Hey guys!
So since it's a sunday and I'm not doing anything interesting today other than writing stuff for my project, I thought I would write about stuff that I've been thinking about.
I'm halfway through my internship and I've been enjoying it a lot, but there are somethings that I really miss about home. Abby, Adam, Ali, and I have been talking about the differences between our host countries and our homes and we've talked a lot about things we miss.
One of the biggest things that we miss the most is food. Since we're in new countries with different cultures we have been introduced to some amazing food that we love ( for me it's gallo pinto, yucca chips, chalupas, and this pastry in the cafe) but we all miss food that we'd normally have in the US. Hotdogs, hamburgers, ice cream, chocolate chip cookies, and pie are just a few. I also miss good old italian food. I never realized how great New Jersey italian food is compared to italian food in other countries (well..other than Italy). New Jersey pizza, spaghetti and meatballs, ziti, garlic bread, and penne vodka are just a few things that I'm looking forward to have once I return to Jersey.
English is another thing that I miss. I like the spanish language, it's beautiful and interesting, but it's still a big struggle for me to understand people around here. It's frustrating when you can only speak to people on a 4th grade level when you have so much to say. Communicating ideas to other people is a struggle enough, doing it in a different language is even more difficult. Listening requires a lot of effort for me. I really need to concentrate to follow along with conversations, but even then I'm only understanding 30% of what's being said. It's like when the radio is static-y and you only understand every other word. It's hard to understand the story, you can't comprehend directions, and you're so frustrated that you can't get rid of the static or hear through it. I'm definitely trying to improve upon my spanish and use it more, but I still get excited when someone speaks english really well. I can't wait to come home and understand conversations fully.
Mostly I miss my family and friends. I've been in touch with a lot of you guys and I really appreciate it. Although I'm not physically seeing you, every message and text makes me know that you're still there and available. Sometimes it gets lonely here, so talking to friends and family really helps.
Well now that I've listed things I miss about the US, let's talk about things I'll miss about EARTH and Costa Rica in general.
I'll definitely miss the beautiful scenery that surrounds EARTH University and the landscape of Costa Rica. Some people say you get used to beauty after a while, but I haven't gotten used to seeing the beautiful green mountains in the distance or the lush forests around here. The towns outside of EARTH are colorful and interesting. You see these brightly colored houses on the hills and think about what it would be like to wake up every day and see what the homeowner sees. I want to see more of Costa Rica before I leave EARTH so I can see some more of the beauty it has to offer.
I'll miss the people here who are so nice and helpful. I often feel like a burden due to my lack of spanish and cultural knowledge, but people here understand and are willing to work with me through this. People here are very happy and are often smiling or joking around with their friends.
I'm going to definitely miss the farms. I love waking up everyday to go to the animal farm, even though I don't love waking up at 5:40. Walking to the farm is so relaxing and beautiful. As you walk these pebble paths you hear the birds chirping, see the fauna, and just enjoy a few moments of peace before you work. The farm itself is fantastic. The animals are great to work with and I learn so much from them. The farmhands teach me a lot about dairy farming and how the system works. When students come onto the farm, they help me learn new things too. We're all learning as we go along, but these guys are ahead of me so it really helps when they explain things to me when I don't understand.
I'm going to miss the adventures I experience everyday. Every day can be an adventure if you try hard enough and look in the right places, especially when you're in a foreign country. I got this great opportunity to live out an adventure in a completely new environment for 2 months and I've been trying to take advantage of it. I get to try new food, meet new people, learn new words, learn about different cultures, and so much more. I'm going to miss learning these new things, but I know that I'm going to learn more new things throughout my lifetime. This is just one of the many adventures I will have, but I will miss this adventure in particular because it was my first adventure alone.
Well, that's about it you guys! I hope you all had a great weekend!
-Allie
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