Adjusting to a new normal

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We've been in Costa Rica for almost a month and I can happily report that we are adjusting very nicely. Our house is starting to feel more like home now that we've added a few personal touches, the SUV we purchased has proven reliable and comfortable to drive and we're now gearing up for school to start in the next couple of weeks. My husband returned to the States almost two weeks ago, and while saying goodbye made us all sad, we've kept in touch nearly everyday via video chat over the internet so we're not as lonely for each other as I thought we would be. We are all adjusting to our new normal.

One relative asked me during a video chat the other day what had surprised me most so far, and I replied that the cost of living has turned out to be surprisingly high. For me it all sort of seems to balance out because while some things are more expensive than what I am used to (gas, school supplies, cars, furniture) other things have turned out to be less expensive (medical services, car insurance, fresh fruits and veggies). My father-in-law recently handed me a Catholic newspaper that had a story about how the high cost of living is a real issue for the poorer citizens of Costa Rica, and reading it definately helped me put it all in perspective. In the article one person mentioned what her husband earned every month working as a prison security guard - it was half what I earn working from home and I don't even work full time! They reported that his income didn't cover all of their monthly expenses and that they only were eating things like meat, vegetables and milk once a month. So really, I can't complain. The high prices for me are a minor inconvenience.

Our big adventure on the horizion is school! The kids and I walked down the hill last week and visited Green Valley School for the first time. We met the principal and got to see where the kids' classrooms are, where the cafeteria area is, etc. The school is much different that the one they attended in Minnesota, starting with the open air concept. The classrooms and office are sort of arranged in a U-shape around a courtyard area for the elementary classes. They have a seperate computer lab and media room for some of their lessons. The school has a locked, guarded entrance. We learned that Katie will have two classes in Spanish - her Spanish class and her social studies class. Ian will have Spanish, science, social studies and math taught in Spanish (although the math book is in English) and apparently will have one other kid in his class who is also from the States. After the tour, I pointed out to the kids that when we told the principal that they didn't speak Spanish she was not concerned. At all. She acknowledged that their first few months would be challenging, but said that they could come to her office anytime if they needed help. She was awesome. I mentioned that we'd be taking the kids out of school every three months to renew our visas and she shrugged and said she was used to that, no problem. Aparently having foreigners enroll kids in their school to learn Spanish isn't such a radical concept, even the day that I visited I ended up meeting someone who said he was from the Seattle area. This week we'll be returning to buy uniforms and pay for their books and the second of week of February - school will begin!

Before my husband left, we worked really hard to get ourselves settled here at home. He helped move furniture in, touch up paint on the walls, hook up our electronics and phones and all the other things we needed to do. I've had to handle working with our property managers to get a few things fixed since he left but things are really shaping up nicely. Our gardener/ pool person is doing a good job and allowing me to spend my free time enjoying my property rather than maintaining it. I'm still on the lookout for a better dining table (if you check out my photos, you can see the one we are using currently in the photo labeled old home office) but for the most part we have everything we need. My big win was buying a desk and office chair to work from, set up here in a corner of my bedroom I enjoy a nice home office now next to a window with a million dollar view!

So besides school, what's next? Next is we're going to start venturing out of our comfort zone a little further. I've done a little bit of exploring, but not as much as I would like. Now that we're nice and settled it's time to start wandering into the local cafes and restaurants, like the one down the hill right next to the kids' school. There's a little supermarket a couple of miles from my house that I've passed on my way between home and picking the kids up at their grandparents house that I've thought I should try. I would be nice to know what they have because they are in such a convenient place. I need to take the car to get washed and there's a place in town where people wash cars. You get the idea. My goal is to try at least one new place each week, partly to get a sense of what is available around me and partly so that I have to interact with someone new each time. I'm also starting to reach out to some of my Spanish speaking relatives here. Hopefully my next blog will report all the new stuff I've done.

As promised, I've attached some photos to show you all what we've been up to. During the first week of February I'm planning to take the kids on a few excurisons. It will be their last week of 'summer' vacation and a few of our relatives from Minnesota will be visiting so I think it'll be a good time to do a little sight seeing. Oh, and because a few people have asked me - so far I haven't run over any iguanas. I see them in my yard all the time and have determined that they are shy and very fast. We're tolerating each other just fine.

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Photos

at the friday farmers market
No trip to the farmer's market in Atenas is complete without a pipa fria for the kids. The vendor slices the coconuts open with a machete when you order them and pokes a straw in. The kids love it!

hanging out at grandpa's house
Here's Ian relaxing on the patio outside Grandpa and Grandma's house in Desmonte. They always have the yummiest food!

jazeiel and katie
Two cousins getting to know one another, kids seem to make language barriers no big deal. They just want to have fun and find a way to communicate that to each other without any problem.

maracuya
This awesome fruit is from the passion fruit family and has been one of our favorite discoveries so far. It makes a great drink that's pleasantly sour and refreshing.

michelle at the top
Here I am one morning after hiking to the top of the hill in our neighborhood with Ricardo. The view is worth the sweat!

old home office
When I arrived, I didn't have any other surface to work on than this set of outdoor table and chairs. So, here is what my work set up was like for the first week or so.

new home office
After a successful trip to Office Depot, here is my new home office, which I am liking MUCH better.

laundry machine
Here is what a tico-style washer looks like. In a separate post, I'll give you all a photo tutorial so you can see how to use one!