The Day Before - Costa Rica 2013

Before I get into anything, I want to welcome a new member to the family: Mr. Tuxedo the penguin! Some of you might think to yourselves "ha, what a typical name to give a penguin." Well I'll have all of you know that he was actually named after a cat that I didn't know the name of so I just called him "Mr. Tuxedo." After being corrected a number of times and then receiving a Squishable penguin as a gift from my babysitting family, I determined I could finally use the name. Anyway, Mr. Tuxedo, along with all of the mini Squishables, will be accompanying me to Costa Rica. Aloalo, as previously mentioned, is too large for the trip even though the climate is ideal for him!

Now on to the fun stuff! Frequently asked questions!

Where are you going? Costa Rica! More specifically the town is called El Castillo. (For those of you who don't feel like looking at a map, Costa Rica is between Nicaragua and Panama.) I will be working on a butterfly conservatory and the organization also functions as a rainforest reforestation project. They have frogs, plants, butterflies... and hopefully I'll have a lot of fun! They are located just outside of an active volcano, which as I understand actually does erupt quite regularly. They also have fairly regular earthquakes (which I've never experienced) and hot springs and waterfalls in the area.

What will you do? Actually, I'm not totally sure. I understand that the conservatory acts as a location where tourists and others visit so I am sure I'll be acting as a bit of a tour guide but also working on the upkeep of the project.

Okay, so we all remember Munich and the fact that there was a ridiculous time difference. What is it this time? Originally I thought it would be a two hour difference from where I am but it turns out it's only an hour! It works out perfectly!

What's the weather like? Actually, despite that it's a rainforest, should get to no hotter than 90 degrees F or so and in the evening no cooler than around 50. Their winter is a rainy season (which has passed already) and the forecast for the next 10 days is about 80 degrees and sunny. (Happy about that!)

They speak Spanish there right? Yes. Easy answer.

How long will you be gone? I will be returning in mid-May.

Alright, what are you doing after this? I will be spending a few days at home but then returning to Maine to be with my fiance.

We all know you have thoughts of traveling somewhere else at some point. Where are you thinking? First of all, this will be my last trip for a while. I want to spend time with my fiance and get settled in an actual living home of some kind and get some financial things straightened out before I go anywhere else. At some point I will probably travel again but it may be some time. But for those of you who are curious where I will be considering for a future trip, that would be Japan. I'm not sure what I'll do there but when I do get myself situated, I would like to go to Japan.

There is another piece of good news and that is when my fiance came to visit me I got him to adopt a kitty from the shelter I volunteered at! So we are now parents and spoil our furry children rotten. What will happen to Colette (my kitty)? She will stay with my grandma who will take excellent care of her in the meantime.

My plane leaves a bit after 6:30am so I'll be exhausted tomorrow. I have most of my stuff packed. When I get to the airport I actually have to take a taxi across the street and then take a shuttle to a town named La Fortuna where I will then be picked up.

I will post again after I've recovered from traveling.

Take care everyone!

Adios!

Picture Day #7 - A Year in Review

A year ago on the 8th I arrived in Munich, Germany for the first time. A year ago on the 4th I had my very first blog entry. Now I know my blog isn't the most updated or read but I have had quite a lot of fun keeping everyone updated on my travels and opinions. And I have a lot of both!
But I'm going to save long talks today and do something a little different. I want to remember the year I had through picture format, with a few new pictures at the end. This past year I have been to Germany, Austria, France, Greece, Canada, and obviously the U.S. (Maine, Missouri [plus all the states from New York to Missouri!], New York, and New Hampshire). I have a new kitty, learned to speak more German, crocheted teddy bears for the first time, spent time growing plants and raising a frog, found out I will be going to Costa Rica, worked at a cat shelter, discovered I love working with older kids, and so much more.

I will be doing a blog post all about what I will be doing in Costa Rica and such but not today. I want to remember this past year and its best memories. I hope you all will enjoy the pictures and I will be writing again soon.

The pond where I adopted Fred der Frosch.

Sledding for the first time with the kids.

May Day celebration down the street from me.

Elephant and Piggie coming to live with me!

The house where I lived.

Heidelberg Castle.

Rathaus in Marienplatz, Munich.

My first crocheted teddy bear.

When I went to the butterfly exhibit at the botanical gardens in Munich.

The Alps near Garmish-Partenkirchen.

All my crazy recipes... I loved my vegetarian reuben!

The English Gardens in Munich.

Athens, Greece... what a wonderful experience.

The Mediterranean Sea... amazing.

Olympiapark, Munich.

When I climbed an Alp. The view is astonishing.

Fred der Frosch shortly before death. I miss you Fred!

Salzburg, Austria was amazing for many things but nothing really compared to me seeing the Sound of Music pavilion. It's a piece of history!

Who could ever forget Paris, France? The Eiffel Tower is so iconic.

So iconic in fact, that hugging it was a must!

My favorite Marlboro sign. It's too bad that I'll never know if they took me up on any of my suggestions...

My very first raw coconut and the Tollwood festival in Munich.

The Japanisches Teehaus was an experience I'll never forget. I love matcha! *twitch*

Although I don't endorse the ownership of dogs, I do miss the children a lot.

The Munich Treasury. So many priceless pieces of history.

Upon coming to Maine, I remembered the chipmunks... and this one had a love of blueberries!

Lake Kezar sunset in Maine. Absolutely breathtaking.

A hike up Mount Sabbatus in Maine in the fall season and you can see amazing colors and mountains.

Indoor rock climbing. I will definitely have to do this again!

The adoption of my kitty Colette was a life changer, not just for me but for my grandparents too!

The arch in St. Louis, MO. Not great quality but a memory still.

My traditional gingerbread house! Although I did add some extra decorations after this picture was taken, this was the best quality picture.

A new friend and I went to the Festival of Lights in Hamburg, NY!

My final picture is one of the Eternal Flame at the end of the Shale Creek hike in Orchard Park, NY. It's my favorite hike in the world. The flame is a natural gas source that is behind the waterfall. It does go out from time to time but can be re-lit!

New information soon!