Have I really been in Costa Rica for a month? It's crazy to think I just completed my fourth week and am already half way done with this journey! Each day is a new adventure here and week four didn't disappoint! It was a busy week at school, but I rewarded myself with a trip across the country during the weekend, casual right?
With it being the second week of school for the students, 6-3 has fallen into a routine quite quickly. Each week is started with an opening ceremony on Mondays; this week's ceremony focused on living healthy lifestyles, specifically focusing on ways to prevent sicknesses from mosquitos (Dengue, Zika, etc.). I found it very informative because 1) Zika is every where in the news and 2) I have a bad habit of diagnosing myself with sicknesses when there's a 100% chance I'm completely fine. Special shoutout to the roomies for keeping sane, even when we're countries apart! :)
Following the ceremony, my students and I participated in a school wide cleaning session for about 2 1/2 hours; we picked up garbage, cleaned classrooms, and pulled weeds. It was also crazy hot on Monday, so everyone was ready for a nap and a gallon of water by the time we were done!
The rest of the week was pretty normal. Each day consists of four 80 minute blocks, 4 recess breaks, and one 40 minute block before dismissal. There are different "special" classes spread throughout the week; my favorite is the English class (go figure) but my students seem to really enjoy art the best. This week was extra special because the English teacher asked me to co-teach with her in all sixth grade classes. We worked on a lot of vocabulary and pronunciation; it's so different to hear English in the schools because I am constantly surrounded by Spanish, but my students love listening to me speak my native language. They also get a kick out of how fast I can speak English compared to Spanish. Each time someone comments on this, I kindly remind them I'm in that same spot when they speak Spanish to me, so we're all learning from one another!
Following the ceremony, my students and I participated in a school wide cleaning session for about 2 1/2 hours; we picked up garbage, cleaned classrooms, and pulled weeds. It was also crazy hot on Monday, so everyone was ready for a nap and a gallon of water by the time we were done!
The rest of the week was pretty normal. Each day consists of four 80 minute blocks, 4 recess breaks, and one 40 minute block before dismissal. There are different "special" classes spread throughout the week; my favorite is the English class (go figure) but my students seem to really enjoy art the best. This week was extra special because the English teacher asked me to co-teach with her in all sixth grade classes. We worked on a lot of vocabulary and pronunciation; it's so different to hear English in the schools because I am constantly surrounded by Spanish, but my students love listening to me speak my native language. They also get a kick out of how fast I can speak English compared to Spanish. Each time someone comments on this, I kindly remind them I'm in that same spot when they speak Spanish to me, so we're all learning from one another!
After a week of teaching, Lindsay and I travelled across the country this weekend to the city of Jaco. It's located in the province of Puntarenas, one of the seven provinces in Costa Rica. Our home is in Limon, so it took us a good 5 and 1/2 hours to travel there, but it was completely worth it. The map below will give you a better idea of what I'm talking about- if you draw a vertical line from the "S" in San Jose, you'll be in Jaco!
Jaco was absolutely breathtaking in every single way. It was a consistent 93 degrees all weekend, which meant Lindsay and I were quite uncomfortable during our bus ride there! Never the less, we found our hostel, Hacienda Garcia, and made ourselves at home before heading to the beach! We lucked out with this hostel in more ways than one; for a very cheap price we had a room to ourselves, wifi, "A/C" (I put this in quotes because it was just a ceiling fan), and our own bathroom. We also had free access to a pool, which turned out to be a wonderful private beach resort. Overall, I was super impressed with our home away from home!
With Jaco being located on the Pacific Ocean, Lindsay and I were so excited to hit the beach! This was the first time being in the Pacific for the both of us and it didn't disappoint! It was a bit rockier than the other beaches we have been in, but the water was still warm and refreshing. We spent a good chunk of time on the beach just soaking up the sun and watching all the surfers.
With Jaco being located on the Pacific Ocean, Lindsay and I were so excited to hit the beach! This was the first time being in the Pacific for the both of us and it didn't disappoint! It was a bit rockier than the other beaches we have been in, but the water was still warm and refreshing. We spent a good chunk of time on the beach just soaking up the sun and watching all the surfers.
Before heading to the pool, Lindsay and I grabbed some lunch. Of course we saw a Subway and almost went there, but we decided to get pizza instead. After lunch, we headed to Jaco Blu. It was so relaxing and located right on the beach, so it was basically like we were back on the beach itself! After laying out some more, Lindsay and I decided to head back to the room to shower before sunset. I'm not kidding everyone, our hostel was so nice, it was like showering at home. Our toilet did make this really strange squealing noise every time we flushed, but that was the least of our worries!
The sunset on the Pacific was such a beautiful sight to see! The sun had set around 5:45 pm so the beach was completely packed by 5:30. I was in awe of the beauty I was surrounded by; it was such a great reminder of how beautiful life and the simple things can be. Although I had Lindsay to share this moment with, it was hard for me not to wish my friends and family were there to see the beauty as well.
After the sun set, Lindsay and I hit the town. We had dinner, looked around in some little shops, and even bought some gifts for those back in the States. Afterwards, we returned to our hot, hot, HOT (did I mention it was hot?) room and left for our long trip back to Guacimo the next morning. Mami and Papi welcomed us home with open arms on Sunday afternoon, reminding us how lucky we are to have such a caring family to take care of us during our time here.
After the sun set, Lindsay and I hit the town. We had dinner, looked around in some little shops, and even bought some gifts for those back in the States. Afterwards, we returned to our hot, hot, HOT (did I mention it was hot?) room and left for our long trip back to Guacimo the next morning. Mami and Papi welcomed us home with open arms on Sunday afternoon, reminding us how lucky we are to have such a caring family to take care of us during our time here.
Week Five is on its way and I couldn't be more ready for it. Although I have had my struggles the past four weeks, I have learned so much about myself. In four short weeks, I have been taken out of my comfort zone completely, challenged with language barriers, but most importantly, I have come out of it a better version of myself. Week Five, bring it on! :)
"Challenges are what make life interesting and overcoming them makes life meaningful." -Joshua J. Marine
"Challenges are what make life interesting and overcoming them makes life meaningful." -Joshua J. Marine