Puerto Carrillo

This weekend was absolutely amazing... Meagan and I went to Puerto Carrillo, a really small "town" on the beach on the Pacific coast. Our Tico parents have a house there, and they let us come visit!

On the way to the beach house, Meagan and I took the bus, which as always, was an adventure. Through buying our tickets and getting to the bus terminal, we made friends with two awesome taxi drivers. That was great:) But somehow, Meagan and I didn't get to sit together - our seat numbers were 16 and 17, but the rows went 15/16 then 17/18. Very unfortunate. However, Meagan made friends with the girl who she ended up next to! Her name is Paulina, and she's 13, from Germany! (so cool) And she spoke perfect English, Spanish, and German (obviously). So awesome. Almost six hours on a bus can be made infinitely better with new international friends.

Once Meagan and I got to Puerto Carrillo, we got off the bus, and then realized that we had completely forgotten the directions that Kathleen (our mom) had given us to walk to the house. Perfect. But, we asked around and eventually found the house. It is SO beautiful - they rent it out to people while they aren't staying there, and it was just gorgeous...it had a pool in the back, and lots and lots of windows. I got to make my black bean salsa for everybody! It was really fun. Meagan and I spent hours and hours on the beach while we were there, and it was the most relaxing place we've been so far. It was nice to get away and to see a different part of Costa Rica.

Saturday night, we went to Samara, which is the closest town to Puerto Carrillo. Meagan and I walked on the beach and looked around for souvenirs while Don Victor and Dona Kathleen went to Mass. There are dogs everywhere in Costa Rica, but we saw a Dalmatian while we were there, named Spot of course. A new friend. :) And then, while we were waiting for Victor and Kathleen to get out of church, we enjoyed people watching. There were these two guys with their motorcycles waiting outside the church, and Meagan and I were betting on which girls they were waiting for once everyone started walking out after the service. Turns out - they were waiting for their moms!!! **pause for appreciation** It was so sweet. I approve.

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Here are some more pictures from the weekend!

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Annnnd I have homework to do...so that's it for tonight! Buenas noches!

-Courtney

(World Traveler in Training)

Un día bonito

Hello, friends. :)

Costa Rica and its mountains are so beautiful today. The weather here amazes me...one minute it's sunny, and the next, it's a complete downpour. Tropical climate in the mountains. Love it. I do miss fall though...I miss the leaves turning colors, and the smell, and the pumpkin spice lattes at Starbucks...but I'm here in a beautiful country with its own mountains, forests, beaches, and just two seasons: rainy and dry.

This morning I didn't have Spanish class since we start a new "month" of intensive classes tomorrow. A month of Spanish here is equal to a year at home, so I'm glad to have a day to breathe! haha. Anyways, with the morning completely free, at first I wasn't sure what I would do. And then, I started to read. I read beautiful, bilingual truth, in my own Bible and in the new Spanish one I bought before I came here. Memorizing verses in Spanish is overwhelming at first, but what an amazing picture it is to know the scriptures in two different languages! It gives the words a new perspective, kind of like when you read a verse that you've read several times, but it never really sunk in until that certain moment - like your eyes were just opened. That's what happened to me this morning!

"Pongan todas sus preocupaciones y ansiedades en las manos de Dios, porque él cuida de ustedes."

1 Pedro 5:7

"No amen a este mundo ni las cosas que les ofrece porque cuando aman al mundo, no tienen el amor del Padres en ustedes. Pues el mundo sólo ofrece un intenso deseo por el placer físico, un deseo insaciable por todo lo que vemos y el orgullo de nuestros logros y posesiones. Nada de eso proviene del Padre, sino que viene del mundo, y este mundo se acaba junto con todo lo que la gente tanto desea, pero el que hace lo que a Dios le agrada vivirá para siempre."

1 Juan 2:15-17



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Off to photography class.... It seems impossible to capture all the beauty here, but I enjoy getting pieces and angles of it...learning about this art is so exciting, and makes me want to be a photographer forever! Even if it is just a hobby.

.....okay, that's all until later!



love,
Courtney
(World Traveler in Training)

A free weekend???

