How things are never end up how you think they'll be. There was no predicting how living outside the country would change my moments. But I'm here, kicking and feeling, struggling and surviving, loving and swimming, studying and laughing.
The first difference that comes to mind is the sounds. At home, I hear cars. Here, it's dogs and church bells. I could do with a little less of the Dong in the churchbells, but I guess once an hour is fine for God. The food is both less processed and more chemical... forget organic... and the carbs are never-ending, but somehow my jeans keep getting baggier and baggier. Ciudad Colon is hilly, so maybe I'm just walking off my hips.
A hard part to adjust to is college level studying again. It's hard to take years off, and then get back into the theoretical. It feels a bit like orbiting the moon by yourself when you've been used to Earth's gravity. We have a bit of a party group here, and although the median age is around 25, it's been a long time since I've hung out with ANYONE under 23. It makes me feel simultaneously scintillating to them... and old. I have more stories, but less energy. So, I've had to gently wean myself from the herd at times, letting myself be alone and not always go to the parties. And there are a LOT of parties.
But I've made good friends already. Oh, and Skype is different. You use cell phones in the States. Here, it's Skype or the landline that you share with roommates, because there is only one major cell phone company in the whole country, and it's a bitch to get a line from them, so most international students give up. Plus, who can you call with your cell phone if no one else has one? Not very convenient. So it make everyone commit to plans in a different way. Wanna meet at your house at 9? Yes. And then people show up right on time, otherwise you'll have no way of reaching them to describe your Lateness.
Every now and then the Internet goes out. Or the power. Or the water. Or just the HOT water. The last is by far the most tragic, but it only happens about once a month. Some of the showers have this weird nozzle on the actual faucet overhead that you turn if you want hot water.
I have been at times overwhelmed by the amount of mosquitoes, but underwhelmed by the bug sizes. Not so terrible as believed.When the people greet you in the street, they simply say, "Buenas." Good. Not good morning or evening, just... Good. Costa Ricans are pleasant people. They can be a bit passive aggressive for my taste, which is definitely let out when they drive. Ay, Dios Mio, do the cars zip by here. Forget about breaking for Pedestrians like is the law in California. But it's quieter in this town, so you can hear them flying towards you from a mile away. It's all good.
It's hard not having a car, and more simple. Buses run on time and go most places, but usually take twice as long. A friend of mine has a motorcycle that he bought here, and it makes me envious. Especially for trips on the weekends. Some students are thinking of buying cars, but then you have to sell it again at the end of the year, or drive it up through Central America.
There are tiendas or sodas for food, and I buy a lot of fresh bread or avocados when walking home from the school-bus. The eggs taste differently here, and cook differently. Gallo pinto is the favorite rice and beans dish of Ticos, and they eat it constantly. I've been cooking for myself, so I do a bit more international flare: Italian, Chinese stirfrys, omelettes, etc. I have plenty of company in the kitchen, and all my roommates and I sing while we cook. The boys like to sing old fashioned 50s and 60s songs, and we girls tend to do 80s and 90s Best Of.
Everyone at the school is well-traveled, with most having done the Peace Corps or having lived outside of their country before. It's a bit like being on Survivor: everybody has great tips and tricks for how to open bottles, how to dry clothes, or how to rent a car for supercheap.
It's absorbing, this adventure. And lovely. And humbling. And hard.
But my Spanish is improving.
La vida pura es la única manera de vivir.
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