Feliz Ano Nuevo

Feliz Ano a todos!! Happy new year to all. Wow, what a great way to start my year. I had class yesterday and I really enjoyed it. It was kind of an easy day because it was the first day of classes and we had introductions and placement tests etcetera. Then we got into our classes after a coffee break and I was put in a class of two, myself and Jerri. Our teacher Amira is really great and I felt dumb like I had forgotten a lot of Spanish but it was fine. I will pick things up in a few days. The campus is absolutely amazing. It is just a bunch of little cabins up in the mountainside and the views are great.!!! There are so many flowers and trees and trails everywhere. The food is great there also. We get a coffee break in the morning with fruits and then a big lunch of Costa Rican goodness. It is going to be great. There are a bunch of people here from Samford University in Birmingham but they are only here for a month. I met one girl of the thirty in the group from Shelby and I was surprised how close that was to home and we were talking about some of the same people that we know. Believe it or not… I was amazed to find out that there is a girl from Franklin at my school!!! It is sooo crazy. We only went to school together for a year because she is younger than me and went to Trimont but it was amazing to learn that her family is there and that she lives on Iotla Church Road. Isn't that crazy? I am really starting to believe in the whole 6 degrees of seperation/small world thing these days. I was also on the plane with my school director but I thought that couldn't be him and I was just crazy because he would be on a plane from Charlotte, what are the chances? Anyway, there are a lot of fun people at the school but I am the only one here for three months. I have a few people to climb with and run with already which is exciting. So, soon enough the day was over and I was back down the mountain in town.

I came home and met Francella, the eight year old granddaughter or my host mom. She is really great and we all went to get ice cream together. The people here are so awesome and they remind me a lot of the Italians, especially the children. After helado we came back to the house and Francella and I hung out for a while and got to know each other. We played on my computer for a little while and listened to high school musical stuff and played on Barbie.com. It was really cool and I wouldn't have known about any of it without Tabitha. Soon Joe contacted me and told me that he and Andrea would be by soon to pick me up for New Year's. He was here about 8 and then we were off to his house. It is a really nice house where he lives with his Aunt, Uncle, and cousin in Alajuela. Beautiful place actually, I felt really comfortable there. I really got to try my hand at Spanish but that is what this is all about Sometimes when I get stuck Joe helps me out and explains things for me. Yea, so, we went to their house and then everyone got ready for the big fiesta with his Uncles side of the family. We dropped by the store to get some coke on our way. It was totally ridiculous because it was bigger than stores at home and there were so many American products. I am amazed at how many American goods there are and as I have now found out even American television. It is interesting. Things are a lot easier here.

After the store we pulled into this field behind a big stucco wall and there was a big pavilion for dancing and congregating. There were great Latin tunes playing and everyone was having a good time. Everything was really nice and there were great lights and decorations all over. Not to mention, the fantastic food. I have tried so many delicious things over the past few days that I really really love. Mama Rosa makes great food for me and Joes family fed me great food nonstop also. I have had tamales, picadillos, papas, carne asada and oh man I can't even tell you all the good stuff. To make a long story short we all talked, ate, and danced for a few hours until midnight and then we ran to the top of the field for fireworks after throwing confetti everywhere and all over each other. We watched fireworks in our yard and all over the city for about an hour. Then we went home and just relaxed for a while longer. Joe's family was nice enough to let me stay there and he was nice enough to let me sleep in his bed while he slept on the couch. Great family, great friends.

This morning I had fabulous coffee, just had to throw that in… sorry. We had a relaxing laid back morning and then this afternoon it was time for another family fiesta over at their other sons house. We were able to walk there from the house and it was again a great time of eating, drinking (just one) and dancing. The family was so inviting and so welcoming to me. They knew my English was rough but they did what they could to help me learn and practice and feel comfortable with them. I got to show them some silly American dances that they didn't know and they taught me some Latin moves. They are all very family oriented and it is fantastic. Again I love the children just like I did in Ghana, I also think it is because it is easy for me to talk to them.

Now I am back in my room working on my homework for tomorrow. I will probably go to bed soon because I am getting up really early to run with Anna. Thanks for all your love and support.