Walking, walking, and more walking...

So, as the title would suggest. I do a lot of walking, lol. I walk 8 blocks to school in the morning, and then 8 blocks back for lunch, and then I spend most of the afternoon walking around the town exploring. Today, I had the second day of orientation, and all we did was walk!! I think I´ve walked at least 3 miles today. If I don´t get in shape from this, I´ll be pretty mad, lol! I kind of enjoy it, though. When you have to walk somewhere, you are more aware of your surroundings. (I have to be in order to not get lost, lol.) There´s always something new to see, and it´s pretty easy to find beauty everywhere. When you look out over the buildings, you can see mountains and volcanoes in the distance. It´s really quite breathtaking. I think the group of exchange students here will be going to see a few of those volcanoes soon...I´m pretty excited!

Last night, I went to a bar in San Jose, very upscale. It´s really weird here how the buildings are built. You can walk down the street and all you see are closed doors and barred windows, but if you walk inside...it´s incredible! That´s what my house is like, and that´s what the bar was like. There was a band with a girl singer playing and they were really good. It made me really miss being on stage! I think I´m going to take a singing class here at the university so I can keep my chops up for when I get back to the States!!

The weather here is beautiful, but it´s starting to warm up a bit. I found out today that Costa Rica is in winter right now. It´s been like 80 degrees everyday, lol. If this is winter then I´m afraid to see how hot summer is going to be during February and March! In April, the rainy season starts. My host mom says that it rains every afternoon during this time. I love rain, but even I may get sick of it, lol.

Well, that´s my update for now. Tomorrow I register for my classes, and I´m just praying everything goes well. I´m still having quite a bit of trouble understanding the local people. All the host families understand and they talk really slowly and clearly, but everyone else...not so much, lol.

Hope all is well!
Peace,
Amelia

Costa Rica!!

Hola! I´m in Costa Rica!! Hello to everyone out there! Things are going well so far. Today I went exploring with a couple of other study abroad students and a host mom. Heredia, the town I live in, is beautiful. Very windy right now, but my host mom tells me it will be very hot soon. Tomorrow I will be going to the University for the first time to begin an Orientation week. I´m excited and scared at the same time. I just know I´m going to screw something up while registering for classes, lol.

My host family is pretty nice, although I have no clue what they´re saying half the time. I just nod my head a lot and say ¨si¨ which could be a bad thing, lol. The food is nothing crazy so far. I have discovered, though, that I like Costa Rican pineapple. I´ve gone my whole life hating pineapple, and here I am, liking the ones grown in Costa Rica. I never knew there was a difference but there is, lol.

The drivers are ridiculously crazy here. I would never drive in this place, lol, and do not recommend it. There is a speed limit, but no one abides by it, and the police don´t seem to care, lol. There are very few stoplights, but a lot of stop signs. Most people take buses and there are some people the don´t even have cars. They just prefer walking or taking the bus, and so far, I´m with them, lol.

Hope all is well for everyone wherever you are!

Adios de Costa Rica,
Amelia

All my bags are packed and I'm ready to go...?

Well, I'm officially 21. Of course, I know in the grand scheme of life, that is not old, but it just got me thinking...every year I'll get another year older. Pretty soon, 30 will be looming up on the horizon! It just seems crazy to me that 5 years ago I was worried about getting my driver's license and the latest boy drama. Now I'm worried about moving to another country, graduating from college, and becoming a productive human in today's society. (Which seems to be an issue for a lot of people my age these days...) So, I know that I'm not old, but when am I grown up? I was talking to someone the other day and I said, "When I grow up, I want to be..." Then I realized, maybe I am already up. I can't really say that anymore. Time really flies. I used to dream about being 21, and now, I'm thinking it would be better to just live in the moment and enjoy the present because I know that I will not be dreaming about turning 30, lol.

On another note, I leave for Costa Rica in 3 days, and the anticipation/fear is nearly killing me. It's 2:15 in the morning, and I can't sleep. I think I'm on overload from my birthday and leaving the country, lol. My bags are packed, but I'm not entirely sure I'm ready to go. I know I'll enjoy it once I'm there, but there are just too many variables at this point. Will I like it? Will I get along with my host family? What will the food be like? What if I don't understand a word they say to me?! Yeah...those kinds of variables. I am excited, just apprehensive.

So, today I will celebrate my 21st birthday in the United States, and Saturday I will be living in Costa Rica. Doesn't that just sound crazy?!

Happiness to all,

Amelia

Loose ends

Well, recording was very successful. I'm pretty pleased with the results. If you're interested in listening, I posted the myspace address in my previous post, so have a listen! Other than recording, I feel like I'm just playing a waiting game. There are many loose ends that I'm tying up before I head out, and it's a tad overwhelming. In the midst of all of it, my birthday is next week, 21 years old. Instead of focusing on the big 2-1, though, I am putting most of my energy into taking care of things for Costa Rica and saying my good-byes.

I'm in good spirits, though, and pretty excited about what's to come. The weather in Costa Rica is beckoning me at this point. It is freezing in Tennessee, and after just returning from Florida it feels even colder. The tropics are calling my name...

Hope everyone's doing well!
Amelia

Florida for the weekend!

So, just in case Costa Rica wasn't enough travelling, I've decided to jet down to Florida for a couple of days. My uncle has a neat setup for recording down there, so I'm going to see what I can get done before I leave. Music is a huge passion of mine, and I'm excited to document Amelia-music pre-costa rica. While I'm in Costa Rica, I expect to write a lot of new material completely different from what I've been writing, so I'm excited! Hopefully, I'll be able to post a few of the newly recorded songs on my myspace, so check it out if you get the chance!

www.myspace.com/atritico

Hope all is going well for everyone! Leave me some feedback, and any advice you might have for someone leaving the states!

:-)
Amelia