COLINAS DEL POAS: ANOTHER VOLCANO TRIP

Last Friday in Costa Rica it was Teacher Appreciation Day. Let me just start off by saying, in light of recent events, I found it very ironic. Nonetheless, it was a day less of being in class that included a free lunch, some beautiful scenery, and lots of laughs with my coworkers. The place was called Colinas del Poas, and it was a beautiful outdoor recreation center nestled away on the mountain of the Poas Volcano. It was just lovely. We didn't do that much other than enjoy the sunshine. Some of us may or may not have taken naps on the grass and may or may not have been judged by the less "campesino" teachers. Regardless, it was a much needed break for my coworkers and me. Not to mention, I got to visit a new corner of the country I had never been before. Always a plus!

WEEKLY WISHES

I've still got a lot of things I want to get done before the end of the year and time is certainly running out! This week my goal is to focus on finishing up loose ends at school. That means getting the rest of my exams graded fast. It also means finishing up final grades by the end of the week so I just don't have to worry about them anymore. 

I briefly mentioned yesterday that I am not so sad to be saying goodbye to the school where I have been working for the past two years. For the most part, I have really enjoyed working at this school. They gave me my first opportunity to be a teacher and I will always be grateful for that. However, over the past two years I have known that I did not want to work at this particular school forever. Some of their practices and rules are not ideal for someone who is seriously interested in being a teacher, aka helping students learn. When I say this, I mean that the school doesn't emphasize education as the most important part of going to school. To make a long story short, my goal this week is to finish all of my final responsibilities at my job as quickly as possible. That is one chapter that I know I am ready to close from my time here in Costa Rica.

What are your goals for the week?

THE SUNDAY CURRENTLY: BACK TO BLOGGING

 

 

Once again, I'm going to give this ol' blog another chance. It has been really nice taking a step back from this space but sometimes I just miss it. I really enjoy sharing what I'm up to and the pictures that I take, but every now and again I get a little too obsessed with all the other parts of blogging. All my bloggers, out there I know you understand this. I know I mentioned this in my last post but blogging can just be so weird and it is never something I thought I would get involved with but here I am! So here's to another try .. hopefully you'll stick around with me :)

 

Reading: final exams and final grades! The end of my school year is just around the corner .. thank goodness!

Writing: my last two assignments before the final exam of my online class. Again .. thank goodness! the year is really coming to a close, fast.

Listening: to episodes of homeland. I mistakenly started watching this series and it is addicting. I pretty much have one playing as I do almost everything else.

Thinking: about how I cannot wait to leave my school. The administration there has really shown their true colors the past few months and I am unfortunately not too sad to say goodbye to them.

Wishing: I could be in two places at once, but that's a topic for another day.

Hoping: that December is just as great in Costa Rica as it always is at home.

Wearing: as many dresses as possible. It is getting hot!

Loving: that Starbucks in Costa Rica is using red cups. I've only been to Starbucks here twice since it opened in the beginning of the year and even though they don't sell PSL they do sell Peppermint Mochas and they are using red cups ;)

Wanting: to find the perfect Christmas gifts for everyone.

Needing: nothing new right now. I mean, there are always some things that would be helpful but I am learning to get by with what I have.

Feeling: a little nervous about my big move in a few weeks.

Clicking: through a bunch of blogs that I need to catch up on!

COMFORT FOOD: GRILLED PB&J

As many kids in the states did, I grew up eating a lot of PB&J. Then later on in my high school/college years I grew to love peanut butter. When you live abroad, you quickly find out that most other countries don't really like peanut butter (???). They just don't get it! So I usually stock up and bring a few jars of my favorite kind: Skippy Extra Crunch. Unfortunately a few months ago, some ants got into my last jar .. darn them! Luckily, my friend Katie saved the day and brought me a small stash. As an expat, one of the greatest things is having a visitor from home who offers to pick up a few things you may need ;)

Lately I've been into grilled PB&J. You know, like grilled cheese, but instead of the cheese you slap on some peanut butter and the jelly of your choice. It is not the healthiest choice but it is quick to make and reminds me of home. Oh and if you're into the regular peanut butter and jelly sandwich, the grilled kind will blow you away.

What food reminds you of home?

BLOGGING IS WEIRD

Blogging is weird. Like most of us who blog, I never thought I would fall into this hobby. Now that I do partake in blogging, it often times feels like more than just a hobby, but like an obligation. As I briefly mentioned in my last post, I have some goals for this blog. In order to attain those goals I need to go things like read other blogs, form connections with other bloggers, get my statistics up, etc. So taking a full week off from doing all of those things may have set me back a little bit. But really, it's okay. It felt food to not check my blog stats one single time, let alone 4 times every day. So once again, I think it is time to try and find some balance between blogging and the rest of my life.

4 GOALS

With only two months left in 2013, there are a few things that I want to accomplish before we welcome the new year. I'm taking some advice from Chelsea, and creating 4 goals to finish up before the end of the year. 

The first two are things I have already started and want to continue. I've been making some easy, yummy salads during the week and I'm sure I will be able to keep up with it. I've also got the grades to keep up my A in the class, just two more assignments and the final project and I'm home free.

My last two goals will be a little more time consuming but also more on the fun side. In just two weeks, my workload is going to be drastically cut so I will have plenty of time to work on them. I never actually go around to starting the photography tutorials I bought .. just not enough hours in the day! My final goal for the year is to introduce sponsorships on my blog. This is something I am really excited about and have been toying with for a little while now. I'm a little nervous to see how it works out but once I put some time into it, I'm confident I'll be able to get it off the ground.

Do you have any goals you want to finish before the end of 2013?