To Everything-- Turn, Turn, Turn

Due to the weekend forecast for the New York area regarding Hurricane Irene, I am no longer leaving on Saturday to return home and am instead leaving early tomorrow morning. So this is it! My (unexpectedly) final day in Costa Rica. It has been quite the journey, and I am forever grateful that I was given the opportunity to be here for these 6 weeks. Granted, it was significantly harder for me to live in another country than I had thought, even for such a relatively short time; I have many more attachments to my life in the states than I thought I did, and I therefore spent many a day homesick and culture shocked. But for the most part, I didn't let such feelings stop me from enjoying my time here. Plus, becoming aware of my attachments has part of the learning process we know to be life. It's just another part of my story, and it's been a beautiful one.


For every person (and place!) who made this trip as wonderful as it's been: my greatest appreciation to you for further opening my eyes to myself and to the world around me. I wouldn't be what I am today without having known you all, and I aspire to maintain the sense of adventurous risk you have helped to kindle within me. Finally, a special thanks to Janiva and Sol Education Abroad for designing such a personal, cultural study abroad experience!


Having said all this, I am SO looking forward to New York pizza, the English language, air conditioning, and insect-free sleeping accommodations to name only a few luxuries of our home country--United States of America, my home, sweet, home, HERE I COME!