Squeals of a Spectacular Sunset (M)

We were like a couple of pigs, gulping down our beers, squealing with delight everytime we rounded another corner and got another spectacular view of the sunset from yet another angle, climbing over the top of each other to get closest to the window for an attempted camera shot, and repeatedly snorting in anger as a tree, large pothole or sudden turn ruined each attempt to capture the moment. But no picture would have ever been able to capture the spectacularly fire colored sky set against the rolling green Costa Rican mountains enjoyed with good friends, a couple of beers, and a very rocky 5 hour van- boat-van ride from Ciudad Quesada to Monteverde. It was one of those indescribable moments in time.

The Commute (SS)

Zurich, Switzerland

It is 6:50 am as I hurriedly walk down the platform to the first class car and board the train. I quickly find an available seat, and, as is my normal procedure, place my black gym bag overhead, hang up my black suit jacket, take out my laptop from my black laptop bag and place my Blackberry next to the laptop; but only after a quick check to ensure I had not received any new messages since I last checked 5 minutes ago. I then set it close by so that the blinking light notifying me of any new messages can be seen out of the corner of my eye. By 7:02, the train is full, mainly with white men who all look the same to me; serious faces, black suits, and coffee and gipfeli (croissant) in hand. “Naechste Halt, Basel.” The train pulls out of the station but I barely notice as I am already typing away.

Ciudad Quesada, Costa Rica
It is 7; 30 am and already sunny and humid outside. “Let’s Go!” the CrossCulturalSolutions staff shout. I am standing in line with the other volunteers waiting to fill up my water bottle with our specially filtered water one last time before we head out. Once full, I swing my backpack over my shoulder and run out the door, through the gate of our barred off home base and onto the bus. In my backpack I bring only water, pen, paper, and my Spanish book which the kids love to go through since they have no textbooks at their school. I am wearing my usual work clothes of khaki capris, T-shirt, and Teva sandals and stare out the window as we drive (well, more like bounce) to my school. As I am one of the last stops, we drive through the hills, passing the many shacks, “Soda” shops, and little houses enclosed in the same prison bars as our own, dropping off the other volunteers along the way. Pulling up to my school I jump out, the kids come running shouting "Gringa Gringa!" I am overwhelmed by kisses on the cheek and then am dragged into the next game of jump rope before class begins.

Costa Rican Lessons Learned - Part 1 (F)

“My mother slept with a Costa Rican milkman.”
Or so I am told. Our Costa Rican staff informed me that my identical twin long lost Costa Rican sister works out at the gym that they go to and they all thing I look exactly like this Costa Rican girl. One of the girls joked that the locals must get really confused when I am in town and I suddenly start speaking in English. Who would of thought the Irish and Costa Ricans looked so similar?

“Lessons on getting a hot shower.”
If you have this one figured out, please let me know!

"Tico Space"
I have come to realize that the reason we are not provided with hot water is to limit how many showers we are capable of suffering through in order to lessen our exposure to the culture shock of "Tico Space."
“Tico” is what a Costa Rican refer himself as, “Tico Space” is really an oxymoron as a Tico will not actually provide any space between you and them regardless of the size of the room.

“Random Fun Facts learned in my nature walks perfect for Cocktail Parties”
- Preying mantis females rotate their heads 180 degrees and bite off the head of the male mating with them, who then actually speed up the pace for a good 20 seconds or so before finishing up. She then eats him for the nutrients for her babies.
- Tarantula females also kill and eat the males after mating.
- Walking stick insects mate for 79 days, impressive. The females don’t kill these males. Men, feeling some pressure?

Swinging like a monkey (SS)

After zipping from treetop to treetop in the rainforest of Costa Rica for an hour and a half, adrenaline pumping, we come upon our “sorpresa,” the Tarzan swing. Rather than zip across, you drop straight down before swinging out in true Tarzan, or in my case Jane, form. Climbing up onto the ledge, one guide holds onto your harness, tells you to bend your knees, and then gives you a nice, encouraging push to your death.

After watching a few go down, it is my turn. Hooked in, the guide tells me, as with the others, to bend my knees, which to me is an indication that he is ready for me to drop. Instinctively and almost to avoid the inevitable push, I step off the platform before I am supposed to go.

“No, no!” He screams, and braces himself against the railing holding me up by the back of my harness as I am helplessly dangling off the platform high above the ground. In shock, I spend a good five seconds suspended in air, arms flailing, legs wild kicking, and me screaming in true monkey fashion before finally being released.

Well, my Costa Rican chicas, I know how much you desperately wanted to see a wild monkey in the Costa Rican rainforests. Looks like you got what you asked for.

