Pura Vida from Costa Rica!!

The leaders of the day today were Emma H & Tenzin! In order to become leaders, our talent was ´´the wave´´ with a twist, A.K.A. a handshake that featured our best dance move. It was fantastic!

Today was the very first day of our CAP (community action project) at the local school!! We started the day off at 6:30 a.m. (oof) and took quick showers because the water was turning off at 7:00 a.m. (this happens once every few months to ensure water quality and it was back on by 12). Then we had a delicious breakfast made by our lovely chef, Diego 🙂 that consisted of rice, beans, bread, fruit, yogurt, and fresh juices. We set out for the school at 7:50 with raincoats and umbrellas in hand because of the pouring rain! When we got to the school, we had to stay in the gym as it continued to rain. While we waited for the rain to stop, some of us played cops & robbers and Pacman with two elementary schoolers in the gym while others pick-axed a concrete floor. Gracie and Tenzin both did a fantastic job sweeping all the dust off the floor. Then, a small group brushed cement on top of the concrete base layer of the floor to prepare to lay tiles on top.

After that, we ventured back home for lunch where we all were very happy to have pepperoni and supreme pizza. Personally, we were both craving pizza so that was a great surprise!! Diego brought about 10 pizzas for us!!!! Needless to say, we all had many slices :). Another big event at lunch was meeting Mila, who came to fill in for Raven after she went home! We miss Raven, but Mila is very nice and we look forward to spending time with her!!

After we finished lunch, and the rain finally stopped, we headed back to the school. We were split into two groups: one that sifted sand to separate it from the rocks while the other group dug the surface of the grass to prepare three gardens for the school! We weren´t able to work on our ranch (the main part of our project) due to the heavy rain and, because we tried to move it, it broke a little, so we had to wait for it to be fixed. Mila is an experienced gardener in her own backyard so she helped us to map out the land and give us tips on how to best shovel up the grass, weeds, rocks, and roots. We stopped for occasional water breaks throughout the day as well.

We pick-axed the soil to loosen it up, followed by adding new soil on top for the new crops. We are very excited because we might be able to plant tomorrow! We both felt that everyone was very hardworking today and put in great effort, even when they were feeling hot or tired. Most of us got plenty of dirt on our clothes as well! Worms, ants, and other insects were also in the plenty!

When we got back from school (around 4:30) plenty of us hopped into the shower, now that the water was back on in the house! During our downtime, we played many card games outside, primarily B.S. and Run. For dinner, we had Pastel de Yuca, which had Yuca, mashed potatoes, meat, and Turrialba cheese! On the side, we had lemon and pineapple juice. After dinner, some played more card games while others had a weight-lifting session with the weights in front of the base house! There was everything from squats to push-ups!

Lastly, we ended our day as leaders with the nightly meeting. Overall, it was a fun day and we look forward to the rest of the trip!!!

• Emma and Tenzin

ALSO, shoutout to my brother for picking up the 2nd GG call. Talking to Amala and pala was a great boost of self-confidence, I LOVE YOU BOTH. Kayla, I love you saur much. Thank you for all the comments, I got emotional with the first one for all the good reasons. I miss you, E, and C sooo much! and my cute brother who I will give the biggest hug to when I come back. Can´t wait to tell everyone about my journey with the amazing glimpsers, and leaders! Also, if you are my mom and dad, please leave comments. I hope Ashang is doing perfectly by the time I come back. Lots of love, and hugs from Khando 😉

Also, shoutout to my mom and dad, I miss you both so much!!! I can´t wait until I can call you again on the 19th!!! Mom, please also tell Liza that I miss her too and Dad say hi to K & Syd! I hope you are both enjoying the blog and definitely leave some comments if you can! Love you tons, Em 🙂