Well, I got to the BWI airport at 4:30am on Monday hoping to fly out, and immediately found that my flight had been canceled due to mechanical failures in the plane. So, I spent a few more hours with my family, packing things back up at home, and went back to the airport at 6pm to fly to Atlanta. After an uneventful flight and a night at the Atlanta Holiday Inn, I got to Liberia and made friends with a fellow solo-traveling American 20-something woman while I waited for Angela, Kristi, and Ella (my professor and her partner and daughter) to pick me up!

It was a 2.5-hour ride from the airport to Nosara where we are living, along roads that are much nicer than those I have been used to in Nicaragua and other Central American countries. There are signs in English here due to the large population of ex-pats and tourists, which I am also not used to. We stopped at the Super Bodega, a Walmart-owned department store, which was good because it gave me a confidence boost on my Spanish to start off, since I ordered a granita without any trouble (ha! At least it's a little bit of language use so far). I was very glad to have Angela and Kristi to talk to on the ride... we got to discuss lots of things about Costa Rica, St. Mary's County, and Nicaragua (since they had just come from Granada, over the border). It continues to astonish me how rich this country is, compared to other parts of Central America I've traveled to... I suppose because of tourism, everyone is dressed so nicely, and many of the houses seem to have gates. There is such pride in the country, too! Signs everywhere that say "Yo <3 Costa Rica" and "El Ambiente de Costa Rica es Hermoso" and things like that. They are doing very well with their democracy and with their economy.

After arriving at Angela and Kristi's house (which is BEAUTiful) and swimming in the pool a bit with Ella, those of us with homestays rode over to our host families' houses in Angela's rented car, and met them. I am excited for Chris, Molly, and Brittany, who are staying with a very nice family with a pretty little house, all together!

My house is completely gorgeous -- near enough to walk to Angela's or Chris/Molly/Brittany's houses, and in the valley next to a big hill, with Brama cattle and a big chicken coop. Luz Marina, my host mother, has a son and daughter-in-law and granddaughter who live with her; the parents are about my age.

I'm excited for this adventure!