and the adventure continutes........

So my first full day here was yesterday.....and what a day it was!
I didn´t have to work because of the problems getting here so I was home alone. Before Emilia left for her class, she told me to NOT let the dog out because it would run away....or so I thought---more on that later!

Holly (who is in the same program as me at Hamline) and I went for a walking tour with her host mom. It was really fun, even though I don´t understand what is going on half of the time. We went to some stores and picked up things that I needed. When we got back to Flor´s house (Holly´s host mom) for lunch, my legs and arms started swelling up with huge bite marks....I´m talking enormous. Flor was very nervous so she decided we should go to the hospital, which is in San Jose--the capital of Costa Rica.

Flor and I at the hospital

So Holly and I came back to my house to get my insurance info and walked into a mess. Apparently I was NOT supposed to leave the dog in the house because she would get into the trash and go to the bathroom in the house. WHOOPS! Also, this was the first time I met Erick, Emilia´s youngest son. He was VERY angry and wasn´t the nicest. He had just gotten home from working to 2 days so I understood why he was annoyed, but I was a little scared. Back to the hospital story...we got all the way to the hospital and my bites had gone back down. Flor still insisted that I be seen so we went. It was pretty funny because I just sat there and had Holly and Flor do all the talking. I got some pill and some cream to put on it in case it happens again. Last night, Erick apologized and told me that he was just tired so I don´t feel so awful anymore!
It was an eventful day.

Today was my first day of work. It takes 30 minutes to walk there and by the time we arrived, I had rubbed all the skin off the back of my heels. It was terrible. Everything else at school was wonderful--I work with all the third graders at the school....around 90 students.

my 3rd graders

They were all so cute and excited for me to be there. They all wanted to know about the snow and what it felt like. They couldn´t believe that it snows so much in Minnesota....I told them to come visit :-) So after school I decided to take the bus by myself. I was worried a little, but it went off without a hitch....until I got off the bus. I thought I knew where my house was from the stop, but to no surprise, I didn´t. It was raining, my heels were bleeding like crazy, and I was lost. I finally just

my 3rd graders

walked up to a lady and told her I was lost. I asked her if she knew Emilia and she did (everyone knows each other in this area and many people throughout the country...it´s very small). She got me to where I knew where I was and I finally made it home. Now we are having afternoon drinks (smoothies, coffee, tea, etc.) and a little something to eat so I should go. I´m realy getting used to the Spanish and will definitely be using it a lot at school. I can´t wait. I miss you all and can check my email a lot, so please write and keep me update with what is going on at home!!! Hasta luego!

and the adventure continutes........

Tres Rios, Costa Rica