A lot has happened in 3 days or however long it's been since my last entry.
First off, my computer is dead, so I'm occasionally borrowing my roommates' laptop to write, which means I'll only be doing occasional updates. Second, fire ant bites REALLY hurt. i was walking down the street and all of a sudden my right leg was in pain. I got all the ants off and the bites are ok and didnt swell that much and have stopped hurting and all that, but I really really dont recommend getting bitten by those guys.
Ok. So school has started and I am on my first weekend! It's only day 2 and I've already finished and passed one class already. That's how fast things move here.
Let me start from the beginning.
Wednesday was Orientation. We all met up and met our first instructors and went over the school handbook and learned basically what the plan was for the next 4 months. We also were formally introduced to each other and learned a little bit about our classmates. There are 12 students enrolled in the class. That's it! After orientation I went with Elisa (a fellow student) to the store and bought my first groceries. I thought there were going to be open-air markets and stuff, but there aren't. Maybe in the next town over, but not here. It's all little Mini Marts, which actually have a lot of great stuff. And of course there's the road-side fruit stands. I got rice, beans, peanut butter, eggs, avacados, bananas, tomatoes, onions, and tortillas that have all so far been delicious. I'm determined to get myself to like tomatoes on this trip. They're much sweeter here, which is nice, and I've even taken bites out of tomato slices and not made faces! We'll see how this works over time.
Yesterday was Day 1 of classes. Super intense! I started out the day with 2 hours of Anatomy and Physiology, in which we covered a TON of stuff. Then we took a 20 minute break and had another 2 hour class called Self Care and Hygeine, in which we basically talked about how to maintain professionalism, respect, and health while giving tons of energy to someone. We also talked extensively about appreciating the client. Every time someone gets on your table, they are giving you an incredible gift of vulnerability and trust. It's amazing. They are coming in to a complete stranger, getting naked, laying on a table, and letting us touch them for an hour. It's so completely awesome that people are going to be giving us this gift every day! After that class was a lunch break, in which Rachel, Chris, and I walked to the bakery next door and bought empanadas, which were ok, but not as good as the ones in Mexico. Then back to school for 2 hours of Swedish Massage class. Jill Berkana, one of the founders of the school and the Academic Dean, is our professor. How amazing is that!!!! She's incredible. Anyway, we learned some terminology and then learned how to set up and take down massage tables and how to lay our linens and perform a simple drape. Then we dove straight in by learning how to do a Swedish hand massage. It was cool. Our homework was some coloring, some reading, and also to give another hand massage. Sweet homework if you ask me.
Today was Day 2, and all my classes were the same. We talked about cells and cell structure in A&P, which is a LOT of information to take in in 2 hours. Then in Self Care, we talked about keeping our offices clean and circumstances in which we should not give treatment or cancel sessions. And then we passed that class. It was only 4 hours - that's it. So we all officially have our first A! Yay! In Swedish, we learned how to massage the whole arm and how to incorporate that with the nad massage from yesterday. Much more complex. Requires alot more movement and thinking. The way Jill works is she shows us how a technique is done, repeats it a couple times, and then sends us on our way to practice with the rest of class time. It's really wierd how just watching someone do something a couple times is all it takes for us to learn it! So our homework for this weekend is of course, coloring and reading, but also to give multiple arm and hand massages so that we're comfortable with them and can dive in to learning legs and feet on Monday. I can't believe how much we've learned already!
Also, today we learned about this really cool thing that's going to happen later in the semester. One of our future professors is a leading mind on massaging cancer patients, and while she's here teaching, she's going to offer a class over 2 weekends that teaches us how to do that, which is awesome, because usually, we can't massage cancer patients unless they're terminal. Which is no fun for anyone. But with this class, we'll be certified for it and we can put it on resumees and everything! So even though it's an additional $400, I'm planning on taking it. After all, I came here to learn massage, did I not?
Anyway, I'm going to go to bed and let Larissa have her laptop back. I love you all and I hope everything is going swimmingly back in the States!
Friday, August 27, 2010
Monday, August 23, 2010
Day 1
Firstly, I love Costa Rica. Secondly, it's hell getting here. Not only did it take me the better part of 22 hours to safely arrive in Samara, but the trips were hellish. Turbulence into Liberia was pretty jarring, although I did manage to look out the window and check out where we were landing. I saw a Nicaraguan volcano that was oozing smoke into the valley below it - that was really cool. The main thing I noticed while trying to keep ahold of my stomache was that there's a TON of texture here. Everything is green except for the rivers (which are muddy brown) and there are a virtual ton of different colors. The texture of everything is by far the most impressive though.
