First Day of School

So life here is wonderful but hard on the legs. I walk about 4-10 miles a day, most of it which seems uphill. Marlon, my 4th grade hermano costa ricense walked to school with me this morning and it was not wise to race to the top. I arrived to orientation completely flushed and pretty much of of breath.
More about my family; I couldn´t type much yesterday because the boys were reading the email aloud to me as I wrote it. Anyways, the house is tiny, but immaculate. Though cucarachas (cockroaches) roam free in Costa Rica. I´ve already found two in my bags (one was my lunch bag). Anyways, for the past two nights I´ve been sleeping in a room with Yuri and the four boys because there is another exchange student in the other room. He left today, so I think I won´t have to nestle in a bunkbed with Juan Pablo tonight. The boys are awesome. Roy is 10 and obsessed with soccer. He´s amazing and is being recruited by the San Jose farm team so he travels to San Jose, all by himself(!) about three times a month. They want him to practice full time and go to school in the city but Yuri thinks he is too young! I can´t even believe he boards the local bus to San Jose and braves the five hour ride all by himself. Marlon is 8 and much quieter than Roy and loves being outside. He is very proud of his school and walked me around many of the trails connected to the campus. The school is huge and sits in the middle of preserved cloud forest land. There are tree houses, and gardens, and outdoor classrooms. It´s such a contrast from most schools in the states. Sebastian may be my favorite. He´s five and is so sweet and curious, but also shy. He´ll just stare at me, or come sit on the bed next to me really close without saying anything. He wakes me up for school in the morning, seeing as though he´s sleeping about 5 inches away from my face. Juan Pablo must be part American because he´s an animal. He´s two years old and the loudest little man in the house. He calls me muchucha at the top of his longs, and he careens down the driveway in his tricycle when I come home. He also feels free to rummage through my bag and carry my belongings around the house. Yesterday I woke up from a nap with him pretty much sitting on my back.
The school seems like a great place to work and the interns an interesting and fun group of people. A lot are here for student teaching credit, or are interested in conservation work. Half of the full-time teachers are American. There are 220 students total. Approximately 1 student from each graduating class goes onto to college after high school. 1 from a class of about 20, which seems low, but actually many Costa Ricans stop formal education after 6th grade. They are trying to create a study exchange program in the U.S. for graduating seniors. I´m really interested in helping with this project, so all my teacher-friends out there, I may be contacing you for information.
I stopped by the Monteverde Institute today which is a research institute in town which works on mostly environmental, reforestation and sustainable development projects, but they also have a few (unforutnately dwindling) public health programs. I´m excited about the opportunity to help them with some grant writing proposals. They have some domestic violence and HIV prevention projects in place that are sorely underfunded.
Went to a Flamenco show at a bar last night, which was awesome. It made me realize how much I can´t dance. Still, we´re starting salsa lessons at school next month and I intend to take full advantage. We also can take yoga and Spanish free of charge. Going camping this weekend and to the Nicoya coast for some beach next weekend. Until then, I´ll be eating rice and beans and trudging up hills.

Adios. Voy a escribir mas luego!

Kat