My wonderful vk in Nicaragua and Costa Rica!!!!

So, here I am writing from Nicaragua!!!

Here's the story....it is quite miracolous!

My mom works for the airlines. I can get cheap flights with her work, but Northwest is like the major one we can get benefits through....My boyfriend was going to Nicaragua this week to visit his family....and I wanted to go because I was going to visit, have fun, job search....

all the flights were full until I visited my mom's work and they said I could catch a flight into Costa Rica and then from there I could get a ride to Nicaragua. Currently it was full so I was put on the waiting list, number five....okay. Chances looking  slim...Well, I still pack, the night before, knowing I probably wouldnt get on flight....I went to the airport the next morning and went through check in and all that jazz....go to the gate...the person at the gate said that my chances were looking slim.....all the people board and now is the time they call out the names of standby people...mine was one!!! I got on!!! Ahh!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

We fly directly in Costa Rica, beautiful from the plane...I can see the volcanoes from the sky...its amazing.....so, I get to the airport in Costa Rica, a shabby airport....the gate is a tin roof and some sides and customs is the same....ghetto. Well, they don't have much money, thats all. I catch a bus into the city where I try to find a hostel for the night...I get one...for 12 USD. It was soo shabby....ghetto neighborhood, bad shower, flickering lights, man, I was scared......the next morning I will be going to the border to meet up wtih Jorge. I even have a hard time getting a stupid phone card to call home.....gosh......the woman I bought it from was Korean and didn't even speak spanish that well. Talk about ghetto. Well, I find someone to call for me and I tell Jorge my plans: meet me at the border at 11am tomorrow. I will never forget the Costa Rican town I stayed in that night: ghetto beyond unbelief! I am very happy I am alive.....never attempt solo traveling....

The drive to the border is amazing along the Pan American Highway. I see soo many volcanoes and rich vegetation. The Costa Ricans drive crazily....crazily.....we pass slow cars like it's nothin...we see poor houses on the side of the road, see people riding bicycles because they can't afford a car, trucks with 50 men jamned packed into it...the folklore it pretty much how I imagined it to be.

The border was pretty sketchy itself...It costed $7 to cross the border into Nicaragua. Trash everywhere, tons of people asking for money, especially kids. Poor kids.....they are sent to work because their family needs the money to survive. It's a sad sight.

Then, I see a familair face: Jorge!!!! I am so happy to see you!!! And, his dad was there as well!!! Wow. I now feel safer than last night....that was a scary night...I wished someone could have been with me. Well, no worries now.

The drive along the Pan American Highway into the town Jinotepe, where Jorge's family farm is is a beautiful drive. We stop at a fruit stand on the side of the road and the folklore is all like I imagined. I also see many volcanoes and they are just too amazing to explain.....After all, Nicaragua is the land of volcanoes. There are too many that they cant fit them all on the map! We talk about plans to drive up volcanoes, surf on the ocean, and go to the farm today. I am so excited for my week!!!!

We get to the small town of Jinotepe where there are no stop signs at the intersections....gosh. That's asking for an accident to happen. We get to the farm and its almost as if I stepped into the Garden of Eden. Coffee farm galore. Hens wondering the property, a few dogs too. Coffee beans roasting on the drive way. Tons of green. Wow. I was in heaven. I ride a horse with Jorge in the coffee farm. I sleep in  a hammock under plantane trees banana trees). I get served amazing cuisine by the families butler and cook. Wow. I drink real limonade, the way it is supposed to taste: fresh from the lemons they grow. I have mango juice, also fresh from the farm. I have cocoa water, frest from the cocunuts they have. I have amazing chicken, rice, just this great cuisine. The dried plantane was my favorite (dried bananas). We leave the Garden of Eden for Managua the next day, and I get to see the house: amazing. The family ownes three homes, talk about amazing, each one distinct. We go to the one they live in the most. The open air garden in the middle of the house is awesome. Even though my room is inside the house, I have open air outside of me, because of the room next door to my bedroom has no roof. It was a good first day.

