Hello loves.
Oh what to say with such little time and keyboard with a sticky spacebar...
I'm still doing great. I love the finca. I love the people. I love the animals.
Let's see... my days usually look like this:
Wake up at 5:35, put on the same dirty clothes I worked in the day before. Make the 7 minute trek up a short but STEEP hill (I moved and no longer stay with Kristen, but it's good and really beautiful where I'm living), help Eugenia with breakfast. I usually make the fruit salad cutting up pineapple, mango, papaya, and bananas that I pick fresh off the bunch.
We eat at 7am. Then we split up and work on various projects, different ones everyday. Some of those different jobs including cleaning out the animals pens, weeding with machetes (yes, they let me have one!), cleaning the kitchen and 'big house', walking the horses into their pen in the forest, shoveling wheelbarrels full of animal crap and making compost piles, etc.
We have a break at 9:30 then work again until lunch at noon. After lunch we sit around and chat, read, talk someone into going to the store to buy ice cream or cookies to eat with our coffee.
At around 3:30 I water flowers and vegetables in the garden. Then shower. Then dinner at 6. Then reading, hanging out, watching tv, etc.
Then I usually go to bed between 8:30-9:30.
Eso es la vida.
Yesterday I took a Spanish class in the afternoon with Vinny, one of the workers there. I think I will take a few more. Lord knows I need the practice. After our class and after I showered, Vinny then gave me a dance lesson in SALSA! (We had danced before when everyone went out one night.) It was so fun. We danced for an hour and then another gringo volunteer came in and so we taught him how to dance too. It was funny because he was a lot taller than Vinny so it was really different. So great.
It's so peaceful here. Everywhere you look there is a breathtaking view. So many times throughout the day I just stop and look around me and smile... I can't believe I'm here. I don't think I would want to be anywhere else right now.
Today we all came into a town called Paraiso for a sort of fair for organic farming. We have a table set up in the park with some produce, organic fertilizer we make at the farm, brochures, etc. There are a lot of hippie-ish Ticos with drums and all sorts of other musical instruments. It's great. There's a concert later and then a bunch of campesinos are coming back to the farm with us to stay for the night. That should be fun.
Anyway... I feel like there is so much to say, but at the same time, not much to say. Life is good. Love is good.
Tranquila.
31 March 2007
24 March 2007
adventuras de la finca...
Hello my loves.
I am here. In Costa Rica. And it is amazing. My first flight was late so I missed my connecting flight to CR and had to stay overnight in Newark. Yuck. The airline put me up in a Howard Johnson hotel with some food vouchers, but I just wanted to get here. Anyway... there was a little confusion in getting ahold of Kristen and whatnot, but it worked out fine. I ended up traveling solo from the airport to the finca (with directions from Kristen) and it felt kinda like I was on the Amazing Race... mainly because I had my big hiking pack on my back and didn't really know exactly what I was doing. Anyway, I got there fine, but it took all day (and three buses). I had to walk to down the driveway of the finca in complete darkness until I saw the lights of the outside dining area and was greeted by several dogs and then Kristen. So good.
My first day was great. I helped Rafa fix a gate for the horses stable, feed the cows, plant things in the garden, take the horses down into the woods to graze, water flowers and plants, etc. Yesterday I helped Maribel clean out the goat pens and we also fed and collected eggs from the chickens which is very dangerous (I have a battle wound on my hand to prove it... ok it's just a scratch), Juanita and I hung up some gourd decorations and then we hauled goat poop into the place where they use worms to make organic fertilizer (I got baptized by a goat aka got peed on while we were underneath the pens shoveling the poop... Kristen said, Welcome to the farm), I watered the plants again, etc. There are also dogs and cats that can be found hanging out all over which I love. They are sweet.
The food is amazing. Always some sort of salad with mysterious vegetables or lots of mysterious fruit. When I say mysterious, I mean that I don't know what they are because we don't have them at home. It's very good though. Of course, beans and rice which I like here even though I don't ever choose to eat in the US. Lots of veggies, eggs, etc. A lot of things that are hard to describe and very different. For instance, last night we had these scramble eggs with grean beens cooked into them. I don't know... good food though and always a lot, but it's not like when I lived with a Costa Rican family where you HAVE to eat a ton (bufett style). We eat in an outdoor pavilion around a big table and it's so wonderful. I love it. The ladies that come in to cook are really sweet and I like to help them cook.
