‎" The only people for me are the mad ones, the ones who are mad to live, mad to talk, mad to be saved, desirous of everything at the same time, the ones who never yawn or say a commonplace thing, but burn, burn, burn,like fabulous yellow roman candles exploding like spiders across the stars..."- Jack Kerouac


Coming back gets easier every time, more exciting in fact as I re-discover my old city with a new perspective. It is interesting, the patterns you get used to, the faces...the more I travel the more I seem to see the same faces everywhere I go, the more cities, bus routes, restaurants I carefully familiarize myself with for weeks, even months (just to leave) begin to blend together in the recess of my mind until all of a sudden, Lexington is a conglomeration, a city of surprising triggers to international memories, hidden antique shops, cafes and art.  


I am happy to be home, perhaps happier than ever. But there is one thing that keeps that ache, the longing to be in a strange place, speaking another language, eating new foods....coming back. It is the lack of these roman-candle people. I miss the mad people, the ones Jack Kerouac knows, the yogi-nurse-expat or the israeli backpackers. The rasta-men who would play soccer into the night, and lone backpackers who became friends in an instant. I miss meeting Americans with the same passions, getting to know people on a deeper level no matter when you would part ways or if you would ever see them again. I miss the people who you knew loved life simply by looking at them, and I miss knowing that people saw that in me. When I got back, people noticed it, that fire - the me that is 100% true to every thought, emotion, and relationship.


I am still the same person, improved slightly from more amazing experiences, but I don't feel mad anymore...I am driven, involved in about every activity I can squeeze into my 12-hour days. I don't need to be in another country to be happy, or even another state. But I need to find the roman candles of this town, the ones less concerned with bars and the newest phones, and more concerned with living, loving, giving. I have never been happier with myself than after my trip to Costa Rica - I had accomplished some big goals - I learned so much spanish, lived with my sister in a foreign country, repelled from hundred foot waterfalls with my mom, grandma and sister, WWOOFed to farms throughout the country trying things I never have, and met some amazing people to finish the trip up. 


The adventure didn't end there, and even through the craziness of this college life, I will continue to burn,burn,burn...

Day 2 Villas

Day 2

As I write this I am still recovering from my first time using the esteemed composting toilet. Could no one have warned me?! I slipslid my way up the rock paved mud path, then removed my chacos at the door and entered what appeared to be a semi normal toilet room, just made of wood, and with a barrel of sawdust next to the tp. I decided to check out where everything went and when I leaned over the pot with my headlamp I did not see a dark pit, or even soil as I expected but a huge mound of squirming, living, moving grubs right below me! Needless to say, what had to be done was, and I could not resist the urge to look again. It was quickly covered in sawdust and I stumbled back to the bunk stifling little screams as I thought about what I had just seen.


Now that i am safely back in my luxuriously draped mosquito free bunk, and still slightly sticky with river water and hair as stubbornly wet as I know my boots will be in the morning...I can relax. I think tomorrow will be a shower day as my stomach is still stamped redbrown all over due to an overly excited and muddy Chihuahua named miguel. He is 1 of 3 black and tan Chihuahuas and then there is Toby, who looks like a midget lab. We started really late today since javier was gone and made a breakfast of rice and beans and the best coffee ever, that I have been enjoying black. Lucia invited me to collect some eggs and on the way I met the resident hens, a very vocal turkey, some geese, a brama calf (I met the cows and bull on my earlier potty break) and the gas-producing hog. We weeded the sweet potato plants until noonish, interrupted by a short water break and lots of sustainable/recycling/reuse talk. Afterwards we were given a farm tour and saw the trees that are used for biodeisel, the sugarcane and its juicer, yucca, a crazy contraption that turns the pig poo into gas for the kitchen stove, this tree called picadillo palmito that they eat the marrow of and supposedly tastes like chicken?, and the path to the waterfall. After lunch it was adventure time and we all headed out to the falls. The hike was nothing less than treacherous and downhill and heavy rain did not help but it was a fun challenge and soon enough we were swimming at the base of a good sized waterfall! We swam around and after some pounding water, were on the backside of the fall looking out. After some swimming and hanging out we realized the falling water was coming a lot faster and was much muddier. We watched as the rocks we had been sitting in minutes before were swallowed by water and the creek downstream turned into a river! Needless to say, we were back dressed and hiking back quickly...on the way back creeks that had barely covered my boots were now up to our thighs and we were holding on to eachother to cross....adventure time proved itself right! For the rest of the night we all chilled/stretched/read books for a while. I started a Michael pollan one that is really interesting so far, and the dogs kept us company. For dinner, I came in to help and ended up preparing 4 batches of fried plantains, kevin made the salad with what looked like sour oranges for the dressing and everything was delicious. Now that javier is back I hear tomorrow will be an early rise and harder work so I should get to bed, 930 here is far past bed time! So far so good, and looking forward to what adventures tomorrow brings!

