Awkwardly blogging after neglecting to for nearly a year.

 TL;DR (Stands for: Too long, didn't read. Basically a synopsis of the blog post): I'm doing fine in Costa Rica. Sorry I haven't posted in nearly a year. I've done some stuff since my last post, and I will be visiting for Christmas.




So, hey people at home (or whoever is reading this).

I meant to keep the blog going throughout my service. I really did. But social media (facebook mainly) and being able to call the US for free (use Google hangouts. seriously it's FREE) have sort of made it easy for me to neglect my blogging duties. So after 11 months or so of not formally blogging my life in Costa Rica, here it is.

Just a recap of major events (some personal, some project-related) have happened since my last blog:


-Moved into my own place! Well, it's attached to another house, but I'm basically living on my own. I have definitely missed living with my host family and am grateful for everything they have done for me, but am also glad to have been able to give my host brother his old room back, and have my own space. I still visit them from time to time mainly because they are wonderful people and wouldn't trade them for any other host family.

The kids at Jumpstart Laurel English Camp 2015 (January)

 

-Successfully implemented and facilitated a month long English Camp for 6th graders called JumpStart! One of my most rewarding projects yet. The kids really seemed to enjoy it, and seem to be ahead of the game now that they have started high school (starts in 7th grade here).

 A few Tico 27ers and I at Playa Uvita celebrating 1 year in-country (March 2015)

-Traveled and experienced many different sides of Costa Rica! In the past 11 months or so I've been able to help other volunteers with cool projects, see many beaches, try different foods, hike a bit, and experience different cultures that make up this unique country. Costa Rica, for a tiny tiny country, is made up of a ridiculous amount of biodiversity and micro climates which makes traveling to very different parts of this place pretty easy (even from the little corner of nowhere where I live).

Volcan Arenal on a clear morning (left) and when we made it to the top of a near by trail when it was not so clear (right) [May 2015]

And those have been the major things worth mentioning. There are still the daily tasks of going to various meetings, attempting to find eager people to help with my park project, helping out in the escuela, tutoring students, among other things. I've been somewhat busy, for which I'm thankful for. It's made missing home and all of you not as difficult as it could be.

But this really hasn't been easy. Not to be too negative, but it has been hard missing so many important events in peoples' lives and I wish I could be there for all of them, especially the birth of my nephew Corbett. He's gonna be huge by the time I get to see him (already looks enormous in his pictures) and I can't wait to meet him. BUT, I will be coming home to visit for Christmas! I miss everyone back home and I am thankful for the support over the past year and a half. Hope to see you all in 3 months or so.



Until next time,

Tyler



PS:
Apologies for the tortuous post, but it's sort of hard to focus while trying to cover nearly a year's worth of things unsaid.