Day two: we drive to the town of Mayasa where we will drive up Volcano Mayasa. Let me tell ya, it was a scary experience. Once we get to the top, you can feel the intense heat: you can see the sulfur emniting from the crater. This volcano has five craters, two of which I saw. One of the craters is inactive and for this reason, there is vegetation inside of it. So, I walk on drive lava and sweat like a pig while visiting this volcano.

Just wanted to share with you my impressions of Magagua: Spead out, no city center (was destryoed in the 1972 earthquake) and there is a fault line in the city center, bad public transportation, the poor people devistate me. I cried over this. We passed soo many people asking for money, some of which we gave, but, at the same time, we don't want them to become dependent on our money....its a delicate situation. I love the gallo pinto (rice and beans). There are no street signs in Nicaragua either: when giving people your address, you locate it by a landmark and it Jorge's case, the hotel nearby and you then give direcions from the landmark to your house. You usually have a house keeper to watch your house when you are gone, a maid, a driver, a butler. That is if you have money. Either you have money or you dont in this city. Its devistating. Your garage is inside your house, literally a part of it. No walls separating it. The garge has no roof either. It's almost as if you are living outside. I dont like the city of Managua persay...I love the volcanoes and the rich vegetaiton and cuisine you can eat here. I find the people to be very friendly too.

I hope you guys enjoyed my post about Central America! There is so much more I want to write about, but for time purposes, I need to go. We are gonna head to the beach Friday where we will try surfing. Today, we are headed into a small town to explore its diversity and folklore.

Random Stuff

So, lots has happened in my life since I have written! I check my facebook more often than this xanga site! Wonder who will even read it....

The boy....I have a boyfriend! He is awesome! Its harder to concentrate on school work for me, but, he really keeps me on track...he likes to be productive and knows how important it is to concentrate on homework. He is this super smart, sweet, and hott Nicaraguan boy...how did I get so lucky? Former law student, recent graduate from a top notch competitive school where he got a full ride, dancer, trilingual.......All my friends want him.....:) Too bad ladies! On top of that, he totally fights for me....I LOVE IT! A girl always likes it when her man gets jealous of her guy friends or when one of his friends talks to you at a bar and your man tries to fight for you there too. Ask my boy to say message and pijamas, you will love it! He's got this amazing accent....now, I have heard a lot of accents and as of right now, I love the New Zealand accent the best (kudos to you Cameron!) but, I also like the Nicaraguan accent too. Can't follow his spanish though...I swear, they cut off the "s" at the end....ahh! It's not like Mexican spanish that is super easy to follow....

Lets see: what else? Oh, I am getting surgery....in 4 days!!!!!!! Can you believe it??? Then, two weeks after that, I have to be in a wedding as a maid of honor.......talk about rushed and I plan on traveling...not sure if I want to go to New Zealand or Nicaragua with my boy to see his family (his aunt is getting married and its his grandmothers birthday). So, we'll see. I made a promise to Cameron I would visit New Zealand, but I was kinda hoping he would be there when I visit him...haven't heard from him in a LONG time...I wonder what happened to him....hope he didn't get lost in the Bermuda Triangle........I knew he was setting sail from London to Ft. Lauderdale....I miss the kid....he is still in my prayers. So, Cameron, if you are out there buddy, please e-mail me!

"Jambo!" "Missouri. " I just said hello! and its response in Swahili. "Symba" is swahili for lion. So, all you who have watched the Lion King, you already knew Swahili and didn't know it! Hakuna Matata! That's swahili too. And, I am pretty sure that swahilian kids have not even seen the movie Lion King...just like how people from Austria have never heard about or seen The Sound of Music...Maybe there is a foreign movie made in America that we have never seen......