Attempt at a daily diary...Day 1, Villas Mastatal

Day 1


Left the hostel to meet Kevin at the park, where we then grabbed the bus to puriscal, (1.5hrs?) We were a bit nervous about putting the bags under the bus but as it was directo and K was sure to pick left side seats to keep an eye on them, we did not have any issues. We chilled in the town after some very poor food decisions including hamburgers (because they were literally out of everything else on the menu) and plastic/"candy" apples. As we were reading the directions from the farm and read the sentence 'find the bus station' I remarked how funny it is that one sentence translated to life could be so much longer...in our case we were lucky that those 4 words only = 15 min, but I thought far too long about how (too) simply said directions have cost me hours of travel time before.

Finally on the school bus to mastatal, the difference from the charter busses was made even more apparent by the sacks of rice lining the center walkway of the bus. We were the only gringos and definitely looked the part with our massive packs and yes...speaking English. Kevin has been pushing the Spanish and I keep telling myself I will too, but I am a but burnt out of not being able to fully express myself. We caught up, compared stories, goals, etc...on an already bumpy paved road but the real fun started 1-3 hours later (truly no recollection how long the ride was, just that it felt longgg) when we hit the "dirt" road that we would spend the next (eternity) on...massively bumpy and fun for the first hour we had awesome views of the mountains we were driving oh-so-close to the edge of. We hit a landslide, which based on the drivers quick scooping out and running through, was not out of the ordinary...the calle was more like a río soon, and the rain eventually led to our transmission overheating, the engine being opened and baking us for about 20 min., and eventually a sliding mud stop to the entrance of out first -very rural- farm, Villas Mastatal. Weighed down and getting damper by the second we walked up the mud-way to a little house, but not before an amazing view of the valley in the fog. We were met by a smiling tica who showed us to the bunk area were we immediately met 2 fellow volunteers -2 girls from ---. They camp is definitely rustic, to say the least but really home-y and everyone seems happy and settled in. The rest of the workers, a mash of Canadian, traveler, high school, gardener, & Texas came in time for the spaghetti dinner. Meal convos consisted of jungle book character names, near-death jungle stories ( I will be checking my boots daily for scorpion now and keep my eyes peeled for flash floods) and general introductions. I haven't used the composing toilet yet as I have not had to go #2 but is basically a tiny 3-walled outhouse that (like the rest of the living spaces) shoes don't enter, and that after wiping, there is the extra step of adding 3 cups of soil to the mix.

#1 is taken care of anywhere, tp thrown in the trash after. So far I have found a nice spot down the hill where while squatting with my headlight on, I have an up-close-and-personal view of the cows. Speaking of up-close-and-personal, although the bunkbeda have mosquito nets, an army of gnats have made themselves comfortable on my side of the net. I am typing this on my phone and as I am the only light left on at 930pm and have now mooshed about three of the lazier bugs swarming my phone (or dive bombing my face), I think I will go to sleep. Looking forward to the first day of work and reading the Michael pollan book one of the California girls lent me. Hasta mañana or as one of the guys at dinner said to our host "Hasta la noche" jajaja

¡Che, pura vida!

I regret not writing more throughout this month, but perhaps that in itself is indicative of how time flies - I had it in my head that I would write how I did in Argentina, as experiences arose, my excitement bursting to be shared with friends, family, etc...But, in the plainest language I can muster - Costa Rica is just different.

The longer I have been here, the more I have been comparing it with my experiences in Argentina (hence, the title). This I have realized, is not a good way of going about it as I have literally found no similarities besides their native language, and even that is quite different. (¡Usted vs. Vos!). So now that I know Costa Rican fruit is as good as Argentinean steak, that I do in fact like subways more than busses, and much prefer a late-night crowd than an early morning one....I am done with comparisons :)

Costa Rica.
Green Season = the tourism industries invented word to replace "winter" meaning: pleasently sunny mornings with mountain views interrupeted by torrential-zueslike-endoftheworld- afternoon showers (and occasionally hail?)
Gallo Pinto = Painted rooster (literally) aka: breakfast, lunch, and dinner. A delicious combo of beans and rice, best topped with juevos fritos and some slabs of platanos fritos
UCR = largest university in the country at 35,000 students (!!!) jungle-like campus set in the "trendy, upbeat" San Pedro....aka the most night clubs and restaurants as well as pickpockets
La Casita = Where we have classes AKA the gringo house across from Hooters, whicks backs to the famed "parque de amor" where ticos cuddle, kiss, and more outside of our windows. Rain or shine.
MLSA = cheapest program with the best host families and not much more. Almost exclusively southern students, half of which seem to be getting married (ha) and a smattering of ex-military and spanish teachers
Host Family = pure luck. Actually, a great suggestion...either way ours consistes of: Alicia Rojas (mamí) - a rough little woman with equally rough spanish and a good sense of humor, our main lady and companion in the house and can cook to boot! Papí\Franky - The old man of the house, always popping in and out. Karen/Santiago - Host brother/sister even though they have about 10 years on me....married, live in the back house and always up for a good chat/hw help. Aaron - their son and a riot. Probobaly the closest in language level at 2 years old, massively independant, and daily greetings with "la bomba" and Rihanna dance parties. Leo(nardo) - Host cousin technically, more like brother...18 years old and acustombrado a comer en su cuarto (jaja), constant raegae music coming from his room. JeanCarlos/Michael - half brothers to Leo, host cousins and fellow students. Spend most mornings with these boys and they probobaly use our phones as much as we do. Laura/Elliot - Host sister and her amigovio, visit often and source of the two minpin pups! Ryan - Lauras grown son and inandout visitor as well, quiet except for the word "mae,mae,mae" and then the montón do amigos (Cris y "moto") y familia!

