De hoy en 6 semanas...

English classes we started with Azusa students,
teaching employees of the San Rafael Municipality.

Six weeks from now, I will be flying out of Costa Rica for the last time for a while. While mentally I'm trying to prepare myself to wind down, the goings on at the CRC will not allow me to do so. We're flying around receiving various summer academic groups--from Azusa Pacific University, Westmont College, Whitworth Summer Session college students, and a Non-Traditional Whitworth Education program, retreat and conference groups, and other independent students, professors, and guests. That's a lot of orientations, "plunge" activities (orientation to the Central Valley, transportation system, and nearby areas), "torta" (problem) solving, errand running, and debriefing, among other repeated or common occurrences when new groups arrive. Lindy and Dinorah are away from the CRC, so it's the three of us Assistants running the show, plus our CR staff, of course. It's really empowering to be making all these decisions concerning host families, internship placements, transportation, class scheduling, trips, etc. but also extremely exhausting. We have a lot of experience doing these sorts of

Laundry room construction at far end of dorm building.

activities, and of course are totally capable. But some things go beyond capability when entering the sphere of exhaustion and feeling run into the group. There's no defined schedule, try as we might to take days off. Emails are constant, being in communication with coming students and groups, trying to set up internships and home stays. Supervising and teaching evening English classes extends an already-busy and long day even further. I mean, I enjoy teaching those classes--don't get me wrong. But I'm just tired. And most days, I'd rather be helping build our new laundry room outside down by the dorm building instead of in the office on my computer.

The Fería Verde de Aranjuez (farmer's market/
green street fair) 2nd anniversary month.

A summary view of the hurricane that I'm in the midst of, and will continue during the next several weeks... (just the big, main events, because if I tried to detail everything that goes on in a day, let alone the weeks ahead, this post would turn into a novela series the length of the Harry Potter books or Twilight saga). This weekend, I will be taking what I suppose will be my last trip to Tárcoles (on the Pacific side of the country) with the Azusa students. Then there is a retreat on campus, hurried planning for summer sessions and finalizing details, and summer session students begin arriving the following week (June 7). Lindy comes back to the CRC June 5, Travis leaves for his summer vacation June 9, and Kristina finishes her time here June 14. We'll be welcoming a summer intern, Andrew, and a student volunteer later in the summer, amidst our summer session programs going on. LOTS of airport runs. My last two weeks at the CRC, I'll be running around with a group of Non-Traditional students from the Whitworth At Night Education program (night-school)... coordinating orientation, school observation placements, host family stays, field trips (during one of which, I'll even get my last goodbye beach trip in at Cahuita, on the Caribbean side of CR). While welcoming Session B students, staff members, and guests for a theological conference (CLADE), I'll be trying to pack up my life and moving out!

It'll be a whirlwind, and while I'm hoping the weeks fly by (and all the work just works itself out, so to speak), I'm also anxious about packing up the last year and a half of my life here in CR. I am ready to be done. I have told several people who have asked or commented about being so close to finishing my contracted time here at the CRC that just because the end of my time is near, doesn't mean it will just fly by. The end is in sight, but there's still so much to get done... work-wise. It seems so far away. What loose ends need to be wrapped up? I don't know. Well, yes, I do, but it's just not all out on an organized to do list. I'm just whirring around in the present trying to solve today's issues, and then in my 'spare time,' preparing for future students. And at the same time trying to give myself breathing time to focus on identifying those loose ends. Taking random notes, making to do lists, as all these fleeting thoughts will soon be covered up with other worries in my brain if they aren't written down. I am trying to make time for enjoyable events though as well... like accompanying our Azusa student group down to the National University in Heredia this afternoon to watch a theatre/dance production on the topic of environmental awareness.

If you look closely (or enlarge the photo by clicking it)
you can see dancers performing down in the river gully.

The Azusa Pacific group in front of the wall advertising
the presentation at Río Pirro, by the UNA.

Volcán Irazú

I still have fun things I want to try to cram in during my time here as well... visiting farmer's markets, sustainable coffee farms, doing some gardening, taking in the sun while reading a book in our back meadow or while floating in the kayak on one of the ponds, having some free time to go on more hikes, visiting Volcán Irazú, which is one of the only volcanoes I have yet to see here in CR, climbing Chirripó, the tallest mountain in CR. (Alas, that one will probably have to wait for another visit to CR...)

I need to get back to work. That's enough self-therapy in journalling my thoughts to share with you all for now.