Update: Why Does Time Go So Fast?

Ya regreso.

I’m back.

And I’m sorry. On the really off chance that you read this thing religiously, I have been mala gente. [[a bad person]]

The thing about life here is that is goes so fast. I spent two weeks in Nicaragua/wandering Costa Rica for fall break, and then I came back, blinked, and realized three more weeks had passed me by. Allow me to summarize just a tad [[this is where I get really long-winded so buckle up, folks]] ::
**For pictures from my whole Costa Rica experience, wait til I get home and then head on over to Facebook. There will be an album full of things I never posted. :) **

Nicaragua

Okay, was Nicaragua really over a month ago? What have I been doing with my life? Quick overview of the lovely country they call Nicaragua:

• I packed two weeks of my life into one backpack. So my initial feelings toward Nicaragua were... hesitant at best. The heat in Nicaragua, my friends, is stifling. I re-wore articles of clothing I really shouldn't have, but desperate times call for desperate measures.
• We spent two days in Managua, learning about the history of Nicaragua and understanding the culture there a bit better. I saw some thing I wish I could unsee, but I also hope to God I never forget them. Privilege had never been so real to me as it was in Managua. [[note: for pictures of our time in Managua, please check out the LASP Facebook album here]]
• After our time together in Managua, we divided up to head into the "campo" of Nicaragua for five days. LASP has connections to the Hermanos en Cristo church, and there are a variety of churches in several communities outside Managua. So, we took our backpacks off into the wilderness. (Side note: Thank you so much for your prayers through this time. I was ridiculously hot for the whole thing, but I had an excellent and healthy experience.)

This was my bed for those five days. It came with its very own mosquitero. (Not pictured: My outhouse and bucket/bowl shower combo) Throughout this experience, I was so humbled and honored to share everyday life with Nicaraguans--even if that sometimes just meant sitting outside in the heat and silence.

These are my host parents. I'm so used to having an expressive family, and Nicaraguan people just aren't like that. So this was such a learning curve. But I loved being their "hija," and I hope to go back and visit them <3

•  So after the campo, we headed onward to Granada. I reunited with another group of LASPers on the bus traveling to Granada and legitimately could have cried. Being away from my home team for five days was more of a struggle than I expected, and it is such a testament to how deeply I've come to love the people I'm on this journey with--in such a short time. We spent two days in Granada reflecting over our campo experience and *gasp* getting to be tourists.

• 

  The view from out hotel in Granada. I will never ever be satisfied living in Indiana again, after all the wonders my eyes have seen in these countries. (Although Indiana has her own kind of beauty.) Also almost all the girls' rooms in the hotel had connecting doors, so we just left them open for each other the whole time we were there, and it was a beautiful experience. Like a big two-day party.

  

  This is Taylor. She's in my Spanish class, and I adore her. We have opposite minds but very similar tendencies, and processing this journey with her has been such a pleasure. She's one of those LASPers I'll be keeping in touch with. (Also one of those LASPers I reunited with on the bus to Granada and was beside myself with all the joy)

  

  We got a boat tour on our first day in Granada! Alexa wasn't a fan of the life preservers. Alexa is another one of the gems I have so loved doing life with for the past couple months. She makes me think in ways only an anthropology major can. ;) (And she makes me laugh, which is ridiculously valuable.)

  

  And the view from the boat tour. Pictures don't do these sights justice, friends. But I try in vain like a good human.

• So there you have Nicaragua, in all its glory. It was a learning experience; it tested me; it taught me a lot about the world we're living in and the sheer separation we experience from the rest of it solely by living in the United States. Which is so important to understand. So even though I dreaded the experience, I am so thankful I had it.

Fall Break

Nope, this post isn't over. After Nicaragua, we had four days of fall break. Let me preface this by saying: I really didn't want to go. Not even a little. But my host family kept telling me what an awesome experience it was and that I needed to take advantage of it. So I very reluctantly joined two other girls planning on wandering the country. And honestly? I'm glad I went. It was empowering to explore without chaperones or anyone telling us where to be and when. Here's what we did:

We spent our first two nights in Bijagua, close to Tenorio National Park. The Río Celeste is there, which is basically a river where (I think) chemical reactions form the volcano there make the water this incredible blue. It smells like straight sulfur though, so obviously swimming (or breathing) isn't recommended.

I descended a million stairs for this pic. Then had to climb back up them. Worth it.
Fun fact about Tenorio National Park: It isn't actually a super popular tourist town. Like we went to the "Tourist Information Center" in Bijagua and found it abandoned with the windows smashed in. So to even get up the mountain to the park, we had to pay some guy to take us there in his pick-up truck. It wasn't even a taxi. Just a dude with four-wheel drive and time to kill. But it was an adventure. And we lived. So.

Our second two nights, we stayed in La Fortuna--a more popular tourist destination. We visited Arenal Volcano (which we couldn't see through the fog) and some hot springs (which I don't have pictures of because my phone isn't waterproof). We also stayed in a hostel. I didn't love it. But at least I can say I've stayed in a hostel and I never have to do it again.

Alright, so this update basically gets us through the end of October. More or less. I had more, but I think I'm going to save it because this is already way too long. I am two and a half weeks from being stateside, but in those two and a half weeks I hope to get you fully caught up to where I am.

Fast Facts, just for the record:

• I am no longer in San José. We finished our classroom portion of the semester and are now in our community immersions.
• Currently I am living in the mountains of Heredia, Costa Rica, working at a restaurant on the weekends and following my host mom around like a lost puppy the rest of the days.
• I am cold all the time here. 60 degrees maximum with zero heating systems. The mountains are not a tropical place, my friends.
• Yes, there is a hurricane headed toward Central America. No, I am not currently affected. Just basically a lot of rain happening right now. And a little more wind than normal. But please be praying for a few of my friends, who are in places where the hurricane is supposed to hit harder. LASP is really good at monitoring and keeping us safe, so there's no need to worry. But it is pretty inconvenient for us.

So that's all for now, mundo. Gracias for following along all this time.

Stay tuned for another update on my life in November. <3

Hasta pronto.