Final words

Saturday night, a new student arrived at Zeneida's house. Linda flew in from Switzerland around 9:30 PM, but I was so tired that I went to bed early and didn't get to meet her until the following morning. For her it was just a one-night stay in Heredia before heading off to Intercultura Sámara. She was an almost complete beginner, so when I finally met her at breakfast she was relieved to find out that I spoke English. I told her about the experiences I had in my last four weeks and wished her the best in her travels. I hugged Zeneida and Linda goodbye as they took off for the Empresa Alfaro bus station in San José. They left good and early around 10:15 even though the bus didn't leave until 12 noon. President Hu Jintao of China was about to arrive in the capital so they were anticipating heavy traffic or at least a few unexpected detours. As for myself, Zeneida's friend Maritza and her husband Jorge picked me up at Zeneida's and took me to the airport. I gave them 5,000 colones for their gas and time (which was still less than what I would've paid for a taxi). Thankfully, my flight left just about an hour before Hu's plane was scheduled to touch down, so we avoided much of the traffic that probably would've surrounded Juan Santamaría Airport upon his arrival.

As I write this, I'm at El Salvador International Airport waiting for my flight back to San Francisco. The accent is a little different here so it took a moment for me to get used to. Unfortunately, when I booked my flight home I had to choose between a 30-minute layover and a three-hour one. I chose the latter just to be safe, so I'm here for another hour and a half before my flight leaves. Thankfully, the wi-fi is free so I'm able to pass the time by pretty quickly. At this moment Linda, Melissa, Mireilla and Tara are probably at Intercultura Sámara getting ready for their tour of the town before settling into their homestays. I wish them, and all the other friends I left behind in Costa Rica, all the best in their travels. Many thanks to all the people who made this an unforgettable trip, including Monteverde Extremo, Jardines Arenal, Rinconcito Lodge, and all the tour guides, surf instructors and random people I met in between. Of course, I must give special thanks to Intercultura and my two Tica moms, as well as Amerispan, the study-abroad agency that helped me find the Spanish program that was right for me.

Thank you for tagging along with me during this wonderful journey. May your travels in life likewise take you to many unforgettable places. ¡Pura vida!