A day without plunges. Today, we participated in a variety of tourist-y activities. First the group visited a Costa Rican National Park of the Volcano Poas. We took a bus up most of the volcano (thankfully!) and hiked up the rest on guided paths. It was really neat to see the huge crater on top of the mountain. We hiked around for the next couple of hours and learned a lot about different types of Costa Rican plants and terrain. After we had our fill of Volcan Poas we journeyed on to a Coffee Plantation. We took a tour of how coffee in Costa Rica is grown, harvested, and exported. (Coffee is a main export of Costa Rica). We also got to taste test a lot of coffee which was quite a treat. Our tour guide was very funny, but also very knowledgable.

Even though I have only been in Costa Rica for a couple of days, my Spanish is improving rapidly and many of my thoughts are in Spanish. It is so much easier to soak up a language once immersed in another culture. I can't wait to see how much I will have improved by the end of two months here!

Tomorrow I move in with my host family and will meet them for the first time. Wish me luck!

p.s. I do not know if my house will have wifi so it might become very difficult to communicate back home.

Lost in Heredia.

The past two days in Costa Rica have been packed with activities. Yesterday we had our first "plunge".  In other words, we were divided into groups of three, given a piece of paper with various places/things to find, and dropped off in San Rafael de Heredia (a small city). San Rafael is the town that I will start living in on Saturday so it was fun to explore. The only downside was that it was POURING rain the entire time we were there. Thank goodness for rain jackets. By the end of the day we were all completely soaked to the bone, but it was definitely a good bonding experience for the group.

Today we had two different plunges. Today's plunges were on a whole new playing field because the cities were much bigger. The first city we were dropped off at was called Heredia. We got to pick our groups this morning so my friends Zack and Michael from the swim team and I decided to pair up. The sun was shinning and we were having a grand ol' time. We traveled all over Heredia and saw many cool things including the University Nacional and many different churches with beautiful architecture. We thought we had plenty of time so we went into this very small hole in the wall to eat lunch. The owner was very kind and we all talked (in spanish) for awhile while we ate a delicious (and very authentic) Costa Rican meal. On our way back from the restaurant we asked many different ticos how to get back to the bus stop, but they kept sending us in different ways. By the time we found our way to the bus stop we were over an hour late and the entire group had left for San Jose without us. So the three of us were stranded (with no working cell phones). We decided to start asking people on the street if we could borrow their phones, many were not willing to help. One couple very hesitantly offered us a lot of help. We eventually contacted the Whitworth Center and they communicated to our professor that we were ok and we were told to take the bus by ourselves to San Jose. It was definitely an adventure that the three of us will never forget.

Even though we were late, we were still able to take in San Jose for quite awhile. San Jose is the capital of Costa Rica and was therefore the biggest city we will go to. It was full of colors and food and many different sites to see and many different people to talk to. But by the end of the day we were all very tired because it had started raining again and we had been walking for close to seven hours.

I am so thankful to be in such a wonderful country with a group of people that love the Lord and are also fun to be around! I have a feeling that this summer will hold many more crazy adventures.

Saludos de Costa Rica!

Just a quick post to let everyone know that after a long morning of flying I arrived safely (with all luggage in tact) in San Jose around noon. After going through customs I met up with some other Wheaton students to embark a a twisty-turny bus ride up to the Whitworth Costa Rica Center. It is beautiful here and also very humid. The center has a lot of trails for exploring and nice accommodations as well (such as the wifi I am currently using). I will be here until Saturday morning going through Costa Rican orientation. Here are a couple of pictures of the grounds here in Costa Rica

It is hard to believe that in one short day I will be on my way to spend the summer in Costa Rica. The past five summers have been characterized by working at the pool and visiting Chicago on a rare day off. This summer will not only be spent in a different country but also in a different language. I am excited (and also a little nervous) to stretch myself mentally, physically, and spiritually this summer. Change is often hard at first, but it is also great for growth. I am eager to share my thoughts and experiences with my family and friends through this blog (seeing as I will not have a phone) while I am away. I will miss my friends and family at home dearly. I am also sad that I will not be mailing my usual summer notes to my Wheaton friends...but I am excited to see what my summer with Laude and Amalia (my host women) has in store. I am sure that there will be many memorable (and awkward) stories to share both on this blog and when I get back.

Ciao for now.

-Katelyn (or should I say "Kata")