My mom has been having dreams, consistent and frequent dreams, of me going to Africa...so, I am praying about that. Yestersay in kids club, our pastor shared with us his visit to Uganda and Kenya....the kids sponser two kids from Uganda and give money to them. Seeing the videos and hearing the stories was heartwrenching....these kids have nothing and have no parents but they are soo happy....I don't understand it....and here in America we have everything and are not happy. Sounds a little  backwards to me. People in Africa don't have shoes, soccer balls, mirrors, clean water, etc. Kids play futbol (our soccer) with a tin can and bare feet. They look in the trash for anything they can make a toy out of....talk about imaginative! One of the kids in kids club came to the frong of the room and said, "It makes me sad that these kids don't have parents and I wish I could give their parents back." That one did it for me......man, these kids at kids club have so much compassion! We took an offering and TONS of kids put money into the offering bucket. A kid, giving offering!!!! Wow.....and I struggle wtih tithing and for kids, its like, no pasa nada.....Upon seeing all this, I couldn't help but cry inside....not because I feel sorry for the African people but because they don't have the resources to live on (basis ones like food and clean water). I told J , my boyfriend, about this and he wasn't too keen about my mothers dreams...I told him that he should start praying that God reveales to him his plan...

So, here are some life lessons I have learned: 1. you can go visit a top secrt coorperation, like US Bank, with your boyfriend if nobody is around! It's take your girlfriend to work day!2. Never drink cava and then rum and coke on a somewhat empty stomach or you will get really sick...3. don't procrastinate!4. Bittersweet Symphony is by far one of the best songs composed! 5. Make sure you have enough tp in your apartment...or bad things will happen 6. There are such things as essential amino acids and essential other things. The only things there does not exist esential are carbs...No such thing as essential carbhydrates...so, don't get carbs!! Bad for you.....

Church, School, etc.

Making decisions is soo hard. I have been trying to find a good church group lately. My freshmen and sophmore years, I was involved with this small church by my school that was nice. My junior year, I went over to Woodland Hills on and off and went on and off to its small group. To my dismay, I was one of the youngest people there....then I went to Spain where I found an English speaking church and a bible study. Now, my senior year.....I have been told of this church in the cities where its mostly college students and you get to know the people in the church. Well, I was gonna go today, but, missed the shuttle...or the carpool I should say...so, instead of driving to an unfamilair part of the cities, I may just go to the one close to school. I have hung out with my friends church groups, none of which really fit me either. One is SPO people and another of older folk.

Then, there is my church back home where the young adult ministry is pretty much non existant and then my other church where I hang out with young adults....its a little too clicky for me and I am not that kind of person......I gave that church a try since thre years ago. I am really depating right now whether or not to go there any more....I have had good memories there but also bad ones that I care not to remember....so, here I am, caught in the middle of a dilemma: finding the perfect church group where I can be fostered and challenged and where I feel at home.....I will find it, eventually. I know I will. It will just take patience on my end. I also know that to really get to know people, I have to be involved in small groups. Thats where real relationships are fostered.

School has started and I am STILL figuring out my schedule....its my fault. I also need to unpack my things because I have been soo busy lately that I have not had a chance to do that.