So let's start from the beginning. I flew from Juneau to Seattle, waited around for a few hours, and then took the red-eye to Atlanta. Once I got there, I walked for EVER to get to me gate (E34). On the way I stopped for a breakfast sandwish and the place I ordered from had this machine that was making fresh squeezed orange juice. Automatically! It was amazing. The girls behind the counter weren't sure what to do with me. Anyway, I found my gate and sat down and there was 1 other girl there, so naturally I asked her if she was Rachel and once I learned that she was indeed my classmate, we sat next to each other and made friends. It was really comforting to know that she was just as terrified and unprepared as I was. So we flew down and got off the plane in Liberia and were greeted by a wall of hot and humid that literally took my breath away. Customs was quick and uneventful, and luckily all of our bags made it. We were greeted by Alex, the van driver, who loaded our bags and offered us refrescos (agua, naranja, y cerveza) and then we took off! 2 hours later we finally arrived in Samara. FYI, for anyone who's thinking about coming to visit (Mom, Karen, and Granny) DO NOT DRIVE! People are crazy here. Hire a van or even better, see if you can fly into Samara Beach somewhere. I don't know if you can, but it's worth a try. The roads are super twisty-turny, and when your driver is screaming around corners in 5th gear it's really hard to focus on anything around you. The fact that we were exhausted and starving definitely didnt' help the situation, but it sucked in general.
Once we finally got here, Alex gave us the 30 second tour of the town and showed us to our hotels. My hotel is actually pretty far away from the massage school - about 3 blocks, but whatever. Rachel and I took a siesta and met up for a late lunch at a random restaurant that was open. My first meal in Costa Rica consisted of DELICIOUS! It was shrimp stuffed avacado and was absolutely amazing. Rach had a really good chicken in a lemon cream sauce. And then we had coconut flan with bananas and strawberries and cream for dessert, which were both fantastic. By this time, a huge storm had moved in and it was pouring, so naturally, we decided to go for a walk and explore the town. We walked around for probably about an hour and spent most of our time walking the beach. It's really shallow and SUPER warm, which is awesome. While we were letting the waves lap at our feet, the two of us turned to each other and had a momentary freak-out that this is home for the next 4 months and that we can walk to the beach every day if we want to. It's so amazing here!
So Rachel and I went back to our respective hotels and as I was walking in the door, the front desk woman told me that I'd recieved a call from the massage school, which was weird, so I thought nothing of it and went to head to my room when a random guy turned around and asked if I was going to be attending CRSMT. Turns out, he's one of the only men (that I know of) attending the school with us. His name is Christopher and he's from Boulder, CO and he's been touring Costa Rica for the last few days. Poor guy got one of his suitcases stolen off the bus earlier, so he has almost no clothing. Luckily he still has his books and laptop and stuff like that, but 60% of his clothes, his hiking boots, his sandals, and his toiletries were all taken, so he's in a sad state. I took him over to meet Rachel and we ate pizza and had daquiris and toasted our new adventure. We're all meeting up at 11 tomorrow to go wait outside the gate of the school. Campus doesn't officially open until 12, but we have to check out by 11, so hopefully Brenda (the head of Admissions) will take pity on us and let us in early.
So that's my first day in Costa Rica! Tomorrow after moving in to a house on campus, I plan to hit the beach and maybe introduce myself to Choco, the surfing instructor. For now though, I think I'll do a little reading and then hit the sack. It's been a while since I've slept, so I should probably do that.
Night!
So let's start from the beginning. I flew from Juneau to Seattle, waited around for a few hours, and then took the red-eye to Atlanta. Once I got there, I walked for EVER to get to me gate (E34). On the way I stopped for a breakfast sandwish and the place I ordered from had this machine that was making fresh squeezed orange juice. Automatically! It was amazing. The girls behind the counter weren't sure what to do with me. Anyway, I found my gate and sat down and there was 1 other girl there, so naturally I asked her if she was Rachel and once I learned that she was indeed my classmate, we sat next to each other and made friends. It was really comforting to know that she was just as terrified and unprepared as I was. So we flew down and got off the plane in Liberia and were greeted by a wall of hot and humid that literally took my breath away. Customs was quick and uneventful, and luckily all of our bags made it. We were greeted by Alex, the van driver, who loaded our bags and offered us refrescos (agua, naranja, y cerveza) and then we took off! 2 hours later we finally arrived in Samara. FYI, for anyone who's thinking about coming to visit (Mom, Karen, and Granny) DO NOT DRIVE! People are crazy here. Hire a van or even better, see if you can fly into Samara Beach somewhere. I don't know if you can, but it's worth a try. The roads are super twisty-turny, and when your driver is screaming around corners in 5th gear it's really hard to focus on anything around you. The fact that we were exhausted and starving definitely didnt' help the situation, but it sucked in general.
