Today was a day
unlike but very like the rest. I woke up “late” around 730 and began the second piece of my present for my host sister, today being her birthday. I’m broke,
and this being the case for many years, I have increasingly become more apt to
making my gifts. Friendship bracelets it
is! She is turning 11 and I’m leaving soon and although she gets her room back
and her mom back, I’d like to think that she’ll at least keep me in mind. I know that I'll miss her either way. The
rest of my day, almost in its entirety, was spent building and decorating a piñata.
Tomorrow is our family party for our families and instructors. We were encouraged
to bring some of our culture into the mix so its bbq themed with root-beer
float deserts. Keeping in mind we are not actually in the States, we kept some
Costa Rican traditions around, like piñatas and cafecito. There was an attempt
at committees and planning, but then life happened and the balance of keeping
sane between new experiences pushed it back until now, when it’s in our laps. I
have faith that as long as the food is alright, and it doesn’t rain too much,
we will be just fine. My piñata reminds me of a spongebob character but for a
first attempt at hand making one, it’s not half bad. At least I’m expecting it
to be destroyed. From now until Wednesday we are chock full of activities, none
of which I think will give me the time to let it all sink in. Family party, final
interviews, final language class, talk by the stand in ambassador, graduation,
lunch, dinner, packing, gift giving, saying goodbye, and a bus ride. It’s fair
to say that I have made it to the full-fledged “homesickness” stage. KFC commercials make me
both hungry and sad, the breeze puts me back in Vermont on my mountain side
campus, laughing makes me miss my mom. It started as something I couldn’t
believe, mostly because I don’t have specific home to miss, but I guess it’s
about time I missed all of it. The things I once knew and were familiar with
are fading into a background as something totally new takes up the space between
my ears. A new language, new rhythm, new job, new people to meet, new tasks at
hand and new expectations. It’s enough to make one miss KFC commercials and find a newfound appreciation for 80's pop music.
