Libby: Arrival in Costa Rica

As we made our initial decent into San Jose, Costa Rica, I had a moment of panic as I realized I had never had a travel experience like this before . . . 6 weeks in a country where I don't really know the language, nor am accustomed to the poverty or the myriad of bugs and other creatures. What did I get myself into this time and why didn't I pay more attention in Spanish class? For the first time in my life, my first thought upon seeing a new country wasn't pure excitement, but a mix of excitement and anxious anticipation of what the following 6 weeks would hold. For once, I am content enough with where I am that I don't need the excitement and adventures of travel. But it is because of Jonathan that I am content with our home in Michigan, and he is here- my Spanish-speaking knight in shining armor- and it will be great!

The scenery flying into San Jose was beautiful. There are mountains/ hills that surround the city, greenery and low hanging clouds covering the tops of some of the mountains- a stark contrast to the flat, bleak brown of Michigan. As we hit the runway, we could see tons of people lined up outside the gate of the airport- waiting for passengers, or simply watching planes- we weren't entirely sure.

We made it through immigration and customs with no problems at all- a small miracle since we have 7 crates full of medicines and other supplies we are taking down to the clinic. When we left customs, we faced an overwhelming amount of people, mostly with signs, waiting to pick people up. (See picture below)

Many men were calling to us, asking if we needed a taxi. Others were asking where we were going. We had not been told ahead of time who would be meeting us at the airport, and when we saw all of the people waiting to greet us, this small oversight became a little more overwhelming. When we finally found the FIMRC guy, I then became worried we would never fit in the van he had brought. With 9 students, each with their own checked bag and carry on, AND 7 tubs, I was pretty convinced we wouldn't all fit in the minivan that came to pick us up . . . until they started piling tubs and suitcases on the roof rack. Fitting everything in one vehicle was quite a feat! (See pic below)
Our host family came to pick us up after a short orientation to the area. Ivonne? and Oscar and their two small children, Baleria (5) and Fabian (will be 3 next Saturday). We have our own room that is separate from their house. We will be eating breakfast and dinner with them, and they will pack lunches for us during the week. They have been very welcoming and very patient with my broken Spanish. They keep saying "this is your house."

We went to the market this morning and saw all kinds of fresh fruits and vegetables as well as meat and fish . . . and SUN! We are definitely enjoying the weather here and are thankful we are not in the 8 degree weather of Michigan :)

So- we are enjoying life in Costa Rica thus far! Hope this finds you well.

Libby