Papayas and palm trees and pinas, oh my!

Hello hello all my Chapman queridas!!!! I was just facebooking and looking and lots of pictures and began to miss you all and your sparks of beauty immensely. So, I write to give y'all a little update of how life is going down in Costa Rica!
I have officially begun my program (thankfully). I was hanging out, for part of the time, in San Jose with Jose during the month of January. This was good in some respects, like the first solid chunk of time we'd had to spend together in a good while-- we got to do normal couple/friend things like actually go on a date! Yummy italian restaurant on my birthday, a welcomed break from rice and beans-- we guzzled down the tasty red wine and pizza with fresh mozz and basil. It was also hard in some other ways-- I realize that I am not one to mozy around parks and sip coffees aimlessly for more than a two week period of time. Need to have my hands and mind in something, working, producing, being inspired. Though I had lots of time to read and write, and get comfortable with the university area (which has served me very well), it was hard at times not to be involved in anything or with a particular group of people.
BUT during that time I did do some cool stuff. On my birthday, there was a coffee fair up in the mountains near Jose's house that we went to-- a pretty big even considering the rural location. I met an artist there, an incredible artist, who I bought my birthday present to myself from-- a BEAUTIFUL, detailed painting that I am in love with. Its warm and lovely. I'll post a picture of it when I take one. Jose and I went to his house and had cafecito with his family, saw his studio-- his house is incredible-- completely decorated with all of his masterpieces-- it is illuminated and gracious, a feeling I have felt in few Costa Rican homes, so full of sparks and magic. It was quite the special thing.
And now, its mad time with lots of gringos. I tend to lug back in all of the crazy group-thrust madness, but there are so really great people in the group who I'm getting to know. Overall its going really well.
And the best part-- my family here in San Jose is wonderful!! The mom is so cute, a little fiesty woman with a great sense of humor and totally into natural medicine. If I had to read her spirit animal, I would say she is a mix between a mouse and a puppy. Cute and squeeky. But an amazing cook. ahh every morning I get a bowl of freshly picked and cut fruit for breakfast-- papaya, pina, melon, fresa-- with yogurt. YUM! and lots of avocado... yes yes the food is delish.
sending you all rays of sunshine and love.
cait