Once we finally got here, Alex gave us the 30 second tour of the town and showed us to our hotels. My hotel is actually pretty far away from the massage school - about 3 blocks, but whatever. Rachel and I took a siesta and met up for a late lunch at a random restaurant that was open. My first meal in Costa Rica consisted of DELICIOUS! It was shrimp stuffed avacado and was absolutely amazing. Rach had a really good chicken in a lemon cream sauce. And then we had coconut flan with bananas and strawberries and cream for dessert, which were both fantastic. By this time, a huge storm had moved in and it was pouring, so naturally, we decided to go for a walk and explore the town. We walked around for probably about an hour and spent most of our time walking the beach. It's really shallow and SUPER warm, which is awesome. While we were letting the waves lap at our feet, the two of us turned to each other and had a momentary freak-out that this is home for the next 4 months and that we can walk to the beach every day if we want to. It's so amazing here!
So Rachel and I went back to our respective hotels and as I was walking in the door, the front desk woman told me that I'd recieved a call from the massage school, which was weird, so I thought nothing of it and went to head to my room when a random guy turned around and asked if I was going to be attending CRSMT. Turns out, he's one of the only men (that I know of) attending the school with us. His name is Christopher and he's from Boulder, CO and he's been touring Costa Rica for the last few days. Poor guy got one of his suitcases stolen off the bus earlier, so he has almost no clothing. Luckily he still has his books and laptop and stuff like that, but 60% of his clothes, his hiking boots, his sandals, and his toiletries were all taken, so he's in a sad state. I took him over to meet Rachel and we ate pizza and had daquiris and toasted our new adventure. We're all meeting up at 11 tomorrow to go wait outside the gate of the school. Campus doesn't officially open until 12, but we have to check out by 11, so hopefully Brenda (the head of Admissions) will take pity on us and let us in early.
So that's my first day in Costa Rica! Tomorrow after moving in to a house on campus, I plan to hit the beach and maybe introduce myself to Choco, the surfing instructor. For now though, I think I'll do a little reading and then hit the sack. It's been a while since I've slept, so I should probably do that.
Night!
Sunday, August 22, 2010
Airports are boring...
Sitting here in the SeaTac airport waiting for my 10pm flight to Atlanta. I know it's going to be hot when I finally get to Costa Rica tomorrow, but right now, wearing shorts for traveling is seeming like a horrible idea. There is a definite breeze coming through gate A2 right now and it's freezing cold. I suppose I could make my way over to S7, where my flight will actually leave out of in a few hours, but that's a train ride away and my backpack is way too heavy for that right now. Plus I'm sitting on a rather comfortable couch, and as far as airport seating goes, it's quite nice. Except for the breeze, that is. At this time tomorrow I'll be overlooking the beach from my hotel room and listening to the waves lap against the sand. I can't wait! I hate flying. And it's still weird to think that I'm basically moving to Costa Rica for 4 months by myself. I have SO much stuff. 2 checked bags that are just shy of being 50lbs and a backpack that weighs a bloomin ton. And of course I hardly slept last night, what with being out late, being super excited, and getting a phone call at 6:45 this morning from dearest Shawners, so everything feels heavier than it really is.
I'm so stoked to meet my classmates. I'm flying down on the same plane with a girl named Rachel and we're both going to be in the van driving to Samara with another female classmate, so the three of us will be able to get to know each other a little bit before classes start, which is awesome. Hopefully they'll want to explore the town and will be willing to walk around with me for a while. Jeez - talk about moving outside of your comfort zone - I'm about to be thrust into a place I've never been with people I've never met and attending classes on subjects that I've never studied. It will be interesting. Scary, fun, adrenaline-filled, and awesome. Most likely, at least.
Oh, and once I get to Samara, my hotel will have internet, so I'll be able to tell you guys all about the flight down and what my first impressions are of the town I'll be living in for the next 4 months.
Next stop, Latin America!
I'm so stoked to meet my classmates. I'm flying down on the same plane with a girl named Rachel and we're both going to be in the van driving to Samara with another female classmate, so the three of us will be able to get to know each other a little bit before classes start, which is awesome. Hopefully they'll want to explore the town and will be willing to walk around with me for a while. Jeez - talk about moving outside of your comfort zone - I'm about to be thrust into a place I've never been with people I've never met and attending classes on subjects that I've never studied. It will be interesting. Scary, fun, adrenaline-filled, and awesome. Most likely, at least.
