How lucky are we?

Well, I've been in Costa Rica for 46 days now. So crazy to think this time has all flown by so fast. I have been teaching quite a lot since I've been down here. I am teaching at a private elementary school in Atenas, CR. I teach English as a second language to grades 1-3, Art to grades 1-6, Math games to grades 1 & 2, and Computers to grades 1-3. I have never been so exhausted in my life! But I still manage to get out every other weekend or so to different places around the country.

The whole week before Easter Sunday is considered a holiday so we did not have school at all. I took the time to make a little backpacking tour around some of the most known spots in Costa Rica. A new student teacher from Penn State, Taylor, and I went from Atenas to San Jose, San Jose to La Fortuna, La Fortuna to Monteverde, Monteverde to Montezuma, and Montezuma back home to Atenas. It was quite a busy trip but I could not think of a more memorable vacation. Luckily, I was able to come into contact with a professional aerialist in Montezuma, CR and was blessed enough to take 4 semi-private classes with her and another local intermediate student. The silks were set up on the beach and the view was breathtaking. 

Moral of the story, I am so blessed... more than I ever imagined. I am feeling the love more than I could ever believe was possible. I am inspired to continue to travel and to see the world, becoming a cultural conquistador. My life can only get better from here on out.

LOVE&LIGHT 

I have been participating in Aerial Silks classes in Bloomington, Indiana for the past couple of months. It's been a wonderful experience physically and motivationally. I highly recommend taking classes such as the ones offered by Flight Club (Locations in Bloomington, IN and Los Angeles, CA). I was expecting to take a couple classes just for fun but it is a seriously addicting workout. You are gaining so much muscle mass and you don't even realize it because 'it looks so pretty'. I have become very addicted to this performance art and would love to continue to participate in such activities while I am abroad in Costa Rica but I have just not been able to find a single place near Atenas, where I'll be staying. I guess I will just have to inquire through some kind of resort or maybe my host family will know something. I am very surprised I haven't found anything because I was told that Costa Rica had a very large aerial silks community. Oh well! If I find it, I find it. If I don't, then I will just have to be patient and wait until I return. 
Love & Light!

I am 5 days away from my first day in Costa Rica, where I will be completing my student teaching requirements for my BA diploma in K-12 Visual Arts Education. I am most definitely excited for this next step in my life and this experience but I am a bit anxious about my proficiency in Spanish. I will be teaching ESL, Science, Math Games, and Swimming/Field Games to 4th-6th grade students in Atenas, CR. I am just not fluent whatsoever in English. I have been told that this will not be a problem because the Principal at the school I am working in wants us to only speak in English but I want to get as much out of this experience as possible. I would like to come home and be speaking Spanglish for the rest of my life. We will just have to see how things go. I will be updating my blog as often as possible! 

Pura Vida!