Bittersweet

     My time in Costa Rica is coming to an end much more quickly than I want!  In 72 hours I will be arriving in Nashville airport.  It's definitely bittersweet. It will be nice to get back to my comfort zone, but I feel like I'm not finished here.  I no longer have to say that I speak "a little Spanish."  I'm actually able to understand, speak, and carry on conversations.  For instance, tonight, I spent about an hour talking to my host abuela about the differences between here and the Tennessee.  Later, when Nuria and Elena got home, we spent another hour talking about our favorite movies and books.  (Since I'm going to see HP7 tomorrow night!)
     I really couldn't have asked for a better host family.  They're such great people, and I would love to stay with them longer.  Unfortunately, this program only lasted 6 weeks.  I wonder if I'll leave France thinking the same thing...That I want more time.  Don't get me wrong, I'm ready to see my family and friends, but Costa Rica is so amazing.  I'll definitely return at some point in my life.  Now that I know how to get around without buying the rip off tourist packages and how to use the bus system.   I now know that by seeing only the tourist side, you don't really know Costa Rica.  You know the Americanized tourist destinations.  To see the real CR, you have to go off the beaten path and live among the Costarricenses....Hear their accent, learn their customs, their behaviors, their way of life.  I wouldn't trade these past 6 weeks for anything.  They've been so eye opening.  Even though Costa Rica has the most stable economy of any other country in Central America, they're still nowhere near the US. 
     Anyway, my final exam is tomorrow, but I'm not going to worry myself over it.  Not to brag or anything, but I have made such good grades that even if I miss every question on the exam, I'll still have a B in the class....and I only have to have a C for the credits to transfer...which will be pass/fail credits.  Hence, I'm talking it easy tonight.  We reviewed for five hours in class today, and I felt pretty good about everything.  After tomorrow, I'm actually done!  Woah. How quickly time flies.