El gato en mi bolsa.

No, this blog entry is not about a cat, but I feel that it is time to "let the cat out of the bag." For those of you who knew my itenerary, I came with Flagler to study abroad from May 8th- June 13th. Then after 13 days back in the US, I will return to Costa Rica with my church for mission work in San Ramón. Although it would have been easier to stay, I purchased two separate tickets and planned for two separate trips. Well, to make a long story short, I now only have one trip to Costa Rica this summer, because I am staying for the two weeks between studying and going on the mission trip.

I followed my intuition and knew it was the right thing to do, because everything fell into place. As I was sharing with Mamá Tica that I would be returning to Costa Rica two weeks after I left her house. I tried to feel the situation out over dinner one night a few weeks ago. She said she wouldn't be hosting any more students until August because her 90 year old father has cancer and every month the three sisters take turns taking care of him at each of their homes. June was her month to take care of her father, so I thought that it would be out of the question for me to stay with her if she had obviously requested not to have anymore students until August.

Well the next morning, she came into my room and said her father was doing much better and has been sleeping through the night. (Her primary concern with hosting students while her father is there is that he will wake the students during the night.) She then told me that she would love to have me stay two extra weeks with her.

The most difficult part of this whole process was selling this idea of staying two extra weeks in Heredia to my parents. I have registered for two more weeks of classes at Intercultura in Heredia. I love it in Costa Rica and am having a wonderful time. I am so glad that I had the opportunity to come here and now I will be studying for two more weeks before our mission trip. Aside from just enjoying the culture here in Costa Rica, I feel like my Spanish has improved so much in the past for weeks already, and with three more weeks of study ahead of me...who knows where I'll end up.

So, simply put, I will not be returning to the United States until July 2nd. That will make 8 full weeks of travel in Costa Rica for me! I am excited to be able to spend my last summer of freedom before I enter the "real world" in this beautiful place.