Middle School - Costa Rica Day 1

​Whew! What a long -- but exciting -- day we've had today!

We began it all with a 4:00 a.m. meeting at the airport. We were all surprisingly bright-eyed and bushy-tailed running on adrenaline to be sure. We sailed through security, and our first flight was a breeze. After a quick layover in Houston, we hopped onto our second plane and enjoyed an equally smooth flight into Costa Rica. In keeping with the theme, we picked up our luggage and took a straight shot through immigration -- no lines, no waiting! 

Speaking of waiting, our dear friend Lorenzo (our guide from the previous trip) was waiting at the airport with his own two "assistants" (his beautiful children). We were so happy to see him again after two long years! After greetings and enthusiastic hugs, we loaded up the CRLA van and headed off. 

After a short drive, we arrived at the Boutique Hotel Jade for a much needed break. The kids hopped straight into the pool and spent some time just relaxing and playing. The adults hung out on the sidelines, enjoying the sunshine. Laughter and smiles abounded.

Once we were rested and recharged, we freshened up, exchanged our money, and headed out to the mall for dinner. We thought there might be some anxiety about ordering in Spanish, but the students headed right off to their chosen food place and communicated like pros. The adults took a little more guidance from Rita to make sure we ended up with the right orders! We're all looking forward to being ever more independent in our language skills as the days go on.

We rounded out our night with a quick trip to the local mercado to grab some water and fruit, and then it was back to the hotel for some down time and journaling before bed. The kids have all been so excited to be here and so enrapt with all of the cultural surroundings, both different and familiar. We are all ready for a good night's sleep, and we are even more ready for all that tomorrow will bring!

PURA VIDA!

Roxy Krawczyk
Middle School Teacher