Half-way: "Know the true value of time; snatch, seize, and enjoy every moment of it. No idleness; no laziness; no procrastination; never put off till tomorrow what you can do today." -Lord Chesterfield

My Costa Rican Journey has been everything I had hoped and more. My time here is half over, but in no way is it a countdown. This has been an experience I will never forget. While I have lived abroad before, the experience is completely different . In Germany I was still living in the nest; now my wings have grown, I have made the initial fall, and have used my wings and learned to fly. The experience is life-changing. I plan on using my newly discovered wings to continue to explore this magnificent little country.

I have had the opportunity to travel to five amazing destinations in two countries over the course of the last six weeks. I have seen the Pacific Ocean, the Caribbean Sea, the waterfalls of Montezuma, and the crystal clear waters of Panama.I have seen monkeys, butterflies, squid, sloths, and frogs. I have met wonderful people including friends from school and my host family. It has been incredible thus far and I hope the next six weeks will be equally amazing.

June brought with it a whole new group of people for me to meet and I have met some wonderful, interesting, and fun people. This experience and these new friends have made me think a lot about myself and how I am living my life. Life is different here. What life do I prefer? Well, I prefer a color somewhere in between the bright blue of the Costa Rican sea and the dazzling green of the Iowa corn fields. My pace of life is different here, my priorities have changed. I am truly enjoying my life. I realized that enjoyment hadn’t been my priority before I came, and upon my return, I will be making adjustments to ensure that I am recognizing all that I have been given and I will take time to count my blessings and enjoy life. Life isn’t a race to the end, its all about the journey. Costa Rican or Iowan, I want my journey to be one of adventure, learning, and growth.

“There are no mistakes, no coincidences, all events are blessings given to us to learn from.”
-Elisabeth Kubler-Ross