From the beginning of this adventure.. COSTA RICA

I should have started with this
I got to Puntarenas, Costa Rica on Sunday, January 20, 2013. I was supposed to arrive on Friday, January 18 but I had missed my flight do to the fact that I didnt know what day it was and I was all the way in Turlock. Lame because I ended missing my flight that had only cost me $510USD but a good thing about that now is that I now have that money to spend on another flight to somewhere else within a year with a $150 penalty fee. I might go to Hawaii and visit my mentors or go to Virginia and visit my former foster mom.. I dont know yet but i know i have to work to have money to spend when i go.

The good thing about missing my flight was that I had a 4 hour lay over in Mexico, City and I had a chance to see my mom in the first time in 18 months! We had a great conversation. My mom, there is a history with my mom and I but I wont get into it. She brought her laptop to show me some pictures and she asked me where my laptop was and I told her I dont have one and she said I have to have one im in school then she gave me hers. I told her I couldnt accept it! She's always wanted one but she insisted and so I accepted. I felt bad but at the same time happy that I have one. This is the laptop im using to update my blogs to do my homework research and papers at my homestay. Im very thankful and excited for using my mom's laptop.

Learn your history, background

The movie Colombiana comes into play here, when the dad tells the little girl, "remember where you came from".. so true, the past does come and hunt you.. whether you know it or not.
 More to this but here is a start
why it is important to learn our culture because when you travel you get judged on it. In my Latin American culture class my professor his name is Arturo, everytime we go over Mexico in his class he always calls on me and always my response is.. "I DONT KNOW!" Which is of course embarrasing but that is one of the reasons why I chose to study in Latin America to learn the culture.

My life is not a secret

My backgroundAs many of you know, Ive been in the foster care system since i was nine years old and to me it wasnt a big deal, yea I grew up, was raised by other families, families I have learned to like, hate and love. And was raised in an Academy for foster youth like a boarding school in high school. Ive learned to adapt and be happy where im at because of where i have been. I loved the fact that I was raised by different people with different ethnic and racial backgrounds, it makes me accept everyone as human beings and like them or dislike them for whom they are not by the way they look and where they came from. Being a former foster youth has brought me so many opportunities, one of them is the fact that it has helped me do what im doing now.. go to college, study abroad, etc.. Im happy of where ive come from and im happy where im heading.

Ive alwas wanted a dad, its no secret, my social worker has said that i get attached to guys easily because ive wanted a male in my life to take place of the love i would have had for my dad. i considered my foster dad mr. ken my dad throughout high school although i havent talked to him in a while. I want him to walk me down the isle if and when I get married one day. A great guy who he approves of course has to be found first. im sharing this because my life has no secrets. i chose the host family program here in puntarenas because ive lived on my own, ive had roommates and although ive had many families, none of them have consisted of a dad for a long time. and to be honest this third homestay is the charm! i have met a great father figure here, he is a hard worker, an awesome cook, extremely nice, etc.. he is great! im 22 now so i know he wont be my dad but he is a great male role model.

Drugs

Drugs are everywhere and will be pressured! No I havent done them and no i never will. I know the side effects, the addiction, the money wasted! I chose not to do it because not only is it illegal but because to me it is a waste of money, ive known how to have fun without it all throughout high school, college and travel. ive been accused of using them before but i know i havent and i dont need to explain myself to people. My mom went to jail for selling drugs and its just something I chose not to do.

Abroad and the media

It is crazy to me how much the media can portray the look of the United States. In italy people think we are spoiled, awesome because we have Obama once again as president, are involved with other countries too much, think the life of Americans at night time is like Jersey Shore and that teenage girls are like the secret life of the american teenager and we all go to high school like the OC.

Cold Showers

  every day in puntarenas! hot water is not needed although desired by us US citizens. All of the pipes are just cold water but since it is liteally so hot inside the house you can only feel the cold water in the beginning and afterwards it gets luke warm.

Girl and barbie

I was on a bus on my way to San Jose with my host family #1 and it was getting full so a little girl sat next to me. She had a barbie in her hand and at first i thought it was cute a little girl playing with a toy but instead it was weird. The little girl just stared at her barbie for the whole 2 hour drive!just stared! it was sad. This little girl was staring at her little barbie and admring it like if she wishes she was that barbie.

Homestay Family #2!!

I moved out from my first housing and now I live by the soccer stadium.. with a great family, I like them a lot so far. they are really nice and the cool thing about it is that she has a mom who also takes care of other people from the program so she also takes care of a friend actually! im excited i like it. What i dont like is that a lot of mosquitos bight me there.

Adding to this story.. here it goes

Well sad to say i was only in this house for like 8 days. because i came home drunk so therefore they kicked me out. they were great but they just didnt like that i went out. i guess because they are very religious. sad to say they treated me nice but after i left they started talking bad about me how i was disrespectul and i broke all the rules telling all of their neighbors this and i totally didnt. they gave me 2 rules! 1- dont drink in the house and 2-dont bring boys inside. and i didnt but whatever. every day i was there they just liked gossiping about their neighbors and people in general. i'm upset i came to their house drunk and i was disrespectul in that point but i wasnt bad at all. there is a story to this but it just seems so not worth writing it anymore.

Tortuga Island

 Took a boat to Tortuga Island the first weekend we were in Puntarenas!! The beach was beautiful and just perfect.. we went snorkeling and on this banana boat! made some awesome friends
 

Host Family #1



 

So at first I was excited about my host family but its a single mother and the mom is sweet but the little boy is so annoying! he is 5 and i know that this is only my second post but i just cant take it!  Im going to try to deal with it some more but still.. (venting moment)
To add to this I moved out! I had to wait a month!! but im moved out. Im going to keep this nice and simple.. she was upset and mad at the same time! Regardless it was my happiness that mattered so I moved out!!
Ok so here it goes, I moved out because not only the boy but she smoked in the house, i ate the same food over and over not healthy and fried. but all of these is not the reason why i left although i should have.. it was that but there was also an incident that happened. Im not going to put the incident on here but lets just say i was uncomfortable so i decided to move out.
There is more to this story I will update this week
 

Puntarenas, Costa Rica

So much to say about Costa Rica.. my new study abroad place.. just wanted to get this started to get it out there for whomever wants to see it to see it!! Have a nice day :)
Puntarenas is named as ´´sandy point´´. The weather is hot and hotter!! At night time is 75 degrees F and in the morning it is 80 degrees F. During the day it is 95-98 degrees F!!!
 It´s currency is colones!! The dollar here is  worth 500 colones.. it might seem like a lot but it isnt. when you spend an example of 2 mil colones it seems like $2 for a beer but it is actually $4. it could add up. Chocolate here is super expensive!!! man im addicted but i try not to buy it as much.

Although Costa Rica is a small country 51,100 km2, it has many weather patters, when cold in one area it can be buring hot in another. A fun fact about costa rica is that the sun rises at about 5am and sets at about 6pm consistently throughout the year. Its territory has a total of 238 species of mammals, 2000 trees, 2400 of butterflies and 857 birds, 66800 types of insects, 182 species of amphibians, 225 reptiles and 6778 marine species. Costa Rica has 4% of the world's biodiversity and 25% of the national territory protected.