I GOT LUCKY!!! (F)

My roommates in Costa Rica are amazing! What were you thinking?

Long story short, being the random and travel freak that I am, I decided to take advantage of my time between jobs and do a completely different type of trip.

I now suddenly find myself lying on a top bunk of a four person shared room in Ciudad Quesada, Costa Rica. Who said camp was only for kids?

There are no beautiful beaches and I do not have a tropical drink in hand. Actually we are not even allowed to drink here. I am participating in a 2 week volunteer program “teaching” English at a small school to a bunch of Tico (“Costa Rican”) kids. Why teaching is in quotes, I will explain in a later blog posting.

After a quick stop in NY to see friends, I flew to Costa Rica to begin my program with the 40 other volunteers. Upon arriving at our “home base” which is like a cabin Costa Rica style in a Costa Rican suburb, I am ushered into a little room with 3 other girls, all teachers, between the ages of 25-32. I suddenly discover we are the “old women” of the program.

After meeting the other girls (almost all students and while nice, well, just young and quite a few of whom unappreciative of the experience, I am so thankful to have my roomies. Although, in defense of the students, I will admit that I spent more time running through the streets of Barcelona while studying abroad at 3am with an open wine bottle in hand than sitting through my Spanish classes, and would have most certainly never agreed to a trip involving no alcohol during my college years. I mean, wasn’t that what university was for?

But in my old age, I thirst for sophisticated conversation and early evenings to bed. Well, actually, we have somehow seemed to regress into sarcastic childhood jokes and just mesh well personality wise. Then again, while I would like to think they like me because of my witty and sweet personality, I think they may only be nice to me because I am one of the only ones with a laptop which I let them use in exchange for letting me into the “popular girls group.” This place really is like summer camp, complete with the annoying girl always trying to join into our group..whom we have secretly established a code word for as well as the “Wah wah” girl we all cannot stand who constantly complains and all avoid like the plague. Any of this bring back memories?

Weekends we have off, and this one is planned for a trip to Monteverde for some zip-lining, hiking, oh, and we knew we were all meant to be when looking hotels we saw one which had a private Jacuzzi on our own balcony and the first image we all had in our head was sipping champagne in our Jacuzzi overlooking the rainforests…needless to say we booked.

Oh, yeah, but I did mention the purpose of our trip was to volunteer right? I guess I am getting a bit side-tracked in my true ADD fashion. But as the tone will be quite different, I will save this for my next posting.

I am an addict (F)

I will admit that I have a problem. Not from drugs or alcohol, and in addition to my gym addiction, which yes, I still go to everyday, I am addicted to travelling. The more you do it, the more you need it, and I am extremely fortunate to have this opportunity. As such, the following are a couple of good travel stories, with a slight focus on my latest trip sailing in Croatia which I just returned from, and as I write this, I am still currently swaying back and forth..I suddenly understand what “landsickness” is, I think people at the Supermarket might of though I was still drunk as I am certain I was definitely not walking in a straight line.

Places Travelled (I)

September 2007: London, looking for an apartment: Munich: Oktoberfest

August 2007: San Francisco, visiting family and friends; Salt Lake City, visiting relatives; St. George, mother daughter bonding; Vegas, bachelorette party

July 2007: Ireland, traveling with parents; New York,visiting friends; Costa Rica, volunteer work

June 2007: Croatia: Sailing Trip; London, job interviews

May 2007: Muenich, Germany- studying German

February 2007: London, England- visiting friend

December 2006: Tulum, Mexico: Bikini Boot Camp. Washington D.C.: New Years Eve. Florida: Christmas with family. Krakow, Poland: Work

October 2006: München (Oktoberfest)

August 2006: London: Madonna concert and lots of shopping! Alaska: Cruise for parent's 30th Anniversary Vancouver: Dinner with Aunt Staci and cousin Alex San Francisco: Home Sweet Home

July 2006 : Montreaux, Switzerland (Montreaux Jazz Festival) Milan, Italy- Robbie Williams Concert

June 2006 : Paris- Weekend with Christina Lisbon, Portugal - Travelling with Christina and cousin Joana. Nürenberg, Germany (USA v. Ghana World Cup Game). Lagos, Portugal. Amsterdam- Work training

May 2006: Rome, Italy

April 2006: Amsterdam. Lake Garda region of Italy

March 2006: Arosa Ski Weekend

January 2006: Krakow, Poland

December 2005: Paris, France-New Years Eve, Florida- Christmas with family, San Francisco- visitng friends and family, Cleveland-work training, and seeing my cousin, his wife and their just born little girl, New York-work, then weekend with a friend in the Big Apple

November 29, 2005: Zurich: The big move!