Life's Good

The past week has been a little rough because everything is definitely starting to get to me. My stomach has not been right, the Spanish is getting better, but still not where I would like it to be, and it has been raining every day from about noon until literally midnight.. and when I say rain, I mean POUUUURR (ask my mother, she could hear it on skype! ha). I got kind of my first stint of homesickness this week and all I wanted to do was lay in bed. Then at school we were listening to Disney music and "I like to move it, move it" came on and all I could think of was Elliott dancing around and how much I miss home and my family! Josh and Hannah are planning a visit and I am very excited for them to come! Then, coming home from school yesterday, there was this cute little old man wearing a hat and on the back it just simply said, "Life's Good". I stopped to think about the opportunity I am having right now and had to just realize how good life really is. I wrote on facebook to Josh that him and Hannah needed to book their tickets to come here so I have something to look forward to and Rachel simply replied that I wake up to a great view and a great breakfast and I realized I really have something to look forward to every day. Sometimes it is just hard to remember the amazing place I am in when I don't have my loved ones to share it with. Anywho, LIFE'S GOOD, and that is something that I just need to constantly remember and realize how blessed I am to have such an opportunity placed before me. The stomach aches will go away (hopefully), the weather is absolutely stunning for at least half the day, my Spanish will continue to get better, some of my family is visiting, and I have so many things to do and to see here in this beautiful country! I definitely need to enjoy it while it lasts because I do not want to look back on it saying, "Wow, I really took those 4 months for granted when I had the opportunity for so many amazing things."
There are now a total of 6 student teachers here in Tres Ríos with 1 left to come some time in September. Four of us girls all live together and it is really nice to be able to vent to them, in English, some of the issues from school and Spanish and what not. For example, today was one of the most frustrating days at school because my cooperating teacher actually left the room during a lesson and one of the students started to argue with me about not wanting two green colored pencils (which there is a light green and a dark green). I tried to explain to him in English that they were different colors and that all the students had two green pencils. I then switched to Spanish because he was going insane and started bawling hysterically trying to tell me something (which I wouldn't have been able to understand even in English because he was being so unreasonable). Don't get me wrong, I really like this student, he is just a bit difficult at times like most 5 year olds can be. It was super frustrating because all I wanted to do was talk to him in a manner that he could understand me. All I want to do right now is show my real personality to the other teachers and get to know my students, which I would obviously be able to do in a school in the United States. Oh well, it's all a brand new learning experience!
This weekend we are going to the beach for some much needed relaxation, sun, and English! haha It is very touristy, even though it is not high peak tourism season, I'm sure there will be other travelers around the area that hopefully we will get to know!

This is the 5 of us girls that are already here in Costa Rica. Kelly (the one in the middle in the green) does not live with us.. just a couple blocks down the road =)

This is the four of us with our host mom, Emilia, sitting on our stairs in the little "apartment" that Meghan and I have. It is very nice to have all these other girls (the lone boy arrived today, Brian, who is braving the adventure and coming to the beach with us this weekend!) who are in the exact same boat as me with missing home, family, and struggling with Spanish!

Oh well, life's good =)