Up next: Leave friday morning with our mom and grandma for a 10day adventure, then on to WWOOFing down the coast! Excited and ready -- Pura Vida!!!

Summer 2011 - The Master Plan

After an extended absence from the blog, I am back again! Fortunately, a new blog post can only mean one thing; a new adventure. It was barely over a year ago that I took the plunge into independant travel, independant of family, friends, even language. Since my study abroad experience in Argentina I have fed my travel appetite with travel all over Argentina and up the coast of Chile. More recently, I was awarded a travel grant this past winter and had the opportunity to plan and execute a trip through London, Paris and Nottingham on a generous travel Grant.

(If anyone happens to be interested in my European experiences, I have them documented on http://www.abcabroad.blogspot.com/ -- it is a bit "scholastic" as I was writing to the board who had given me the grant, but still good pics/info if you or anyone are are planning a trip :) ) 

So, one year and 4 countries later, I am ready to add another to the list - Costa Rica! I am currently writing from Boston, and if there is time will hopefully post a short something on this trip, but as I plan for my Central America adventure while still enjoying my adventure up north I am overcome with a sense of gratitude for these opportunities to travel.

The Plan (In short): This trip has been a long time coming, and it looks like the time is nearly here! On Monday, my little sister and I will be flying to Miami, where we will spend the night in the airport before our final flight to San Jose, Costa Rica. We will participate in a Language study program, and live together in the same homestay. After having studied with other students, backpacked with strangers who became friends, and cooked in hippie hostels alongside the craziest vagabonds....I am more excited to travel and study with my sister than I have been for any other adventure. One month, and 6 credits later, our mom and grandmother will be joining us to travel around for 10 days. We will be visiting some of the more famous spots like Monteverde cloud forest, Arenal, and more...and as I will have recently turned 21 I am looking forward to fruity drinks by the hot springs with all 3 generations. I am so lucky to have an adventerous family, and perhaps even more lucky that they trust me becasue when that part of the trip is over, all 3 fly home. I will then join up with a student I met in my Paris adventure over winter break, and we will pursue our passions for Biology and sustainable farming by WWOOFING down the coast (look it up!). Basically, we will be trading room and board for labor on a variety of farms from chocolate harvesting to dairy and self-composting toilet systems. And if you know me at all, you can just imagine how excited I am to be trekking through the less-discovered parts of Costa Rica, playing with livestock and food while mingling with farmers and yoga masters.

I will try to keep the blog as current as possible, and cannot wait for these adventures to start - wish me luck! And if anyone has any travel tips/experience in Costa Rica feel free to shoot me an e-mail :)

It's hard to imagine..

...that almost three months ago I was sitting on a deserted beach in northern Chile, next to a stranger who became a friend. It's hard to imagine that in the same way I walk around a southern University town, I was flagging taxi's, subways, and packed buses to go as close or as far as I wanted. It's hard to imagine that an hour and a half drive to go camping seems like a while here when just three months ago, deciding to take a 20+ hour bus ride to an unknown part of an unknown country with an unfamiliar language was commonplace. It's hard for me to imagine that for 4 complete months I lived my life in this manner while everyone lived theirs here, that while they were watching UK basketball I was holding my ears against the roar of South American soccer fans as they advanced in the world cup. That instead of walking across North Campus, I was walking past museums, zoos, and bus stations that could take me wherever I wanted for just a few dollars. That instead of looking out at a student apartment complex, I was standing on a balcony in Palermo within shouting distance of my favorite empenada shop and the laundry ladies. It's hard to imagine that instead of walking past sorority girls and fraternity boys, I was bumping into travelling street magicians, cocky portenos, gauchos, and Armenian women who would think nothing of offering me coffee on a rooftop in the early hours of the morning. That having and drinking a bottle of wine was not proof of fake ID or how messed up you could get, but a conversation starter and a source of pride. It's hard to imagine how much - and how little - has changed, but most of all how I would be different if this unimaginable trip had never happened.

Fireflies in the Garden

Here come real stars to fill the upper skies,
And here on earth come emulating flies,
That though they never equal stars in size,
(And they were never really stars at heart)
Achieve at times a very star-like start.
Only, of course, they can't sustain the part.

Robert Frost