It's crazy, I know, but I have a free weekend!! I can do whatever I want, and it's crazy! I have definitely loved going on the trips with my CEA group - they have all been amazing. But, it's really nice to have a morning to just relax here with Meagan. I got to memorize some scripture in Spanish this morning - it's so beautiful. It's 1st Peter 5:7... "Pongan todas sus preocupaciones y ansiedades en las manos de Dios, porque él cuida de ustedes." (Cast all of your anxieties upon the Lord, because He cares for you.)

And now, Meagan and I are watching an extremely entertaining music video TV channel. And

it's not like Lady Gaga and Miley Cyrus insanity. It's like - oldies, classics, some latin pop, and completely, totally random songs...SO hilarious. We know how to have a good time. Trying out the weird dance moves is my personal favorite part of watching these videos with Meagan. And, Basketball and card games is on the menu for today as well. Yep, I'm excited. Plus, tonight is Diana's (our house sister) birthday party!!! Feliz cumpleaños, Di Di!

Hermanas:)

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This week we had such a great time with Andres' friend Joshua being here! We went dancing together and it was so much fun! The band was great, and well, you know how I love to dance.

Les amo!!

We couldn't get him to smile...he only does this face for pictures. Oh Joshua. Ya te extraño:)

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Well, I'm finished with my first intensive Spanish class! Projects, presentations, exams, all done. :D I'm taking another intensive Spanish class starting next week, and then all I'll have is my electives during the afternoons. I can't believe we're a third of the way through the program....I don't want to leave. It makes me not want to invest any more because I'll have to leave so soon! But I refuse to stop investing. My heart is already attached to this place and these people, and closing myself off would be worse than feeling like my heart isn't at risk.

Life is a crazy thing.

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Love,

Courtney

(World Traveler in Training)

Aquí estoy...

Again, it has been a while since I've written! Last week, Mom and Ally were here, and I just couldn't find the time to blog! But here I am:)

Mom, Ally and I went to the national park, Manuel Antonio! Getting there was an adventure - I was the interpreter, which was a bit stressful at first, but it ended up being

encouraging, because I realized that I could survive here! ;) We took a bus from San Jose to Manuel Antonio - it's about four hours, so it's a long way, but it's awesome because we got to actually see Costa Rica!! (which is definitely not possible if you just stay in San Jose.) The park was absolutely gorgeous -

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It was such a great, relaxing time Thursday and Friday, and I must say it was quite liberating skipping class on Friday! haha. I loved having Mom and Ally here, and I'm so glad they got to come meet my Costa Rican family and see Costa Rica. But, it was surreal - it doesn't feel like they were actually here, and saying goodbye a second time was harder than I thought it would be. I miss them. But, the time is going by so fast - I knew it would, and in some ways I'm glad it is, but still, in other ways, I'd give a lot to stay here another semester. I was just thinking yesterday morning how amazing it would be if I could come back here, maybe next summer, and get an internship at Veritas (where I'm going to school) and maybe take classes too...it would be incredible. I'm definitely going to pray about it!

Anyways...

What a week! I went to Los Juncos Cloud Forest with my Spanish class, to Manuel Antonio with Mom and Ally, and then for the rest of the weekend my program took our last excursion to the Arenal Volcano and the hot springs! It was absolutely amazing. First, we went to the waterfall at La Fortuna, and guess how many steps you go down to get to the waterfall, and then climb back up afterwards? Guess. It was five. Hundred. Quinientas. I counted, but not out loud, because breathing was a bit difficult at about step number 254. Ridiculousness. It was so worth it though! The waterfall was so beautiful. All of the nature here is a constant reminder of

how incredible the Designer is...

Romans 1:20 ~ "For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse."

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Psalm 27:13 ~ "I am still confident of this: I will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord."

Love,

Courtney

(World Traveler in Training)

Indio comido puesto al camino

Hello friends! Sorry it's been a while since I've written - so much has been going on! I don't even know where to start! But I'll do my best...

