I had a nice time
getting out of my little community and hanging out with other volunteers, but I
have not that many nice things to say about the capital city of Costa Rica. It’s
loud, smelly, dirty, and chaotic. Traffic is terrifying. There are no
crosswalks. I have no desire to visit it again anytime soon. On the bright
side, though, we got to visit the Peace Corps office, where I borrowed a bunch
of books from the library and got three beautiful letters in the mail from Alex
and Allyson!
Thursday: Nothing too excited, just a basic day of training
and some fun with other volunteers during a cafecito after class.
Friday: At home, we had a surprise birthday dinner for my
host sister-in-law Silvia. The kids and I made cards for her. Later on, I went
out with some other volunteers to celebrate our beloved Beto’s birthday. My
whole host family walked me to the bus stop, meaning I had six bundled-up
escorts (It’s kind of chilly here). We had a great time and ate two giant
plates of nachos, which we determined would be disgusting in the states, but
which we loved because we are a little bit homesick for American food right
now.
Saturday: I had a really nice, relaxing day with my host
family. We cleaned, I worked on homework, we went to mass where my little host
sister Cristal had el recibimiento (something to do with Catechism and first
communion).
Sunday: I went to the Feria del Agricultor in San Isidro,
basically a really cool farmer’s market in the center of the town. I love all
the energy there and people out on the street. It’s a little bit busier than my
town. Later on, my good friend Carlitos got me addicted to How I Met Your
Mother and let me copy his seasons onto my laptop, so I know what I’ll be doing
for the next month…
Today was a really interesting glimpse into the Costa Rican
school system and all it’s disorganization…but more on Tico time later. For
now, all is well. Missing everyone!
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