Oh, and once I get to Samara, my hotel will have internet, so I'll be able to tell you guys all about the flight down and what my first impressions are of the town I'll be living in for the next 4 months.
Next stop, Latin America!
Saturday, August 21, 2010
AH!
I'm leaving tomorrow!!!!!! At 3! In 24 hours I will be on the plane to Costa Rica!!!!
Definitely freaking out. Super nervous. SUPER excited.
I'm almost completely packed, which is great (thanks Mom!). I feel like I'm bringing too much stuff and at the same time I feel like I'm not bringing enough. Blarg. Sleeping tonight is probably going to be a huge issue. Leaving tomorow at 3pm and then taking the red-eye from Seattle to Atlanta and an early morning flight from Atlanta to Liberia, where I will be met by a driver and 2 of my classmates for a 3 hours drive down the coast to Samara. I finally got a hotel booked, which is also good. Right on the beach, and just down the street from the school. Private bathroom and air conditioning for $60. Heck yes.
Got all my bank and cell phone stuff figured out, and now it's pretty much down to finishing shoving things in bags and crossing my fingers. In 48 hours I'll be on the beach in Costa Rica.
Here we go!
Definitely freaking out. Super nervous. SUPER excited.
I'm almost completely packed, which is great (thanks Mom!). I feel like I'm bringing too much stuff and at the same time I feel like I'm not bringing enough. Blarg. Sleeping tonight is probably going to be a huge issue. Leaving tomorow at 3pm and then taking the red-eye from Seattle to Atlanta and an early morning flight from Atlanta to Liberia, where I will be met by a driver and 2 of my classmates for a 3 hours drive down the coast to Samara. I finally got a hotel booked, which is also good. Right on the beach, and just down the street from the school. Private bathroom and air conditioning for $60. Heck yes.
Got all my bank and cell phone stuff figured out, and now it's pretty much down to finishing shoving things in bags and crossing my fingers. In 48 hours I'll be on the beach in Costa Rica.
Here we go!
Thursday, August 5, 2010
The countdown begins...
Blog entry #1,
I'm leaving for Samara, Costa Rica in 17 days, and I am definitely NOT ready. I haven't purchased any school supplies or decided on what clothes I'm bringing down. I just purchased travel insurance and got my CPR certification this week, so at least the business aspect of things is almost over. I'm starting to freak out. I don't speak Spanish well enough to just up and move to Costa Rica for 4 months! I know the school is all in English, but I'm getting there a couple days before classes start and will have to spend a night in a hotel by myself, which is moderately terrifying. I also don't cook well enough to be able to survive by getting everything I'll eat from an open-air market once a week and cooking every meal from scratch. No more bagels or microwave dinners for me! I have a feeling that once I get there I'll look back and think "what the heck was I so afraid of?" but until that happens, I plan to continue freaking out.
I got my textbooks in the mail a couple weeks ago and they're amazing! I cannot WAIT to start classes. There's going to be lots of Anatomy (obviously), but there's also units on Pathology, Shiatsu Massage, and even Nutrition and Meditation. I'm stuper stoked for it. I also can't wait to hear the Howler Monkeys swinging through the trees and listen to the waves break on the white sand beach while I'm listening to lectures. Not so excited for the crazy heat I'm about to experience, but I have a feeling I'll get used to it. I don't really have a choice do I?!
17 days and I'll be on my way to Massage School!!!
I'm leaving for Samara, Costa Rica in 17 days, and I am definitely NOT ready. I haven't purchased any school supplies or decided on what clothes I'm bringing down. I just purchased travel insurance and got my CPR certification this week, so at least the business aspect of things is almost over. I'm starting to freak out. I don't speak Spanish well enough to just up and move to Costa Rica for 4 months! I know the school is all in English, but I'm getting there a couple days before classes start and will have to spend a night in a hotel by myself, which is moderately terrifying. I also don't cook well enough to be able to survive by getting everything I'll eat from an open-air market once a week and cooking every meal from scratch. No more bagels or microwave dinners for me! I have a feeling that once I get there I'll look back and think "what the heck was I so afraid of?" but until that happens, I plan to continue freaking out.
I got my textbooks in the mail a couple weeks ago and they're amazing! I cannot WAIT to start classes. There's going to be lots of Anatomy (obviously), but there's also units on Pathology, Shiatsu Massage, and even Nutrition and Meditation. I'm stuper stoked for it. I also can't wait to hear the Howler Monkeys swinging through the trees and listen to the waves break on the white sand beach while I'm listening to lectures. Not so excited for the crazy heat I'm about to experience, but I have a feeling I'll get used to it. I don't really have a choice do I?!
17 days and I'll be on my way to Massage School!!!
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