Friday night was an interesting afternoon/evening for me. It started wtih a fun trip to the farmers market with my awesome roomie. Then, a friend came over from school to chat and to pick up some of her things she left in the apartment. We had a talk about politics.....me, talking about politics?? Well, we did. We talked about how there is a great need to bridge the gap between Muslim and Christian peoples. We also talked about how Muslims learn...being from that area, my friend shared with me that they learn from route memorization of the Quran and that only certain parts of the Quran are shared to students and in that way, it can be misinterpreted. It already is, with how women wear head dresses. From my reasearch, it says nothing of that extent in the Quran how women need to dress that way. And these suicide bombers....how they feel they are doing a service to Muhammad....well, she said that was misinterpreted too from how info is passed down to people. As a dictator who told all the information, he or she can pick and choose what info they pass down. There is a great need to UNDERSTAND what it is they are reading I believe for the Muslims. Also, the parts of theQuran that are shared tend to be the parts that explain how different the religions are, not how they are connected....something like that....I dont make sense...alls I know is that there is a great need for help in this area. Heck, the US government would PAY ME to take arabic studies...and learn the language because we are in desperate need of people who can speak the language. Then, I went to church with girls from St Kates...first of all, its  a miracle that I went because I didnt know about it and I only heard about it through signing onto MSN messenger, which I never do....then, we had van trouble and had to drop off this boy at the U of M who came with us. And, while there, I ran into my friends from wisconsin who I went on the missions trip with! How cool is that?? I got back late to the dorms only to hear this party going on. A party, at St Kates?? No way....this NEVER happenes. We just never have parties here...my woriority sister who passed me in the hallway invited me to check it out. I did, only to visit I told myself.....well, me and this other dude were like the only sober ones there and I had the opportunityo to share christ with him! I just said something how I was tired coming from church, and then, he started asking all these questions! Then, he asked me out on a date....well, he was 19, I had no chemistry wtih him, and plus, I dont like to date people I dont know....man, what is it with these young guys liking me? I want the older ones, but seem to get the young ones! lol. I politiely said no and made up a lame excuse.....

Today is my last day of summer school! Yay! I will be soo happy when its over. I just have to focus...focus Michelle, focus! Its hard sometimes....

Summer is slowly dwindling to an end...so sad....Well, now that I have more open time, I got a job at the medical center. The lady hired me right on the spot and said I had an excellent resume...wow. That was nice to hear. So, I will be working with my mom. That may be a little wierd...still teaching the flute lessons which I love and in a week I go to band camp with the marching band as staff. I am soo pumped! I still have tons to do this summer. My goals to get in shape, clean my room and earn money well, those will all take time. I still have to register for classes. I ask myself often why I put it off....and I ususally put things off because I am unsure of them. Well, even though I may not be 100% satisfied with my major, this is only the beginning of a long journey. Thats right. A longjourney. How am I supposed to know what I want to do for the rest of my life at age 21? Nobody...unless you know early on. I think I am in an okay spot. I still have more years ahead of me, tons. So, maybe I should just bite the bullet and register. I think I am scared that I wont get enrolled because its mid July....ahh! Well, I wont know if I dont try....

Friends update: I have been more selective lately on who I hang with. The people you hang with you start to act like. So, pick your friends wisely. I have only met a few great friends, a few who have moved away, sadly, but, yes, pick friends wisely and be selective on how you spend your time....because you dont have much of it.

I am still sick. Gosh, I hate being sick. I just feel drained all the time.

Heard back from the Kiwi. Hes in New England and then will be coming to the states. Yay! I am soo excited for him!

I spend the day at the lake yesterday while studying and it was nice because I love water soo much. The weather was unbearable, but, it was still fun. Had a bonfire with my sisters friends. That is always a blast. How did she get soo lucky with such great friends? I love them. I also went to a wedding. My friend is a friend of the bride and he could bring two guests. Brought his girl friend and me. During the wedding, some old woman behind me asked me if my boyfriend was one of the escorts.....I said no and smiled. Its funny how people can assume that you are with someone, like I should be. Well, I wouldnt mind being with someone right now, but, the right person either hasnt shown up or is unavailable at this time. Which I am okay with.

I hope to do some traveling this winter! Maybe NY or Florida....to visit the grandparents.

Lets see, what else. In church, God really brought to my attention some addictions I have , or obsessions.....one is email........geez.....if only I used all the time spend on email to clean my room or do things I need to be doing instead. I also have a procrastination addiction....bad bad. Gotta break that habbit. Some others too.

I have been trying to do situps lately because they are good for your balence. The color guard does them every rehearsal, along with puch ups...we are gonna be a buff color guard this season!