I honestly wasn't expecting to make so many blog posts, but I just have so much to write about! Today was an amazing day! I met my Host Family!
The day started off back at the AFS Orientation camp when we all woke up, bleary eyed and nervous. We all packed up an ate our last breakfast together, then we took pictures together, hugged one another, said goodbye, and we were off! I'm really going to miss all of the people I met. I think it's really great that AFS brings each other from around the world to become best friends. I often think about how many potential best friends I have out there in the world, but don't even know about because of the fact that we're in completely different countries speaking different languages and living different lives.
The car ride was amazing. I finally got to see the natural beauty of Costa Rica that everyone was always telling me about! Plus, the chaperon for our ride was my host sister! It was awesome meeting her, and during the ride she gave us a ton of great tips! We drove through San Jose, which was actually more like a city than I first thought, but still no where as big as Phoenix. The architecture and cleanliness is also not something to gawk at... Our first stop was Cartago, a city just south of San Jose. It was much more like a suburb with a latin flair. A German girl and a Japanese girl met their family there. The houses were colorful and fenced over. One thing we noticed is that in Costa Rica all the houses has big gates and bars on the windows. A huge, green mountain watches over Cartago, and it definitely was looming over us as we got lost and asked for direction multiple times! Next we drove to San Marcos (I think?) where my Canadian friend will be living. I honestly didn't think we'd be driving so far up this huge mountain, but we kept going up, up up, until we were eventually completely covered in cloud. It was really cool, and the forest was so green. I always thought Arizona pine forests were green, but they are nothing compared to the vine covered trees that grow so thick they look like walls at time. I felt kind of bad for her, she was hoping for warm weather because she was so used to the cold in Canada, but the place she lived was so beautiful! When we got there, we were suddenly surrounded by hundreds and hundreds of motor bikes. I had never seen so many in my life. Her family came (after an hour of waiting) and we were off again! I expected to go back down the mountain, but no, we kept going up. And up. And up. It got very cold and the driver had his window open, but I was somehow able to nod off for a nap. When I woke up we were back down the mountain, and it was very hot. My sister and I were dropped off at Perez Zeledon, a town that very much reminded me of Mexico. Not like Rosarita Beach of Rocky Point, but like Tijuana. There was some kind of horse festival so there were people EVERYWHERE. I was super intimidated and nervous, and I could definitely feel the culture shock coming on. My host brother was watching the Lego movie, so we decided to join him. It was in Spanish, so I couldn't understand it.
Driving home (and driving in particular in Costa Rica) was absolutely insane. My host brother drove 120 kph (not sure how fast that is, but it's super fast when driving through narrow, twisty roads, passing by slower cars and narrowly avoiding semi trucks. Thank goodness my host family wears seatbelts.
Then, just like that, we were surrounded by pineapple fields and we were in Buenos Aires! I met my host mom and dad, which was nerve wracking because they can't speak English like my siblings. We had some good conversation in very broken, very slow Spanish though. They seem really nice, and my house is soo beautiful. Unfortunately, I've been told I'll be going to school from 7am-5pm. WHAT?
Also, my host family owns a hundred cows, about ten fish ponds, a real pond, a hedgehog, puppies, pineapple fields, and more! I can't wait to get to know them better so I won't be constantly nervous and unsure of what to do. And I can't wait to go to school. Everything is very very nerve wracking and exciting. Basically I'm a mess.
But the view is amazing!
New Friends!
Amazing View!
