Sweet Home Pittsburgh

Samantha, 18

So this looks like it will be my last post on this blog. It's been such a great journey. From the moment I found out I would be going on this trip until now feels like this giant blur filled with vivid memories.

Upon arriving home, I did not feel different. I was worried that I had not experienced Costa Rica the way everyone else had since everyone I spoke with that went felt completely different. It was not until I went to the movies with a friend yesterday that I realized how grateful I was to live where I do. We walked down Carson Street in the South Side and I remember feeling so happy that there were so many people around. I'm not sure if I was excited because there were so few people in the rain forest or if I had gained a sense of awareness of people and enjoying their presence from San Jose being such a family oriented society. Either way I know that I would not have even noticed or even cared about all the people roaming South Side previous to this trip.

I have begun cleaning my room and I've noticed that I buy a lot of things that I don't need or use which is a waste of money and space. The people in Yorkin don't have junk. They make use of everything and I'm not planning on living in the wilderness anytime soon, but a nice change for me would be to stop wasting time and money on things that aren't important.

I finally got around to uploading pictures on to Facebook. After I started really looking at the pictures and reading all the comments from the people who went on the trip with me, I began to miss everything so much. Even our pen-pals (who we have added as "friends" on Facebook) were commenting on photos. Josue was either saying how much he missed Courtney and I while looking at the party night pictures or making fun of me when looking at the picture of me under my mosquito net in the rain forest.

I feel like I really have friends in Costa Rica and I think that was the coolest part of the trip for me. It's just neat to see that the Ticos were so similar to my friends and I. Josue even commented on some pictures I posted saying that he looked bad and requested I take them down just like my friends or I do to each other!

I plan on learning more Spanish so that when we go back (some of us have a 2015 plan in the making) I will be able to communicate better. Josue and I have already started translating to each other back and fourth on Facebook and I feel like I'm already getting better.

It was such an experience and I feel like there is so much to say, yet I can't put everything into words. I had an amazing time and I miss Costa Rica a lot. I can't wait to travel and see everything the world has to offer. I'm just really grateful to have been chosen to go on this trip and I feel like after all of that, college will be a breeze.