Update from the past few days

Hi All,

I am finally back at school and starting to feel better! I started feeling sick Saturday while I was at the beach and reached the worst point yesterday. The school sent me back home to my host family with a variety of medicine and orange juice. I am feeling a lot better today, just a cough left. It seems to be going around all of Grecia. 2 of our other girls had to be taken to the doctor. I consider my self lucky that my fever broke.

On to more happy things! I have so much to update on so here goes...

1. Friday of last week was a blast!! Everyone was exhausted from a week of classes and agency visits so we all decided to just stay home and chill out. Once Kelly (my roomate) and I got home our brother asked us if we wanted to go dancing and we just could not turn down the offer. We ended up at a "discoteca", which is simular to a club in the United States. We got there and everyone was dancing to Costa Rican music. It was totally different from the United States, there was no dirty dancing. It was like salsa or something. I have no clue how to explain it, but it was awesome. It was nothing like in the United States. I dont know how else to explain it. I will teach everyone when I get home.

2. Saturday morning we left at 7:30am for Manuel Antonio. We got there around noon. Once we got there we checked into our hotel and the first thing I did was take a HOT shower for the first time in a week!!! It was soooo nice. We ate dinner at the hotel and went out dancing again. I thought we were going to a simular place that my brother took us, but when we got there it was all american music. I was very disappointed. Sunday we got up and went to the national park. It is sooo beautiful, picture in your head the desk top that comes with your computer with the blue water and white sand beaches. What I saw was that to a T. Since the beach is on a national park, no buildings are allowed on the property. This allows for so many wild animals. We saw monkeys (who ran off with a ladies bag of food), a sloth, tucan, etc. After laying out on the beach for a while I went shopping on the streets and we all went out to dinner. Monday morning most of us went to do a zip line through the rain forrest. I was a little disappointed. It was kind of short and not what I expected. I dont think I would do it again if I had the chance. All in all, the beach was beautiful but by Sunday I was ready to go back to Grecia. Manuel Antonio was too "Americanized", everything was so expensive and toursty. I am happy to be back in the small town of Grecia and with my Tico family.

3. This brings us to Tuesday. I was sick all day Tuesday, but this is what I missed: I missed Spanish class in the morning. In the afternoon, everyone met with a lady named Laura Guzman. Laura is the grand daughter of the first democratic president (in 1948). She took all of the students to a social services agency where our social workers got to meet social workers in Costa Rica. From what everyone says it was an enriching experience. I am sad I missed it.

4. Today I am back at school :) We are meeting with Laura Guzman again and this time she is taking us to the capital of Costa Rica (San Jose). In San Jose she is taking us to the bad neighborhoods and teaching us about the not so pretty side of Costa Rica. This should be VERY intersting!

I know that it is hard to picture all of the things I try to explain. I am unable to upload pictures right now becasue we are getting ready to leave, but I will let you know when I get them up. I miss everyone!!!

Ps. Jason´s grandmother had a pretty bad fall yesterday. Jason went back home for the night to be with her. She is supposed to have surgery tomorrow. The doctors are concerned about anstheia (sp?) and her age. Please say a little prayer that everything will go smoothly tomorrow. It is really hard for me to be in another country when he is going through this.

Love to all!

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