The last post.

Day 327, El miercoles 5 de Junio 2013 23:30

The last days.

vandaag is dé dag, niet meer over 8 maanden, niet meer ow nog 4 maanden, niet meer pas over 1 maand, niet meer een paar weken, ook niet een paar dagen. vandaag is de dag, vandaag vertrek ik naar het mooiste land op aarde voor het beste jaar van me leven, en dat zal ik nooit meer vergeten. Ik zal jullie missen, for the greater good..

This is this exact text I wrote 327 days ago. In English:

Today is the day, no more ‘in 8 months’, no more ‘oh still 4 months’ no more ‘one more month’ no more just a few weeks, neither a few days. Today is the day. Today I leave to the most beautiful country on earth for the best year of my life, and I will never ever forget it. I will miss you for the greater good.

Right now I am 327 days further and again it isn’t months, or weeks, or days anymore. But besides 327 days further I also got further in my life.

Actually I don’t know what to write. I have thought about this moment so much. So many inspirational texts have circled through my head the whole year. But actually I don’t know what there is to say now. There are now words to explain what an exchange is. Nobody can ever understand an exchange until you have gone on one. And when you’ve gone on one you can barely understand your own, and understanding somebody else’s exchange is impossible. So many things happen in one year, even though when you’re not on an exchange. Imagine what happens when you live in a different country, a different culture, family, friends, different everything; nothing is the same. Besides all this a year has also passed and a year is a lot of time. This year has changed me a lot, I can’t describe how and what, but I know it, I feel it.

I could continue telling you how much I loved Costa Rica, how much I’ve learned and how much I changed  but as I’ve said a million times before; it is impossible. I will keep the stories for in The Netherlands to tell them and show them the photos.

I will only leave you guys this poem I just wrote, as last post from Costa Rica.

Ella está viendo mi espalda                                              She is looking at my back,

Ella tan bonita ahora esta tras de mi.                                She is so beautiful, behind my now.

Costa Rica mi hermoso país,                                             Costa Rica, my beautiful Country,

Costa Rica, Costa Rica, Costa Rica.                                   Costa Rica, Costa Rica, Costa Rica.

Ella no puede ver adelante,                                              She cant look forward,

Por que ella ya pasó.                                                       Because she now has passed.

Orotina, mi bella Orotina,                                                 Orotina, my beautiful Orotina,

Orotina, ese lugar tan tranquillo                                        Orotina, this place so chilled.

Ella esta llena de recuerdos,                                             She is full of memories.

Ella es tan linda.                                                              She is so beautiful.

Costa Rica, me enamoré de ti.                                          Costa Rica, I fell in love with you.

Tica linda, me enamoré de ti.                                              Cute Tica, I fell in love with you.

Ella me enseño todo,                                                       She teached me everything,

Ella me dío la vida.                                                             She gave me life.

Orotina, El parque, el río,                                                 Orotina, the park, the river,

Orotina, me esperarás?                                                    Orotina, will you wait for me?

Ella me cambío,                                                               She changed me,

Ella me hizo.                                                                   She made me.

Costa Rica, playas y bosque,                                            Costa Rica, beach and forest,

Costa Rica, Ticos y pinto.                                                 Costa Rica, Ticos and Pinto.

Ella por siempre en mi corazon,                                        She for always in my heart,

Ella por siempre en mi mente.                                             She for always in my mind.

Orotina, Batidos y mangos                                               Orotina, smoothies and mangos,

Orotina, mi hogar.                                                              Orotina, my home.

Ella soy yo                                                                      She am I,

Yo soy Ella.                                                                     I am Her.

Costa Rica es mi,                                                             Costa Rica is me,.

Costa Rica es todo.                                                          Costa Rica is everything

Adelante está lo demas,                                                   Ahead is the rest,

Adelante es adonde yo voy ahora.                                       Ahead is where i am going now.

Costa Rica te amo,                                                          Costa Rica I love you.

Costa Rica te extrañaré tras de imaginación.                      Costa Rica I will miss you beyond   

                                                                                 imagination.

Orotina te amo,                                                               Orotina I love you,

Orotina, siempre estarás en mi corazon.                            Orotina you will always be in my heart.

The first Piñata of my life!

Dia 325, el Lunes 4 de Junio 2013 18:54

Unexpected birthday party!

About 7 months ago I went to this birthday of a faraway cousin. There I spoke with some aunts about how I have never had a piñata in my life. ‘We will make a party for you, with a piñata’ was the answer. I told them that I would love it, but I didn’t really think it would happen; that’s how the ticos are. Now about 7 months later I smashed a piñata; it is so fucking awesome! I am taking the ‘piñata’ part of the culture back to The Netherlands for sure!

My last Sunday in Costa Rica was very nice; it gave me a very warm feeling. I started the day with packing my bags a bit, something which should be a sad event but it wasn’t that sad. I arrived in the state of keeping in all my feelings and emotions; who knows when these will come out? I do everything brainless I think. Later on the day I chilled in Orotina with Yuli and Vero, having heaps of fun and as always, just chilling.

In the late afternoon I headed to the house of Aunt Maira, a sister of my dad. There there were a lot of people, way more as I expected. I was told that we would eat there as a goodbye but they organized a huge party for me! Every uncle, aunt, nephew, cousin I ever met in Costa Rica was invited. Most of the uncles and aunts I know good but there also were some faces I kinda remembered from the big family party we had in January. First I drank coffee with tortillas, a good old tradition I always did at this aunt. There was a beautiful birthday cake and a piñata. It turns out that I did get this piñata they told me about 7 months ago. Besides my goodbye part it was also a forwarded birthday party. It was such a nice birthday party; the best part of all was that it was so unexpected. There was this beautiful birthday cake and smashing the piñata was so much fun, people will never get too old for that. I also got loaded by gifts, something which was even less expected. Now I got with enough souvenirs back to The Netherlands!