Do you ever really get a 2nd chance at first impressions? With people I don't think so, but with countries I'm not too sure. I know I didn't have all my thoughts about Panama figured out after the first week, or even the second. Getting to know and understand a country is a long process. So far I'm really enjoying my time in Costa Rica, but I can't help but compare it to Panama. I hope I don't drive everyone in my program crazy with all my comparisons. Honestly, I miss Panama a lot. There are lots of differences, but I don't dislike it here. My host family is really great, and I love the neighborhood I'm in. However, I still feel like a tourist in Costa Rica. I keep thinking that I'm on vacation, and I'll either go back to the U.S. or to Panama in a few weeks. It still hasn't really hit me that this is my new home for a while. I think I was just so happy when I finally got comfortable in my village in Panama, and now it's hard to have to start all over again- to relearn how things work in a new place. It will just take some time.
Rhiannon and I at Volcan Irazu (a sleeping volcano)
All the kids from GWU!
For those of you wondering what exactly I'm studying here, I'm taking: Development in Latin America from a Gender Perspective, Politics and Democracy in Latin America, Human Rights in Latin America, Human Development and Society in Latin America, and an intensive Spanish class. So I have a normal class load (5), but the schedule is kind of odd. We get Fridays off, and most of the classes are 3 hours long. This is my first full week of classes. So far I really like all of our professors. None of them teach full time, but they all have jobs in fields related to the classes. I'm excited to get to know them better.
Here's all of my contact info. in one place for those of you who may not have it yet. Also, my house has really fast wi-fi so I'm on skype a lot. That's probably the best way to reach me =D
Mailing Address:
Jennifer WhiteC/O Centro Internacional para el Estudio del Desarrollo (ICDS)
P.O. Box 1411-1000
San José, Costa Rica
Email: jenn.s.white@gmail.com
Skype: jenn.s.white
*The phone I had in Panama doesn't work here so just call my regular number*
No comments:
Post a Comment