5/30/14
Sometimes something amazing just happens, and you find yourself thinking "Did that just happen?" and "I have got to share this!" Today I had one of those amazing moments, where out of the ordinary I had a wonderful moment that could only happen abroad.
To set the scene: The "huelga" aka strike has been ongoing in Costa Rica for about a month. I've been bored to pieces. So, today I decided, to heck with boredom! I'm going to do something today! Okay, so that something was just to go down to the town center (every town in Costa Rica has a park in the center, usually accompanied by a church and surrounded by lots of shopping and food) and go to the atm and maybe shop around a little bit. I was able to do that, having fun looking at stores where they sell baby chicks, treating my sweet tooth to some pastries (the bakeries here are AMAZING) and browsing some clothes. I was in the park, trying to take a few pictures when out of no where HUGE rain drops began to fall from the sky! If you didn't know already, rainy season in Costa Rica has begun. This means that every day, usually around 3pm or so, it'll rain super hard! Most people seem a bit annoyed by the rain, but I'm from the desert I LOVE THE RAIN! I also love it because it cools the air down.... but it also makes it REALLY humid. My hair is crazy. So there I was in the park, struggling to open my umbrella as these huge drops fall from the sky growing harder and harder. It's pretty much guaranteed that people were staring at me as I broke my umbrella. People are always staring. I mean, I am literally the only white girl who lives here. One man even laughed at me as I squacked while attempting to open my umbrella. I tried taking the long walk home, but the storm grew so strong and windy that I was getting soaked even under my umbrella! I would have gone to a store, but at this point I had already walked away from the center, so I was forced to take refuge under a bus stop with another man. Even there I was getting soaked! The rain was coming down in sheets, creating actual gushing rivers in the gutters on the sides of the street that I'm always afraid of falling into. And there I was, standing under the bus stop with an old man, giggling like an idiot. He must of thought I was crazy.
This is what I love about being an exchanged student. Little ordinary days become extraordinary as you learn about culture, language, people, and even the forces of nature! It's really reminded me that I have to stop being so humbug about this strike and start going out and experiencing life in my town more. Next time there's a storm I'm taking refuge in the nearest pastry shop!
