Here we are...second day in Costa Rica!

Wow! Here we are on our second day. Most of the group is currently working either with the garden project or with children right now and Gail just drove five of us over to use the computers.
My homestay is wonderful. Hazel and I live on the same property as Elise and Colleen because our host families are relatives. My first thought upon finding out that I would be with all non-Spanish-speakers was that I would not have as much opportunity to learn, but of course it´s precisely the opposite. Being the only one able to communicate in Spanish really gives me the chance to try out my own Spanish instead of following along behind a more advanced speaker. My eleven-year-old host sister, Jennifer, also speaks some English. Often, we will talk with her speaking mostly English while I am speaking mostly Spanish. Sometimes communication challenges arise when I cannot understand my host mother´s pronounciation of English words - but commication is wonderful overall. I am also finding how the way I communicate differes between the two languages. While writing a journal entry in Spanish last night, I found that it all had to do with what I was doing - while when I write in English it often has far more to do with how I feel and I am able to communicate at so many more levels. So that is why we learn the languages. aha! :)
Yesterday, the highlight of my day was jumping on the trampoline with Elise, Colleen, Hazel, and Jennifer. Jumping as high as we could with such beautiful surroundings and laughing so hard. As it started to rain, our host family assumed we must want to go back inside, but as proud Oregonians we stayed there loving the water droplets cooling us off.
The home we are staying in is extremely nice - extroadinarily clean and what nice furnishing! I had not expected such a beautiful house to be staying in. And as we walk outside there is a stream through the back yard, along with geese, rabbits, and beautiful plants and trees. I´m so glad to be interactcing with both the well-off and those in poverty here - as well as to be in a UU group. Last night, we played a game and talked together and I am so glad the foundation if this group is the fact that we are UU - so our discussions can touch the so many topics and we all have this as our connection.
Time to go back to work. How exciting!
-Kayla