Shades of green…and how it’s always greener somewhere else

This time of year Costa Rica is incredibly green. But right now, the grass is greener somewhere else…on the other side of the fence. The fence I speak of is the fence that separates me from the United States…or more specifically, my home state of Colorado, where right about now a retirement party for my father is winding down in my backyard. I can just imagine it…the sun is setting, the tables of gourmet, homemade food are emptying, the trash cans are full, and the last of the party stragglers are laughing boisterously after a few too many drinks. For this reason, this post is dedicated to my father, and his forty-some years of hard work in the field of Educational Administration. Wow, if only I could be that diligent and stay longer than two years in one job… ☺

Anyway, this is a chronicle of my day…in photos, in honor of my father, who was my original teacher of photography, and Master of ‘being’ rather than ‘doing’. (Blogger has done something horrible with the saturation...please excuse the lack of brilliant color).

First, after an early-morning hike up the mountain, I got dressed up (in Peace Corps terms) in honor of dad’s special day, while listening to some of his favorite music (Willie Nelson)…


Then I called home to attempt to get in on some of the pre-party fun. After my mother passed me around to everyone else (because she was too busy to talk), my sister (with uncompleted tasks still at hand), snuck on Skype to chat with me.


Then dad, still in his work clothes, joined in for a bit.


On my walk home from the Internet (i.e., my neighbors), I stopped to notice the post-rain beauty and took these photos.




Upon arrival at home, my host dad was just sitting down to his afternoon cafecito, and I, to my lunch, a soup with vegetables and what else, but rice and beans, and homemade tortillas.


After lunch, I went into my bedroom to unwind. In the very same window that I wrote about in the last post where the Buddhist prayer flags hang, so do sit seven small plastic animals with interchangeable heads. As I looked out the rain-covered glass, I took all the heads of these previously normal animals and switched them all around. I thought their new state was photo worthy. And I couldn’t help but think I was feeling a bit like these strange, mismatched, frozen figures, all courageously poised on my sill.

After, I decided to head out and explore our property with camera in hand. But first I took this photo of my host dad and my 18-year-old host sister, Raquel.


Here’s a few photos I took from our property behind the house.

Peeeeaches (with my house in the background)!


Avocados!!!!

My house is the one on the right:


This is looking out from the hill behind our house:


Upon getting back to my house with muddy feet, I noticed how much I love my new rug. And how I partially wished that bicycle could cycle me all the way home…thousands of miles, in time to make it for the retirement party.


Buuuuutttt, since it couldn’t, I decided to walk less than one mile into town with my host sister and meet her friend to sit on a park bench and talk. It rained (surprise, surprise), so I took these photos, most of them from the under hang of a small super market of my site.

Costa Rican footwear...of high schoolers:




Downtown at my site:


And finally, the church with the fog settling in over the mountains:


After more rain, we made it home just by dark (unfortunately this time of year it’s about 6 pm), ate dinner, thought about my family in Colorado (some more), and got into my bed, all bundled up.

So my day has come to an end. And I survived it…even though I didn’t think I would this morning, so green with envy for that greener grass on the other side of the fence. And by now, dark has fallen upon that greener grass in Colorado. Father is probably fast asleep in his bed, exhausted from a night of celebration, ready to greet this next stage of his life with eagerness and desire tomorrow. Even though I couldn’t physically be there to celebrate, I spent a day in your honor…being rather than doing and just noticing the simple things. Throughout, I sent blessings your way for your new life of retirement! Congratulations, and go pick yourself out that new puppy now.