Here We Are

Everyone seems to be curious about our place, understandably. So was I! Here are some pictures of the inside. We have a locked door to our own living room (TV and a couch), 2 bedrooms, a bathroom, and a shower room. Our area is connected to the house but kind of in the back by the yard. We also have a nice balcony that looks out at all the green. The first few photos are of the room where I keep my things.  Room "B" where I keep my things My little desk Used a rubber band to hang my calendar :) My "closet" Emilia cleans our place every Monday and Thursday, which consists of new sheets, towels, washing our clothes, and cleaning the bathroom, stairs, and rooms. Of course, this still feels strange to me, but she has a system and has been doing this for years. The following shows "Jake's room," or where he keeps his things, does his schoolwork, and where we sleep.  The bed with our newly laundered clothes ;) Jake's lit...

Jake is student teaching at a school in Cartago called Liceo Experimental Bilingue Jose Figueres Ferrar. Quite a name! Basically, it is a public school that is using private education, as an experiment. Kids have to apply and those that get in, seem to realize the significance of the opportunity they have. They want to learn! Jake absolutely loves the students, the laid back atmosphere, and really just the culture in general. Jose Figueres Ferrar was the president of Costa Rica, and seems most known for abolishing the Costa Rican Army. Since then, Costa Rica has had no military.  A picture of the school from Google The route to school from home View from school Kids play soccer during the breaks One of Jake's lessons that I filmed The whole school watched the World Cup games, and if you haven't heard- Costa Rica won! Everyone- even in Costa Rica- was convinced that they would lose in the first game. It was pretty exciting to watch. The...

I have been in Costa Rica now, for over a week. That makes more than 2 weeks for Jake. I had trouble sending pictures of our temporary home via email, so this is my attempt to showcase our 2 1/2 month stay in Tres Rios. For starters, this is the home we are staying in:  La Casa de Emilia Emilia has been hosting students here for 25 years! I am impressed by this woman who raised 4 kids by herself, and the creative way she chose to stay home while making a living for her family, at the same time. I do not have a picture of Emilia yet, but I will!  This is Tres Rios on a map: You can see its location in relation to San Jose, the capitol city Tres Rios in relation to the whole of Costa Rica Flying into San Jose provided fabulous views of the dense jungles, mountains, and volcanos. It is unlike any landscape I have seen from the plane before. A volcano was right outside my window!  Arenal Volcano and Lake Arenal View from the plane Tres Rios,...