This past weekend we visited two different volcanoes: Poas and Irazu. They were both amazing, and driving through the country is so beautiful! Plus, driving up the mountains always reminds me of camping and of Colorado. =) Also, we visited two of the oldest churches in Costa Rica. That was really cool just to see some of the history of the culture here, and also how much its history has been influenced by Catholicism. In one of the churches, the people would only walk on their knees down the middle isle of the church. On the sides people walked normally, but down the middle, old and young people alike would walk on their knees. I've never seen that before in a church, so it was really interesting. But also while we were there, some of the things bothered me. Also at the church, they were selling "holy water" from a spring outside the church that is thought to consist of pure, healing, "holy" water. I don't know. It just bothered me. I didn't turn over any tables though. ;)

Classes are going well, and I'm starting to feel more comfortable here. I still wish that I had more opportunities to hang out with Ticos, (Costa Ricans), but I'm hoping that will come. The weather has been AMAZING lately!! It rains sometimes in the late afternoons, but other than that, it has been sunny and warm during the day, and cool at night - my perfect weather!

For those of you who have been praying for me, I appreciate you guys SO much!! I have had some incredible conversations in the past week and I am just praising God for giving me boldness to talk about what I believe, and also for giving me opportunities! I'm so grateful, and I'm hopeful that He will use it to His glory.

Sooooo..... ALLY AND MY MOM ARE COMING TO VISIT ME TOMORROW!! I'm excited! They won't be here for very long, but we'll have a great time!

Oh! Something else very exciting: Meagan and I got free Veritas tshirts today! And you know me, I'm all about the free tshirts. ;)

Hasta luego!

-Courtney

(World Traveler in Training)

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And here are some more pictures!

Cartwheels and such...

Today I did a cartwheel during the middle of my Spanish class. Yes, I did a cartwheel. And I did it in the middle of our tiny (9-person) class room this morning. Why, you may ask? Was I just SO excited to be in Spanish that I couldn't contain myself?? ... Not exactly. Don't get me wrong, I love Spanish, but the real story is that today we all had to do presentations in class. Each presentation had to be 15 minutes long, and I did mine about gymnastics! So I talked about being a gymnast, and being a gymnastics coach, and then at the end of my presentation, the other students in the class were like, "Show us!" So, there you go. A very unplanned cartwheel. It was great though!

Here are a few more pictures - a couple of them are from my photography class. We're playing with light graffiti :D It's when you set your camera for a long exposure time, and usually you do it outside at night, or in a dark room, and you use a flashlight or a cell phone to "paint" with light. It's so much fun!

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Puerto Viejo

View from Veritas

All the flowers here are so beautiful!




















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Okay! That should do it for now.


ttfn =)


-Courtney

(World Traveler in Training)

First Photos!

So, this weekend we went to Puerto Viejo - it's on the Caribbean. Yes. It was SO gorgeous! The beach was beautiful, we went snorkeling on Saturday, and we went out dancing Friday and Saturday night. Also on Saturday we got to go on a hike through this island off the coast - we saw sloths, monkeys, iguanas, and even a bright yellow, extremely poisonous snake called the Eyelash Viper! It was so interesting! And this weekend was such a fun time! It's really interesting to be with such a different group of people, but I think I've found a couple kindred spirits. =) And as always, kindred spirits or not, I have community with my God who will never leave me.

I have a silly band (yes, a silly band, because I didn't have any stickers), around my little alarm clock so that whenever I wake up, when I see it, I quote Lamentations 3:22-26 to myself. What a blessing it has been! "Yet this I call to mind, and therefore I have hope; because of the Lord's great love we are not consumed, for His compassions never fail, they are new every morning. Great is your faithfulness! I will say to myself, 'The Lord is your portion, therefore I will wait for Him.' The Lord is good to those whose hope is in Him, to the one who seeks Him; it is good to wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord."

And now, for a Courtney moment: Last night, when Meagan and I were walking from where the bus dropped us off up to our house, where we walk every day, I slipped on the sidewalk and, as Meagan put it, "fell very gracefully" onto the ground. Unfortunately, my knee is pretty scraped up and I slightly sprained my left foot. But, that's life. And the clincher of the story is that last night was the first and only time that I have worn shorts in San Jose. Of course! ;) But yes. If any of you ever come to Costa Rica during the rainy season, 1) Don't wear shorts, and 2) Be careful. It's really slippery on the sidewalks!

Okay, here are some of the pictures I've taken so far! I'm not able to have my camera with me nearly as much as I would like, but I've still been able to take a few photos. ....

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- Adorable

- The Caribbean!

- Flowers!

- "Hamacas" outside our hotel in Puerto Viejo

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That's all for now! I'll upload more pictures when I get the chance!

Love,

Courtney

(World Traveler in Training)