Wow! This first week in San Jose
has been so amazing! After a week of new classes, and a weekend full of trips
around the country, I am exhausted, but incredibly happy. Today started the
second week of classes, and I am becoming even more convinced that this will be
my favorite semester of college thus far. Each morning after I wake up, I enjoy
a walk around the neighborhood with the beautiful Costa Rican sun beating down
on me, and a view of the mountains throughout. It is still a little hard to
believe that I am actually so lucky to be here for the next three months!
I am taking Marine Biology,
Tropical Ecology, and Land Vertebrates of Costa Rica. The teachers are so
friendly, the material is interesting, and the field trips described that we
are going on for class sound awesome! Snorkeling in the ocean for class—sounds good
to me!
So many wonderful people from all
over are studying here in San Jose. A lot of people are from the states;
however, I have met a friend from Finland as well as two friends from Costa
Rica: one Tica and one expat. Everyone is so friendly and happy here all the
time, so it’s really easy to make new friends!
This weekend was packed full of
excursions, and it was awesome to see so much of what the beautiful Costa Rica
has to offer! After a day of exploring downtown San Jose with my roommate
Friday, it was an early, 5 AM, Saturday morning to travel to Rio Celeste. After
a day full of hiking we finally got to the most beautiful, turquoise blue
waterfall I have ever seen! After getting home late at night, it was straight
to bed for another early morning the next day. Sunday’s adventures included: a
coffee plantation, Volcan Poas, La Paz Waterfall gardens, and an aviary where I
got to hold a Toucan!
After a wonderful, packed-full,
first week, I am looking forward to the relaxing beach weekend I have planned
for next weekend. And oh yeah, there’s that whole school thing, too. Oh well! Pura vida!
