Chasing the Sun: Blink blink

Okay so I have already almost been in Costa Rica for a month, and so now I feel like I'm in some sort of backwards dream, because that just cannot be possible. In ten years I will tell my children about that one time I lived in Costa Rica, because after two weeks I think you go from a visitor to an exister (not a real word). I'm just casually existing in three different countries over the span of four months and I won't wrap my head around this until I'm back existing at my home base....Which in reality doesn't exist either. I have not lived in the same place for more than 4 months in over two and a half years. I didn't chose the transient life, the transient life chose me.

I landed myself in my final bed in Costa Rica in the span of 28 days, making it a whopping 8 different places in 4 short weeks. I had to say goodbye to my lovely host family which was difficult and I will miss them. I will never get over how gracefully the people I encounter welcome me into their daily existence, that's a big deal.

The other day a friend of mine helped me make an interesting realization. I am an exchange student this semester, and 'exchange' implies that you are giving as well as taking. This is a perspective that I really hadn't thought about, that while these people are sharing their lives and their homes with me, I am also sharing something with them. I have selfishly been taking more than I have been giving, so I'm glad he shared that with me, good 'ol CK, such a wise guy.

We are at the university for our last week here, it's a beautiful campus tucked on the top of a hill in San Pedro, San Jose. I'm a fan. I've had quite a bit of time where I really don't have anything to do for what feels like the first time since we got here. I don't like it...it makes me lazy and I hate that side of myself. But we've also had a lot of play time which is fun. The other night we all laid out on the soccer field for hours and just laughed and shared stories, it was my favorite.

Oh, we went to Manuel Antonio the day my mom left and I think we all left a little bit of our melted selves there. I am not sure if I have ever been so hot. It feels pathetic to complain about it, but none of you will understand unless you were there with me. Luckily I was spared of the sunburn, while many of the people in the group definitely were not.

This past weekend, we did an urban home stay in La Carpio. La Carpio is an area outside of the city where a large majority of the population are irregular immigrants, many from Nicaragua. We have been learning a lot about this situation, in Nicaragua the pay is very very small, so people will come to Costa Rica to work. But they are strongly discriminated against. When I told my family in San Jose that I was going to stay here, I got many stereotypical responses of how dangerous it was and how I should not go there...the people of La Carpio took a sledgehammer to those stereotypes, I met some very kind and gentle people, who really had no choice but to leave their homes in Nicaragua to migrate here. It was a humbling experience.

The timeline of this post is insanely out of order but so is my mind so I'm just gonna go with it. We leave Saturday morning for Nicaragua, in a public bus, at 3 in the morning...It will be an interesting and very necessary experience for us all. We will be their for about 6 weeks before I jet back home to my people!

I miss you guys. A lot. I miss michael, A LOT. I think I've made that very clear lately to anyone who follows me on social media. I'm heartsick for him every day...And while I wish I wasn't, I am counting down the days until I can be with him again. I still am experiencing every day and living in the present, but my heart is back in Minnesota, waiting patiently with some of my favorite people...and also waiting patiently with some of my other favorite girls in Europe, hopefully they bring it back with them;)

I am rooming with Savannah in Nicaragua, which will be really fun. I always feel like I'm able to connect more with people when I have a companion from the group, and it doesn't hurt that her spanish is 100% better than mine.

On April 12th our spring break starts. Caroline and Savannah and their families are wonderful and are letting Michael and I tag along while they come and visit during this time. They have two houses on the beach in San Juan del Sur and I'm so excited to relax and having nothing to do for 8 whole days! Mojitos in the infinity pool are waiting for us.

Oh! This past week marked the exact middle of our trip. Time to climb back down the other side of the mountain. I can't believe we're already half way there. I need to stop blinking so much.

See ya in 51 days!
Hannah