I love the people. The other volunteers are great (there's one from Grand Rapids, one New Jersey and two from Quebec). The people that work there are also amazing. So cool. It's so tranquilo. And we're up in the mountains so everywhere you look is a spectacular view. I've been staying in Kristen cabin and there's a back porch balcony with a hammock. We're surrounded by trees enough that there's privacy, but there is still a beautiful view.
It's so good to be here with Kristen. So good to see her. It's really cool though because I don't feel like I'm just her friend, but I'm starting to feel like a part of the farm. Her Spanish is so good. We speak Spanish most of the time when we're around other people and English when it's just her and I. There is so much I need to learn.
This weekend we're going to another town that has a national park... maybe do some hiking... swim by the waterfall... vamos a ver (we'll see). It's so good to live in a Pura Vida culture and travel light and live so simply. I'm loving it all to say the least. I feel really happy.
Anyway... off we go... Paz afuera.
(By the way, I'm sure you all care to know that we are both wearing our adventure pants... look out Costa Rica!)
PS- Kristen says: Rock it and roll it.
I am here. In Costa Rica. And it is amazing. My first flight was late so I missed my connecting flight to CR and had to stay overnight in Newark. Yuck. The airline put me up in a Howard Johnson hotel with some food vouchers, but I just wanted to get here. Anyway... there was a little confusion in getting ahold of Kristen and whatnot, but it worked out fine. I ended up traveling solo from the airport to the finca (with directions from Kristen) and it felt kinda like I was on the Amazing Race... mainly because I had my big hiking pack on my back and didn't really know exactly what I was doing. Anyway, I got there fine, but it took all day (and three buses). I had to walk to down the driveway of the finca in complete darkness until I saw the lights of the outside dining area and was greeted by several dogs and then Kristen. So good.
My first day was great. I helped Rafa fix a gate for the horses stable, feed the cows, plant things in the garden, take the horses down into the woods to graze, water flowers and plants, etc. Yesterday I helped Maribel clean out the goat pens and we also fed and collected eggs from the chickens which is very dangerous (I have a battle wound on my hand to prove it... ok it's just a scratch), Juanita and I hung up some gourd decorations and then we hauled goat poop into the place where they use worms to make organic fertilizer (I got baptized by a goat aka got peed on while we were underneath the pens shoveling the poop... Kristen said, Welcome to the farm), I watered the plants again, etc. There are also dogs and cats that can be found hanging out all over which I love. They are sweet.
The food is amazing. Always some sort of salad with mysterious vegetables or lots of mysterious fruit. When I say mysterious, I mean that I don't know what they are because we don't have them at home. It's very good though. Of course, beans and rice which I like here even though I don't ever choose to eat in the US. Lots of veggies, eggs, etc. A lot of things that are hard to describe and very different. For instance, last night we had these scramble eggs with grean beens cooked into them. I don't know... good food though and always a lot, but it's not like when I lived with a Costa Rican family where you HAVE to eat a ton (bufett style). We eat in an outdoor pavilion around a big table and it's so wonderful. I love it. The ladies that come in to cook are really sweet and I like to help them cook.
I love the people. The other volunteers are great (there's one from Grand Rapids, one New Jersey and two from Quebec). The people that work there are also amazing. So cool. It's so tranquilo. And we're up in the mountains so everywhere you look is a spectacular view. I've been staying in Kristen cabin and there's a back porch balcony with a hammock. We're surrounded by trees enough that there's privacy, but there is still a beautiful view.
It's so good to be here with Kristen. So good to see her. It's really cool though because I don't feel like I'm just her friend, but I'm starting to feel like a part of the farm. Her Spanish is so good. We speak Spanish most of the time when we're around other people and English when it's just her and I. There is so much I need to learn.
