In the depth of winter, I discovered in myself an invincible summer.

Summer Wrap.up

alyngladys — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 16:00:18 +0000

Woo! The summer is winding down [thankfully] and –obviously–I’ve been quite busy scampering about DC and the surrounding areas…so much so that I haven’t had much time to post. Here’s the summer shortlist:

Caribbean Festival [sorry, no pics ]–saw some crazy parade floats and brilliant costumes, ate delicious jerk chicken and SHARK, listened to some sweet music at Howard University, etc.
Saw Rent [and didn't hate it!]–one of my first real musical experiences. As many know, I’m not just the hugest fan of musicals…I used to get antsy during Disney movies if the songs ran too long. Thanks to my friend Joe, I got to experience Rent and some delicious supper in DC too.
Various visitors and adventures with friends [pics!]–like me, many of my fellow MSU alums/near-alums have made the perilous trek to Washington, DC to find themselves locked into the glamorous world of the unpaid intern. Woo! But, they’ve kept my summer interesting, seeing the sights, eating delicious foods, spending money we don’t have, etc.
Trip to New York City [pics!]–I spent the weekend of July 24th in the Big Apple, and had a helluva time The pictures tell the story better than I can.

All in all…an excessively wonderful summer indeed. And, of course, some good eats (which is, as we all know, VERY important to me). I’ll update in a bit with a list of DC restaurants I recommend for those on extremely small [read $0] budgets

But first: Costa Rica details!!

I fly out August 22nd at 300 pm from Detroit, and arrive in San Jose around 800 pm. I’ll be studying with INTENSA for the first two weeks, exploring San Jose and living with a host family–all the while sharpening my Spanish skills.

From there, I’ll move on to EARTH, where classes start September 7. I’ll be taking the following courses [descriptions to follow]:

Cursos:
Management of Tropical Crops
Non-Traditional Crops [found only in Costa Rica!]
Food Systems and World Economy
Rural Waste Management
Individual Project [related to communications/community education]
Community Experience Project

All totaling: 15 credits. Please forgive the rough translations

Do. Want.

alyngladys — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 19:59:51 +0000

Potential Backpack for my trip(s):

Osprey Talon 22. Zexy.

Isn’t she loooooovely?

Testing, Testing.

alyngladys — Mon, 08 Jun 2009 20:19:09 +0000

I’m going to Costa Rica, I’m going to Costa Rica!

It’s official [nearly]–I’ve [actually] bought my plane tickets, I’ve [nearly] enrolled in courses, and in a few days here, I’ll be suffering through a plethora of [painful] pre-departure immunizations.

While I won’t be leaving for another few months, it feels as though time is flying by. Living in D.C. for the summer and saving my pennies was one of the better decisions I’ve made this year…I like the feeling of security, knowing that when I leave for CR in the fall, I’m fairly set, financially-speaking. Instead of worrying about money and bills, I can focus on the intent of the entire trip–learning more about food and food systems (and the people that make it happen) in our wide, wide world.

Itinerary is as follows:
August 15-leave DC for a week in paradise (aka home, sweet home)
August 22-depart for San Jose, Costa Rica
September 7-classes begin at EARTH University (link in English!)
…adventures ensue…
December 21-return to the good ole U.S. of A.

The purpose of this blog is to chronicle my adventures in Latin America, record my impressions of the people and landscapes I encounter, and keep in touch with everyone back home. I’ll post a bit about my experiences here in D.C. before I leave too, pinky swear…

Hasta Luego