A Place to Call Home

Hello dearest friends.  I hope this finds you all well.  Costa Rica is hot, sunny, and so kind...I am falling in love, hard.  This morning I went out for my first surf lesson, and it was aMAZEing! I was quite nervous at the prospect of heading out so far into the crashing waves, but once out, with my calm and clear teacher, I felt prepared, and actually managed to catch the first wave attempted, for a full ride in!  Ending my last ride of the morning with a handstand (it is easier on a board then on the ground), followed by a crash down.  What fun. Now, in looking ahead, I can already see there may be a challenge in not spending all of my money here surfing, so that I can actually make it to South America. It is a challenging to upload pictures, but I am attempting and should perhaps have some for you momentarily. Here is a piece of my journal:

26 of January

Awakening to the now familiar chant of the howler monkeys bringing up the sun.  Running shorts, shoes, sports bra.  Hair back, aloe applied to skin, and I am off- my morning run.  Down the drivway cradled by arching trees, to the mian road that parallels the coastline, running from puerto jimenez to corcova and montapalo.  Rain made it's premier appearance last night and the jungle is filled with new, somewhat musky, and at the same time, refreshing, smells.  I am appreciating that the dust of the dirt road is momentarily matted down, staying put.  Some trucks, but mostly motercycles and mopeds, speed by, with waves and shouts and honks- leaving a trail of gasoline fumes mixed with the sweat, mixed with cologne in it's wake.  It took me some time being down here to realize honking is rarely an exlamation of annoyance or agrivation like it is in the states, rather is says 'hello' . Acknowldgement.  Despite the recently fallen rain and the slightest drop in temperature (not to mention it is six in the morning), I reach up, wiping my forehead witht the back of my hand, wondering if I have ever sweat like this in my life.  Thinking that when I get back to the cabina I should drink a gallon of lime water as replacement.  Up ahead I notice there is a big bull standing in the middle of the road.  I slow down my stride, coming to a slow walk, and then an altogether halt, assesing the situation.  (Now, some of you wisconsin folks might laugh at this)  Despite being a Wisconsin girl, having grown up fomping around in cow pastures, on summer days, I have always harbored a bit of fear towards these big four legged animals, especially the ones with horns....and this one has horns, big horns!  As it is I begin to clap, and shout and stomp, attempting to look big and intimidating (ha!).  I hear a motor far off, and think how funny this must look, a little gringa woman, standing with her hands on her hips, shouting at a seemingly non-responsive bull.  It strikes me as so funny, this thought, that I actually begin to laugh out loud, and keeping my eyes on that (still standing, chewing grass) bull, I jog on past and continue on my way, safe and sound.  Two green and beautiful parrots fly overhead, screeching.  The sun is rising up over the coastline.  Soon I will head back in the direction of the place I am calling home.  I will grab my yoga mat, this book for journaling, and I will head for the ocean.  I will jump in, I will taste the salt on my lips.  And so another day begins here on the Osa.  How blessed are we to be here.