This weekend we're going to another town that has a national park... maybe do some hiking... swim by the waterfall... vamos a ver (we'll see). It's so good to live in a Pura Vida culture and travel light and live so simply. I'm loving it all to say the least. I feel really happy.
Anyway... off we go... Paz afuera.
(By the way, I'm sure you all care to know that we are both wearing our adventure pants... look out Costa Rica!)
PS- Kristen says: Rock it and roll it.
19 March 2007
If I leave here tomorrow, will you still remember me? ~Free Bird (Skynyrd)
My amazing parents just left. They came up this weekend to help move me out of the duplex. I stood in the window and watched them drive away... It reminded me of when they came to move me in just six months ago. I watched them drive away then too. It was sort of an epiphany for me - for years it was them standing on the porch of our house waving goodbye and me driving away. But for that moment, we had switched places and that introduced a whole new array of emotions. I felt those emotions again today. Tomorrow I'm leaving yet again... still just wandering. The wonderful life of a vagabond. :) The pages just keep turning...
As usual, I have only been thinking about going and not about leaving. I want to acknowledge the leaving... Living in this house with Lauren and Amanda has been amazing. They are two wonderful girls and I'm so glad I had to opportunity to live with them. Although this semester has been somewhat of a rollercoaster in many ways, it's also been a great learning experience. Clay has been an amazing friend and I'm sad to leave him. Quillen too. (With the exception of the couple weeks when I get back from Costa Rica until SAU graduation) I don't know if I will ever live in Michigan again. I don't know if I'll ever live close to these friends again. Hmm.
Why can't we get all the people together in the world
that we really like and then just stay together?
I guess that wouldn't work.
Someone would leave. Someone always leaves.
Then we would have to say good-bye.
I hate good-byes.
I know what I need. I need more hellos.
~Charles M. Schulz
All my bags are packed, I'm ready to go...
As usual, I have only been thinking about going and not about leaving. I want to acknowledge the leaving... Living in this house with Lauren and Amanda has been amazing. They are two wonderful girls and I'm so glad I had to opportunity to live with them. Although this semester has been somewhat of a rollercoaster in many ways, it's also been a great learning experience. Clay has been an amazing friend and I'm sad to leave him. Quillen too. (With the exception of the couple weeks when I get back from Costa Rica until SAU graduation) I don't know if I will ever live in Michigan again. I don't know if I'll ever live close to these friends again. Hmm.
that we really like and then just stay together?
I guess that wouldn't work.
Someone would leave. Someone always leaves.
Then we would have to say good-bye.
I hate good-byes.
I know what I need. I need more hellos.
~Charles M. Schulz
All my bags are packed, I'm ready to go...
17 March 2007
Kris10.
We made some final plans/arrangements
(which for me and her means saying we'll pretty much just wing it).
We travel so well together.
Oh man. I'm so excited to see her.
And work on the finca (farm).
And learn Spanish. And travel.
And go on sweet adventures...
in our sweet adventure pants.
And not be in the United States.
14 March 2007
"I became the sky."
I'm testing out this blog thing before I'm off on my next adventure. So what better way to test it than to write about another test...
I'm still such a kid.
Yesterday (exactly one week before I leave for Costa Rica), I tested out my new adventure pants and adventure shoes. It was SO beautiful outside so I went on a long walk in the woods. I thought a lot about life, climbed trees, took pictures, listened to music, smiled at the sun... I sat in one tree and read a short book by Kurt Vonnegut... I need to read more of his books. I dig his writing style.
Anyway, it was a very calming, much needed experience. It was quiet. It was peaceful.
... I'm ready to go.
I'm still such a kid.
Yesterday (exactly one week before I leave for Costa Rica), I tested out my new adventure pants and adventure shoes. It was SO beautiful outside so I went on a long walk in the woods. I thought a lot about life, climbed trees, took pictures, listened to music, smiled at the sun... I sat in one tree and read a short book by Kurt Vonnegut... I need to read more of his books. I dig his writing style.
Anyway, it was a very calming, much needed experience. It was quiet. It was peaceful.
... I'm ready to go.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)