do it anyway.: It's not adios, it's hasta luego...

Goodbyes are no fun! In my last post, I was angry about the idea of not being able to say goodbye thanks to events far out of my control. But then, the next day, I was, thankfully, given the opportunity to say goodbye to my students and their moms at a little fiesta. The last-day-of-school-before-break party was not cancelled because my group's moms had planned to do it off-campus. Steven's mom hosted us all for a delicious lunch sponsored by all the families. Everyone arrived dressed to impress. We danced, we exchanged hugs, we cried (me, especially), we said thank you for a great year, and we laughed about the sinkhole putting a little hiccup in everyone's plans. It was a beautiful celebration and opportunity that I am incredibly grateful for. See, Carolyn, someone upstairs has this all under control. Remember when the moms fought to get the party moved off-campus and you thought, "Why bother? It's so much easier to do it here at school!" Well, little did you know you're very last day would have been ruined for sure. Let go, Let God.

Here are some pictures from the last day :)

Angie, Ale, & Me

waiting for lunch

IV ciclo <3s to eat

Las madres!!

pretty telling of a typical day at school

Also, this past weekend, I joined Nicole, her dad, and her grandfather (who is doing GREAT at 91 and is up for any adventure Costa Rica presents!) on a trip to Monteverde. Art came along for the ride too. We got to explore some of the reserve and the neat little touristy town. We made friends with the hostel manager and laughed along with the gringo students who were the only people dancing at the local bar. It was a nice trip for my last weekend in Costa Rica!