50 Shades of Sunburn

I'm currently sprawled out on my bed, listening to The Lizzie McGuire Movie and The Princess Diaries soundtracks. I am so thankful it's Saturday on account of that fact that this past week was one of the worst yet in Costa Rica. Nothing super awful happened, I just seemed to face a lot of little crappy moments. I had two difficult exams, I was sick, I had some culture issues, and I faced the tiniest bit of homesickness. It's no longer a vacation and I'm definitely out of the honeymoon stage.  It's hard to have bad days here because I feel like I'm almost not allowed. Everyone keeps saying that I'm having the best time of my life. I don't think I'm necessarily having "the best time of my life." I would hate for these three months to define my life's fun potential (for lack of a better phrase). I'm allowed to have bad days and I'm allowed to feel upset. Just because I'm surrounded by palm trees and pineapple doesn't mean that I'm immune to not feeling like myself. On top of that, I have been removed from an environment where I was completely surrounded by people who love me immensely. I have an amazing family and friends that I thank God for everyday. I've gone more than a month without seeing them or hugging them. I'm really not the homesickness type. I'm not emotionally destroyed or cry about it, I just wish that they could all be here to experience this part of my journey with me. But with that being said, I love that I have the opportunity to experience this by myself. Of course I am here with my friends from Mount Vernon, but I am living in a house with a Tican family and I don't have access to just meet up with someone that I love dearly within an hour. My emotional independence is something that I am trying to figure out. I so badly want to do this on my own, but why? Why try and brave out the days or fight through the sadness solo when I have a God who is thirsting for my attention and affection? Honestly, that's been one of my favorite parts of this trip; my dependence on my relationship with Jesus has increased by like, a lot. Through reading my bible every morning, to expanding the purpose of my prayers, I can feel my relationship strengthening and growing everyday. But enough of the sappy!

On this week's episode of, "What the Heck Is Tess Doing?"

Aside from feeling like Bad Luck Brian, this past week wasn't really eventful. Last weekend, I ventured to downtown San José twice. Five of my friends and I also went to the beach. We woke up super early, got a bus to downtown, and then walked for 20 minutes to buy tickets to catch another bus to take us all the way to Jacó. Our bus ride was roughly an hour and a half and the majority of us had to stand because we were late buying our tickets. I was lucky and found a seat next to a young girl who spoke English. We chatted about Costa Rica and the United States. The beach was great but I got super fried. Plus, I realized that going to the beach two days before a really hard exam was a terrible idea. 

I tutor three different girls every Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday. I enjoy getting to interact with them and talk to them about things. They all remind me of my girls from youth group that I adore back in the states. I've had the chance this past week to also enjoy new friendships. It's realllllly frustrating knowing that you're getting close to these people only to leave them within a short amount of time. Goodbyes are the worst. But it's too soon to think about that. Today our group went to the National Museum in downtown San José. My favorite part of the trip was getting a milkshake because I swear on my life that the milkshakes are so much better here. We also went to the artisan's market. It was my second time visiting and being harassed by a bunch of people trying to get me to buy all their crap. I broke my moral code and bought a fanny pack. I don't know why exactly, except that it's a cute pattern and I like that it's different. Sorry, Dad, but it's still not ok for you to wear one.

Studying abroad is pretty cool and I'm glad that Costa Rica gets to be my home for three months. Please pray for me as I work on my language acquisition and work out the plans for my future. Growing up is hard-work. Someone tell me it's worth it?! And with that, I leave you with this: