Our first April rain drops on the flowers outside our dorm.

We had a group of 4 guys from Lyndon State College in Vermont come and help with a GIS directed research project. I chose to work on the Poás Volcáno project instead of the GIS because I wanted to work on my Spanish by conducting interviews, but I do feel that GIS has many useful applications.

The Vermont guys were friendly, nice people, but one of them shocked me with his attitude. He refused to try the food. Instead of eating fresh, tree-picked mangoes and oranges, he only ate slim jims, Cheez-its, and other pre-packaged junk foods.

The sun peering through the clouds after the rain.

While swinging on the hammocks at the vista with Brenna, I was astonished to hear him complain, “I’m bored! There’s nothing to do around here!” I don’t think I could ever run out of things to do here with the gardens, the library, my friends, art supplies, music, swimming in the pool, (laying by the pool pretending to do homework), and watching the birds. I was a little offended by his comment because for me this place is paradise and it has become like a second home.

My after-rain self-portrait.

This guy was one of the first I’ve met with whom I felt I couldn’t communicate. I told him about the hike to a nearby dam and the Blue-crowned Mot Mot. Having something to search for seemed to entertain and cheer him up.

Chickens roost in the tree tops every night to go to bed.

Maybe being in Costa Rica for a semester has changed me because now I feel more laid back. PURA VIDA! The literal meaning of the saying is pure life. For example, if I asked my host brother, “¿Como estás? How are you?” he answers, “İPura vida!”

Pura vida, is more than just a catchy phrase. Here it is a state of mind. It is being able to sit down and simply enjoy the company and talents of those around you without thinking about your mental to-do list. It’s being happy to do nothing, and not constantly needing a new, flashy toy or source of entertainment.

The moon through the trees above the vista.

Two other major changes have been the absence of my car and cheap cell phone minutes. Their exclusion from my life has required greater organization and time management. Without a car you need to be able to hail a ride/taxi or know the bus schedule.

Karen hanging out in front of the moon.

Also, group travel becomes a must for sharing cab fares, safety, and translating. I’ve actually enjoyed not carrying a cell phone (though one would have been useful at times) because my life and thoughts aren’t constantly being interrupted. Instead I can focus more on the people around me. (This sounds pretty obvious, but I’m the girl who would call her friends while getting my food to ask where they were sitting in the dining hall instead of taking the time to go look.) When I get home I will probably start carrying my cell phone again, but it will stay on vibrate. Also I will make an effort not to answer it while in the library, restaurants, or other places where it is rude. Like I predicted before I came I am not a new person, but I have grown.

The School for Field Studies vista of the valley lights below.

On a side note: tonight I had a peaceful conversation with Miriam about religion and how we felt there were many pathways to the same heaven and that the most important thing is that you are a good person (I know "good" is a gray term). She went to a catholic school, and she recalled how one of her favorite teachers said that someone who has never stepped into a church could be as good of a Christian as a regular churchgoer. This conversation is significant because by birthright I’m Jewish and she Muslim with Kurdish Iraqi parents. The funny thing is that this fact didn’t hit either of us until half-way through the conversation, at which point we were both like, “Cool!” Communication is the key to peace. I do believe the pen can be mightier than the sword.