day one - of the rest of my life

       I find myself alone in Manuel Antonio, Costa Rica on a Monday morning. It's 800am and I wait anxiously for a taxi. Already it is so hot that my clothes are soaked with sweat.  I have two backpacks with me.  In these bags are the few possessions I have carefully pared down and chosen as things necessary for my journey, for this is everything I will have for the next year or two.  All of my other worldly possessions lie in wait for my return in a storage locker.  A little red taxi finally arrives and as he tosses those two bags in the trunk, I say, "La Academia de Espanol D'Amore, por favor."
        The owner of the school greets me warmly, recognizing the generally frightened look on my face.  I have no idea what I am getting into.  I will study spanish for the next two weeks and stay with a host family in their home, to immerse in the language and culture of Costa Rica.  This is my plan.  This is my only plan for now. My bags are whisked away by the caretaker of the school, and I am escorted up to class.
       My classroom is open air, with a porch on the front that overlooks the most amazing view of the ocean and the mountains! I take a deep breath and feel myself beginning to calm.  Ah, this is ok.  This will be ok.  My professor and one other student are seated at a table, and already well into the lesson. I sit down, and for the next four hours I desperately try to recall my ninth and tenth grade spanish.
       At the end of class, the owner has an orientation with me to tell me about living with my family.  "They live in Quepos, which is the next town over. They are a very nice family that has been hosting students for many years, and they don't speak english. The mother will talk your ear off in rapid fire spanish, and the father won't say very much. They will provide you two meals a day, and laundry once a week.  You are free to come and go as you please, but if you will not be there for a meal, please just let them know ahead of time so they don't prepare it for you. Each day you will walk from their house to the center of Quepos to the bus station, and take the 8:00am bus.  This will get you to school on time."  I nod with that deer-in-the-headlights look on my face.
       "Oh, here comes your new mother now.  That's her pulling into the school."
                   ... and this is where the crazy in my life begins...

La Academia De Espanol D'Amore

The view from my classroom