Update: first week

I would like to say I haven't been active on my log yet due to my extremely busy schedule.  But to be absolutely truthful, I have been in a beautiful haze of hiking, lazy lounging in the "Perezosa" outdoor building, and taking trips into town thrifting and checking out the local breweries.    

To get the formalities out of the way, I'll start with my first day.  I arrived at around 4 and was met by Gisella, my program director.  We took a taxi to a hotel about 15 out of the airport.  By the time I arrived and got settled in, the sun began to set.  I walked over to the lookout spot and, while I hate to be cheesy, the view of the mountains over the city of San Jose was nothing less than a perfect welcome for the next 4 months. 

Since then, I have been alternating between orientation and mingling with the other students on campus.  While in my gap program there is only myself and Owen from Colorado, we were roped in with some college students from around the US.  We all arrived together, dorm together, hike together, eat together (you name it), I can make the likely assumption the 11 of us will be getting cozy over the next couple months.

While the past week has been tough, all beginnings are flawed.  I try to keep myself busy, find a routine to distract any trace of homesickness that may linger.  However, some moments undoubtedly bring me right back home; in the hot chocolate my host mom makes me after dinner, in the breeze that makes the wind chime sing in the afternoon.  It can make me nostalgic, sad even, but for the most part, it reminds me of the home I already have and encourages me to create a new home here. 

Tomorrow I will officially start my internship with CIEE.  I have shifted from coffee farm to the livestock and carbon neutralization project.  After just a week, I have become well aware of my carbon footprint (and am on the track to decreasing it) and have started to see the benefits of veganism.  Looks like I'm on track to complete hippi-ism!

With love - update soon to come,

Tori