kicking it off...

It's Wednesday, the middle of finals week, and I'm taking a day off from studying stress to relax, pack, and digest the fact that in one short week, I will be enjoying la pura vida in beautiful Costa Rica. Goodness... I am so excited! Anyway, I'm hoping this blog will keep you all informed about all the wonderful things I will be experiencing on my second trip abroad. Last summer, I kept a blog in Spain which worked relatively well, but this time, I want to keep blogging even after I get back... so I'm using this trip as a way to jump-start it... give me something to talk about. Joy! :)

So, back to the trip. I will be studying abroad in Costa Rica for three weeks... three weeks jam-packed with zip-lining, rafting, hiking, touring, dancing, and speaking Spanish-- all while taking a class that would normally be spread out over an entire semester. It 

will be a whirlwind for sure, but I can't wait for it to begin!

Here's an overview of my program:

martes (tuesday) 5/12: Depart Atlanta for Miami on American Airlines Flight #1721 @6am

Depart Miami for San José on American Airlines Flight #971 @9:55am

Transfer to the UGA Costa Rica Campus in San Luis:

viernes (friday) 5/15-5/20: Homestay with a local family :) 

miércoles (wednesday) 5/20-5/24: Trip to San José-- hotel Aranjuez

jueves 5/21: City tour with the Minister of Culture; Jazz Café at night

viernes 5/22: Talks with a writer and a poet; shopping!

sábado 5/23: All-day rafting on el Rio Pacuare

miércoles 5/27: ZIP LINES!! and High ropes course at Selvatura

viernes 5/29: Fiesta with our Homestay families; final oral presentations

sábado 5/30-6/1: Beach time at Manuel Antonio (awesome, I get to RELAX at the end :) )

(^aerial shot of the beach and pretty blue water^)

martes 6/2: Depart San José  for Miami on American Airlines Flight #972 @2pm

Depart Miami for Atlanta on American Airlines Flight #1942 @10:25pm

miércoles 6/3: FINALLY arrive in ATL @ 12:15am (sorry for the late hour to whomever will be picking me up...)

So that will be my trip to Costa Rica in a nutshell... get in touch with me if you want a postcard... I know I LOVE getting mail, especially from outside the country, so get me your address and I'll see what I can do :)  

Well, that's all for now. I have to stop being a bum and start getting organized... but the rain just makes me want to sleep... In spite of my sluggish state, I am SO excited about where I'm going and what I'm doing! Sigh. I can't WAIT! :)