Janu-weary?

So time flies when you're having... fun? Or are just really stinkin' busy.

JanTerm is a time of much activity. It involves a lot of coordinating, hustling & bustling, sometimes rushing & scrambling, and running around with our heads barely screwed on, improvising and being flexible, but nevertheless things usually turn out awesome.

Between 35 Honors Freshmen who are on the CRC campus for the majority of the month, and the nine Health Science (HS) majors who live with host families in San Rafael, plus a few visiting profs, we've been occupied. And we try to take every opportunity to sleep as much as possible, between weekends away (which are usually pretty sleepless).

Two weekends ago, I took the HS group on another (Whitworth) "Pirates of the Caribbean" long weekend trip, leaving on Friday and spending the first day on the beach in Manzanillo. Early the next morning, I was blessed to experience with yet another group one of those glorious five-and-a-half-hour hikes through the jungle into Punta Mona with our fave guide Tino (I saw so many species of flora and fauna that even after three hikes in I have yet to see!). Pictures soon to come in a Jan Term album. That weekend was interesting, as a nasty strain of a virus crippled about half of the group, and I spent nights cleaning up after and caring for those inflicted with body-rocking vomitousea. I love Punta Mona and walking barefoot around the permaculture heaven and doing yoga at sunrise with the waves crashing on the beach behind me.

Me and Mel on the hike into Punta Mona

Me and my new bud, a Golden Orb spider,
also during the hike into Punta Mona.

On our hike back through the jungle after Punta Mona; only the strong survive
(note, we are down 3 here).

The whole Health Sciences crew: 9 students and Prof Melinda Larson.
At a partido de fútbol (soccer game) in Heredia.

Then last weekend, we took the Honors Freshmen group to Tárcoles (a responsible fishing community we've taken our semester student groups and faculty members to before). It was a hot weekend filled with much interpreting and looking out for freshies in another host family situation. It was a good weekend, getting to know some of the awesome freshmen who were on the trip (since I had been spending so much time with the HS group), but exhausting.

With the Honors Freshman group during the Tárcoles trip, on Playa Limoncito during our fishing day.

Yes, I caught some fish on this trip while line fishing!

With some of our host familia in Tárcoles (there were 9 of us with one family!).

Last week, we said farewell to the freshmen on Wednesday, I debriefed the HS group on Thursday, and sent them off on their various departing flights on Friday, when we started welcoming spring semester students.

This weekend has been filled with many more trips to the airport, less sleep, and lots more running around. Spring students are now arriving; we have made no less than 7 airport runs in the last 36 hours, and begin yet another Orientation mañana. But amidst it all, I am taking time to remind myself I NEED to stop and slow down for my sanity and health, and I get moments to marvel at the beauty all around me on our mountaintop campus. The other day, I took a deep breath while also taking in this view:

Panoramic of the CRC dorm building from a knoll on campus, looking up towards the mountain.
(Click on the photo to enlarge and get a better look!)

And today, I sat out in the inflatable kayak on one of our lagunas and tried to turn a few pages in a book, as the breeze pushed me around on the water's surface, the bullfrogs and fish splish-splashing beneath the surface and around me. I hope to get out and enjoy early morning sun on the bicycle that Mel left on campus here for us!

Additionally, amongst it all, it's also nice to know I'm working for one of the best institutions! Life is good.