I'm Fine!!!

I heard from a couple of you that you were worried that I was in an earthquake here. Actually, I was in San Isidro and did not feel a thing- no earth movin, no shudder, nothin. We only heard about it after it happened and my heart goes out to the people who were affected.
Now that that's out of the way, i guess i can go back to writing in all lower case letters. so i got in to the valley i am staying at a week ago today- very beautiful, green, lush. i had connected with a friend from childhood, i mean like 2 or 3 childhood when we were apparently part of the 'kid herd' on the farm together, through facebook. autumn has a small restaurant she opened here recently which is very cute and i will be helping her some; she also found a place for me to stay nearby- thanks girl!
for the first week i was in san jose staying with some norwegians and now i'm near san isidro, which is pretty much gringolandia. it's kind of... strange to be so segregated. i can see how the influx of so many north americans has made it harder for a lot of ticos- the ones who aren't profiting from the tourists with hotels and restaurants and such. for example, all the gringos i have met who have bought land here have done it with gringo money- that is to say, american wages, which are many times higher than what costa ricans work for(usually around $2/hr, i hear). so how can the people from here compete with the rising land prices? and rising everything prices? it's happening in neighborhoods and countries all over the world. it's an uncomfortable thought- that i, just by being here am part of this problem. of course it's not the only issue- there are plenty of things all of us do from the comfort of our own secure homes in the united states that make life harder for people all around the world. it's good to remember this, good to try to change it.
uhhh.... i don't know where to go from that.
well, i am writing a lot- feels great. am also reading a lot and have started an interesting habit- for the past week or so i have been doing 2 hours of yoga every morning- having a nice yoga retreat. lovin that. am living with 2 older women- one is 69 and the other is 75!! i have to be honest and say that one is driving me crazy! i don't want you to be too jealous- everything isn't always necessarily roses just cause you leave the country. i am, overall, happy that i made the decision to unsettle myself, though. i feel like i am on a retreat of some sort, even if there is no schedule of workshops and stuff. there is gourmet food, though- autumn has been feeding me good up at the cafe- fresh fruit, veggie juices, salads.... yum. oh yes, and a water- into- wine kind of a never ending river of hot chocolate made with fresh roasted ground cacao- divine! am swooning right now.
i have to tell you about the trip we took to the beach at the nearby town of dominical, probably my most exciting news because i discovered a passion. we were hanging out and swimming and i was having a particularly super time in the water- jumping all around and being silly. and watching the surfers. waaaayy cute. then autumn ran up and said hey do you want to rent surfboards and it was as if she read my mind.
ok, ok. so we went and rented some beginner boards. she and her friend chris went out for a while first and she actually stood up a few times. then i went out. she told me how you have to paddle paddle paddle and then dip your head and board down under the waves as they're crashing down until you get out beyond the break. i made it out there and then she said, ok! here comes one- try and get it. i turned around to face the shore and started to paddle to stay a little in front of it, and then it caught me up and all of the sudden i was going so fast- like a video game or something. it was so fast i didn't even turn around to see the wave behind me and i was screaming and laughing the whole way in. omg i hope i'm describing it good. it was one of the funnest things i've ever done- and i never even stood up!!
i always intuited that i'd be a great surfer- had just never tried it before. it's like when augusten burroughs said that after his first cigarette he realized he had always been a smoker- he just hadn't had cigarettes. it's just me and the waves from here on out, dude:). i have a new goal of moving down to the beach and becoming a surfer girl. minutes after that first wave in i was fondly remembering that winter i spent surfing in costa rica when i was 29.
the goal of moving back to the city and studying spanish and latin american literature is still there, but we will see. the place i was to be staying at fell through and i'm not sure how excited i would be to be in the city now. but i am still planning on going back to school when i return to austin in may. and then on to start my fabulous career in.. one thing or another. giggle. giggle.
i mean, is it so wrong that all this girl wants to do right now is surf?
and surf some more?