Update from the Gringo

So I know that I have not blogged in awhile so I am going to try and write a little to update you! I am about to go into my third week of concentrations, where we are going to head off to another study center at a place called Campanario, which is down on the Osa Peninsula if you want to check it out on a map.. and the whole group is going to be there for a week studying mangrove, going to a National park, doing some rainforest stuff.. as well as some SNORKELING.. and other marine biology! So I am quite excited however when I leave this week I am going to stay an extra five days there because that is going to be where I am going to stay and do my research project! I am not exactly what my project is going to be on… it is either going to be studying bats… or I am going to be in the water doing a comparative study on the fish in the cove or gulf that is like twenty or thirty meters from where we are staying! But I probably won’t figure that out until I get out there.. Traveling there is going to be crazy as well… we are leaving at SIX on Monday morning… and we have about a five or six hour drive… then we jump on a boat for about two hours or so to get there… so this place is remote! But that is all I can tell you about that place because I haven’t been there yet.. but I am excited and I am sure it is going to be SWEET!

Okay so about the last week… it has been extremely eventful and demanding.. Like I think that I stated in my earlier blog.. we went to Arenal (an active volcano), went to Playa Ostional, and wrapped up the week at a place called Palo Verde, which is a Dry Forest! The volcano Arenal was really interesting… we went as close as we could which was not very close.. something like 2 kilometers.. since it is active an all. We could constantly hear it erupting… seeing the gases rise out of the volcano, we also watched it at night and watched the lava run down the side of it! Pretty surreal! Next we took off for Ostional.. which was a beach that we could not swim at.. and that made me sad, but what can you do! But we were there for two nights and both nights we went out to search for turtles who had come ashore to lay their eggs.. the first night we only found one and really didn’t get to see the whole process.. and we stayed up until like one.. and that is extremely late for being here in Latin America when you are used to going to be at like nine or ten at night! But some of stayed out the second night… and we saw TEN turtle tracks… and FIVE actual turtles and watched the laying egg process from start until finish and it was astonishing and I would love to tell anyone more about it at some point! Then finally we ended up at a Dry forest, which was exactly that HOT and DRY… we went hiking around there and learned about the dry forest, but I think that the main reason for going there was to see the contrast between it and other places that we are visiting!

That is about all I have to say about the last week or so.. but if you guys get a chance check out my flickr pictures.. I am going to try and post a few more from the last week… and if you don’t know how to check them out you should be able to click on the link off to the right where my picture thingy is.. and it should take you there? You know what is mind-boggling is the fact that I only have 36 days left before I am home.. however that does not equal the numbers of days left in Costa Rica.. because after I spend like 10 days in Campanario I will return somewhere like the 5th or 6th of April and then I only have like 8 or so days before we all leave to go to Guatemala and then spend ten days there.. and fly to Miami where I spend two or three days and it is done! So… I pretty much DONE! WOW this is going to go so fast because I still have soooooo much stuff I have to do! I mean I have a research project and PAPER to do! I canNOT believe it! I mean four months seem like they have flown by now that I look back at it! But I guess that is a bittersweet thing… Costa Rica has definitely GROWN on me A LOT! And right now this has begun to feel like home! The cool weather… gallo pinto… bus riding… colones… going to bed early and waking up early… But I am excited to see my family and friends and my girlfriend! But I am not sure that I am ready to go back and face graduation… face real life.. where I have no schedule… no plans… it is scary… It is kinda like I have to go back to real life… if that makes any sense.. Right now I feel as if I am a state of limbo… where everything in the states is a world away and everything I left behind that used to stress me out doesn’t here… obviously excluding some things like family and relationships… But does that make sense.. here I have the similar feeling to when you enter college for the first time and you have this liberating feeling of being on your own.. and having to figure everything out on your own… having a feeling of accomplishment when you do figure it all out… Here… the silly things do not matter… I am independent and for four months it was nice to not have to worry about taxes, driving, going to chapel, the United STATES, dental school, and more.. I mean I am not ignorant.. I know that those things still exist and do not totally ignore them.. but it have been nice to have done everything that I could before I came here and now I just am kind of waiting.. and anticipating acceptance…. Jobs… graduation… LIFE… Another interesting element that I am going to have to deal with is how this is going to affect my life when I return and how it is going to change my life… direction, career, what I do with the ample resources and opportunities that I have been given…I DON"T know! But you know what.. that is okay.. I don’t have to know everything right now! I have time… in fact I have a life time.. I need to get out of this mindset that society has influenced and taught me growing up that is placed on age and when I reach that age or when I can check off so many things; like have a job, married, kids… I can finally realize that "I have ARRIVED!" I have so many things that have been CRAMMED into my mind within these last three months so FAST that I have barely had time to process.. or research it.. and there are so many things that I am confused on.. don’t know what to think about them.. or just plain doubt some of it.. but I know that is okay.. cuz when I return.. that is the "homework" for the rest of my life.. to stay informed.. to begin to formulate my own opinions… and continue to figure things out for me the best that I CAN! Things don’t always go as you want them to.. but you have to be flexible and change whenever you need… Our society is tricky.. hiding… manipulating.. with help of government.. media and many other things.. I have realized that I have to become knowledgeable…and begin to challenge things.. and OPEN my EYES because the world is going to pass me by if I do not! That is my challenge for myself to get out of the mold that the world wants me to be in.. and STIR up things.. don’t follow the crowd.. and Be CRAZY by the world’s standards.. I am okay with that! I will leave at that for right now.. but this is not the end.. and there will be more to follow I can promise you that!

I also want to say, HI to my GIRLFRIEND.. because I today it is only two days until our one year anniversary.. and I am going to be in an isolated peninsula in Costa Rica and will most likely have no connection to Costa Rica, yet alone the States.. so HAPPY ONE YEAR ANNIVERSARY! I miss you.. and check it out.. only 36 some odd days until you can see.. me.. thanks for sticking this out.. and going through this.. I know that it wasn’t easy for you.. but I appreciate it and I want you to know that! SO THANKS for being MY girlfriend.. and the BEST GIRLFRIEND at that!

Well I should probably go for now? But I am still ALIVE.. breathing… and THINKING a LOT! I am off for the rainforest and much more this week… remember me in your prayers.. thoughts… you are MISSED! BYE for now!