Survived my first two weeks of training living with a host family in a town about an hour bus ride outside San Jose. I'm their fourth volunteer which makes the transition easier. They are all very nice and being surrounded by spanish can only help me learn. It's funny that no matter where you go and how different the culture is, mothers are still mothers, and kids are still kids. I've settled into a nice routine and so far all the food agrees with me, simple but tasty. I have classes Monday through Friday, and soon will have activities on the weekends too. Some times class feels like school again but thats usually just a sign that I need more coffee. It's a little weird for me to be sitting in a classroom that's not in a high school or university and to be learning to learn not just to pass a test. It's a good feeling. It's nice to be responsible for your own education and to be motivated to learn because you will need to the skills to excel in a job that is within sight. We went into San Jose in on Wednesday, it was weird being in a big city again. Especially one that's very different from NYC or Montreal, it was a good experience though and we got to go to the Peace Corps office.

Although it's only been about 3 weeks since I left it feels like more, probably because the two worlds are so different. It's hard to think that my friends and family are far away and that I'll be missing important parts of their lives. For the moment there is an internet cafe in my community and that helps. While NYC will always be my home, I'm really enjoying the change of scenery. To be surrounded by mountains instead of skyscrapers, fresher air, to see vast areas of green diversity and the odd farm animal. I've done a lot of walking, the roads are hilly because we're in the mountains but that just makes for better exercise. Even the busier road (no s) is beautiful and has its share of views, finally started to remember to always pack my rain jacket.