Today marks one month of service, another 23 to go. Taking a moment to reflect, this first month of service passed by fast. Some days quicker than others, if I had a meeting with a local organization or played a little soccer in the afternoon. Many others passed by slower, with nothing planned and either intense rain or intense sun keeping me from straying too far from the house. I can't remember what I expected a month ago to have happened or to be feeling right now. I feel comfortable here most days but I'm not so foolish to realize that I've only been here a short time and to most people I'm not yet a permanent fixture. It makes me impatient to start projects or classes when I really need to start out slow and get to know the community more. I guess its been a hard month in that sense, first with the holidays when life slows down so there's not much to do but to think about my family and friends celebrating and contemplate my commitment. Afterwards, there is the waiting, waiting for people I have met to call, waiting for meetings, and then for follow up meetings. But I guess that is part of the experience, most likely rife with life lessons and one I'll be all the stronger for having.
Hopefully in the future I'll have more positive things to talk about in relation to work. Although I have met a lot of good people and as time passes I'm confident that it will all come together. I'm excited in particular to work with a group of tour guides in the area, if nothing else because they'll show me all the awesome waterfalls and spots in the area. I'm reading my first book in spanish by a Costa Rican that my host father lent me, it's slow going because I have the book ("A Ras del Suelo") in one hand and the dictionary open in my other hand. In general my Spanish is passable, although I need to expand my vocabulary and practice my grammar before I develop some bad habits. I've been to the beach a couple times, surfed and gotten a little color, it's nice to have little mini-vacations and step away from my community and host family and have that time for myself. I'm getting a little better at soccer, it's a great way to work of all the rice and beans I've been eating.