Hello readers,

I feel as though I am always starting my posts with an apology. Therefore, I am sorry for the delay but life here has been super hectic recently! I am currently in my third module of the semester and I am pretty sure all of my professors met secretly and decided to assign all of my major projects and essays at the same time. This next week is Semana Santa (Spring Break, basically) so I will have a small vacation to rest from said schoolwork. Just kidding, I have a final exam when I return. YAY!

Until I have more news and updates regarding Semana Santa and my stressful next couple of weeks, I’ll catch y’all up on all that’s been going on in my Costa Rican life:

A couple of weeks ago I went to Volcán Irazu. It’s about 2 hours from where I live and we made a day trip out of it! Really all we did was walk around the edge of the volcano, collected volcanic rock (pretty sure that was against the park rules but oh well), and fed some adorable raccoon-like animals,”Pizotes,” that nearly attack you when you get off the bus. It sounds terrifying but don’t worry, it was actually really entertaining. It was incredible to say that I walked in a REAL volcano and ya know, the fact that not many people can just travel to one on a Wednesday afternoon.

THAT WEEKEND we traveled about 9 hours by bus to NICARAGUA. The country that stole my heart from the first time I stepped on foreign soil five years ago. Yes, this bus ride seemed like it would never end BUT traveling with awesome friends and a good spotify playlist made it a lot less exhausting. Once we reached the border, we had to have our passports stamped for EXITING Costa Rica and ARRIVING to Nicaragua. In total I collected 4 new stamps!! We mostly stayed in Granada, Nicaragua, for the weekend and it was a completely new experience for me. For having visited Nicaragua 4 times for mission purposes, being a tourist was strange.

Our weekend consisted of these activities:

• Visiting the Granada market
• Getting yelled at by some lady for taking a picture of her fruit. She wanted me to pay her $10 which was a little ridiculous, I must say.

• Eating fruit from random street vendors (for those of you that have been to Nicaragua, I was finally reunited with Mamon Chino and Jocote!!)
• Ate for CHEAP at a typical Nicaraguan restaurante
• Met little boys that beg for money in order to buy glue to sniff. This was a heartbreaking experience for me. Children in Nicaragua and people in general often try to curb hunger by getting high. It was unreal to become acquainted with kids whose reality is sniffing glue.
• Ate amazing quesillos (tortillas with cheese and this delicious sauce that almost tastes like sauerkraut. My mouth is watering as I am typing this.) The cutest little boy walked up when I was ordering mine so I went ahead and bought his! However, the only stipulation was that I could take a photo of him.
• Swam in Laguna de Apoyo. Google it! It’s a beautiful little lake that holds the majority of Nicaragua’s potable water.

• Went on a boat tour
• Made my own ceramic from a pottery wheel
• Got called “una estrella del cielo” (star from the sky) by some random guy
• Visited a restaurant called Café de las Sonrisas. A majority of the employees are deaf and have been provided a salary because many employers in Nicaragua will not hire people with “disabilities.”
• Watched them weave hammocks. One was from a plastic bag.
• Got told my Spanish was wonderful and I could pass as a “Nica,” which made my night
• Smuggled mango back across the border (don’t tell the border police, please)

The Nicaragua excursion was great! A lot of the places I had already been, but it was special to have experienced them again with new friends. The poverty is something I have never been able to and still cannot put into words, but it is the cruel reality of this beautiful country. I still feel as though Nicaragua is where my heart and sacrifice belongs. Until next time, mi nicaraguita.

I have also taken a folkloric dance class in which we wore big silky skirts (the guys wore something different of course, haha) and danced around like fools. I loved every second of it. I also had the opportunity to visit an animal rescue ranch, “Toucan Rescue Ranch.” At this animal shelter, I got to see SLOTHS and TOUCANS in the flesh!! Sloths are even more adorable in person than they are in the photos. All they do is sleep and eat and I appreciate that. It was interesting to hear stories about how the animals were found and the conditions they were rescued from. Oh and I also got to see a BABY MONKEY. Don’t worry, I’m without a doubt attaching a photo.

This past weekend Megan, Morrissa, Megan’s dad, and I went to Playa Conchal. Playa Conchal “Shell Beach” is located in the province of Guanacaste.

We traveled 6 HOURS in a bus with absolutely NO air conditioner. At one point I could feel the sweat rolling down my back. TMI? Maybe. However, I felt the need to insinuate just how uncomfortable it was. Playa Conchal is absolutey BEAUTIFUL, a must see if you plan on visiting Costa Rica in the future. The sand is so soft and composed of tiny crushed shells. The water is turquoise and the perfect temperature. One of my favorite things was grabbing a handful of sand when we were swimming to see what kind of shells I could find. There were SO many shells, it was fascinating. I drank straight from a coconut and got a massage for $20.

It truly felt like paradise. The heat didn’t even seem to bother me — until I got into the hotel room and discovered a pretty gnarly sunburn on my shoulders. HEY! I applied sunscreen at least 5 different times throughout the day. Being a ginger is hard sometimes, okay.

Today I got to see how coffee is grown through a company called Cafe Britt and it was extremely interesting to hear the process behind my often taken-for-granted Costa Rican blend coffee in the United States. Did you know that they pick EVERY single coffee bean BY HAND? Just a fun fact to ponder when you’re drinking your coffee in the morning!

I am so grateful for all of these incredible opportunities I have been offered and this little country that has made me feel more at home than home does at times.

With love from Costa Rica,

Shandi