Wednesday, October 31, 2007

The rainy city

After about 36 hours of travel, I arrived here in Costa Rica yesterday, overstuffed bags and all. They're not kidding when they say to pack light. Oops.

I thought I'd escaped rain when my plane lifted off in Seattle, but I was wrong. It's raining. Luckily the huge drops of earlier in the day have shrunk down to little a drizzle, so the half hour walk home to my host family house won't be too bad. And unlike in Seattle, the air still feels warm, and there are hyper-screechy birds outside enjoying the drizzle.

Rain aside, things are good. The teacher is fun and funny. The other students in the class are really nice, and they live at the same house I do. The mom of my house cooks great, smiles warmly, and appreciates life. "Pura Vida" she says all the time. Pure life. That's the name of the game here in Costa Rica, the driver from the airport to the shool told me. How appropriate. I was already thinking that should be my new motto.

You want to see this place? Well, you could come here. Or you could rely on these words. I'll do my best.

The roads are seem newly paved, but they wind up and around bumps and hills, always challenging travelers to alter their tilt to keep balanced. They are narrow, so if you happen to run here, you might find yourself seeking out little spaces of earth beside the road, which start and stop frequently, so you may find yourself bouncing between the edge of the road, then over the ditch to the earth, and back again. But you won't be alone. You'll see lots of kids walking to school in their cute little uniforms, and some with mom's protectively clutching their hands. You'll also see business women with sleek buns and heels braving the winding, rolling sidewalks. Like Italy, the buzz of vespas is constant. Yet it's strangely endearing if you like that sort of raw sign of energy.

And the clubs... oh man.

I haven't been to any.

But hey, tonight's Halloween...stay tuned.

2 comments:

Unknown said...

Le 'Pura Vida'. What wonderful way to live life. Your host mother sounds like she is a wonderfuly kind and wise woman. Your living siuation sounds ideal and I can not wait to hear more about all aspects of your new vida in Costa Rica. I think of you often and am so glad that you seem so well and settled in your new environment. Bests always!! Shannon

carol Mcgilliard said...

Hi Jeanine,
Sounds like you have made great adjustments to this new home. What a wonderful way to learn about yourself. Keep up the blog. Remember to pay attention to all the lessons that are obvious and ones that are more intrinsic to your growth.
I look forward to more entries on this blog.
Take care.
Love, carol