Class & My 24th Birthday

During orientation we were assigned our first reading and coloring assignment for Anatomy & Physiology. We began class the next day on Thursday January 6th, 8:00am-3:30pm. We have breaks from 10:05-10:25 and again for lunch from 12:30-1:25pm. 3 classes a day, Monday through Friday. I usually wake up around 6am, swim in the pool or walk on the beach before class at 8am.. everyone gets up around sunrise and does.. something!  In addition to class, I'm estimating about 3 hours of homework a day. This is the first time since college where there are not enough hours in the day! The first day of class was positive, full of quality information, and moved quickly. By the end of the first day we were setting up and breaking down massage tables, and then exchanging hand massages on the tables. We learned a variety of techniques and sequences, but there seems to be a lot of room for creativity.  By the end of the second day we were exchanging hand and full arm massages, along with draping techniques (keeping the client safe and covered with the linens).  After only two days of class, I felt confident, I had the urge to practice and improve, and I was relieved that I loved doing it. I had an Ah-Ha moment of 'this is what I'm supposed to be doing'.

My 24th birthday happened to fall on the first weekend of the program, Saturday January 8th.. I couldn't have planned it better. Friday night after our first couple days of classes, most of us went out dancing, at a bar right on the beach, it was reggae night.. so the music was right up my alley. It was fun to see everyone in a social setting and come out of their shells a little bit. When the night was winding down, we went swimming in the ocean.. buddy system, don't worry.. and walked back to campus on the beach. The next morning (my birthday) one of our instructors taught Zumba in our outdoor classroom. It was my first time doing Zumba and I had a really fun experience; smiling, sweating, and barefoot. I would say it's a mix between hip-hop, salsa, and aerobics.. I was moving the entire time and was totally sore the next day. When the class was over, everyone sang 'Happy Birthday' to me, which was embarrassing but nice.. ha. After Zumba, we all spent a few hours on the beach.. exactly where I wanted to be for my winter birthday. The tide was sooooo low that you could walk forever until you reached the water, it was beautiful and hot hot hot. I felt content.

After the beach, I made a yummy lunch of quesadilla with mozzarella and salsa, fried egg, beans, corn, and a salad with purple cabbage and pear. My meals have been creative to say the least, but super fresh and delicious.  I also hand-washed some clothes and went swimming in the pool until 6 of us went out for Thai food. I got pad thai with chicken, it was slightly different than I was used to, still with rice noodles but not as sweet, more flavor and spice, which I prefer, so it was a nice change. The restaurant experience is a little different here.. there is just.. no.. rush.. and no... water. So if you want to take your time and drink beer.. go out to eat! 

When we got back to campus, I got changed for bed and stepped outside to sit on my porch ~ and from the center of campus I saw some flickers of light.. everyone was walking towards me with a chocolate cake that had sparklers on top! Little did they know that I love CHOCOLATE and SPARKLERS! I also got a card and a bright pink, sweet smelling flower from the butterfly house.  I felt really loved from people who had I met just 4 days earlier.  

The next day, on Sunday, to end our first weekend, most of us went surfing! We compared 3 surf schools on the beach; 2 of them were charging $100 for 4 lessons and unlimited board use, and then we found $25 for 1 lesson and unlimited board use, so we went with that one. We figured 1 lesson would suffice.  It was a lot of fun and totally addicting.. you always want to ride just one more wave! ChiChi and CoPo had us practice safety, paddling, and standing up on the beach, and then we went into the water.. just before high tide, around 3pm.  They were very thorough instructors, we were split into 2 groups, they turned each one of us around and pushed us the first few times, and then we were on our own. I got up my first time - which was so satisfying - and everyone.. yes everyone.. was surfing on their own by the end of the lesson. I'm pumped about the unlimited board use for 4 months, when and if I have time, it'll be a great study/mental beak after class and on weekends. I hope to do it at least once a week. There I am.. in the blight blue bottoms and navy blue rash guard! Ready to go!

Yesterday, by the end of the third day we were massaging legs and feet, while practicing more advanced draping and tucking techniques (of the linens). This brings me to today; by the end of our fourth class, we were massaging head, face, and neck. Yes, we're moving as fast as it sounds. I've been here for 1 week today and we are already practicing the hand, arms, legs, feet, head, face, and neck! We're moving onto chest and abdomen tomorrow.. I'll keep you posted.

Welcome to Costa Rica

Sigh. I have arrived. I am thrilled to say that the campus, program, housing, town, and beach exceeded my expectations. I am overwhelmed with love from the new people in my life. It's truly amazing that we are all here at the same time, for the same reason, with no distractions.  It's a great feeling to know that we are all meant to be here together.  You can imagine how close a group would feel to one another in a remote setting, on a private campus, in a small and extremely unique setting.. and then add massage therapy to the equation.. basically it's been 4 days, and it's unanimous that it feels like we've known each other for months. The internet has been down/extremely weak for about 3 days now, so I'll have to backtrack a little.  

Getting to Costa Rica was a lot more efficient than I expected.  I left home, stayed over in Boston, left at 5:30am.. left Miami at 10:25am.. arrived in Liberia, CR at 12:20pm.. the entire travel experience was smooth. I was also surprised and glad that I wasn't emotional when leaving home or flying.. I think my emotions have been somewhat stable simply because I was ready.  Immigration and customs was a breeze, as soon as I stepped out of the plane my face was hit with warm wind and I was funneled through a very small airport. Immigration, customs, baggage claim, and then I found the man holding the sign for CRSMT.  He helped me with my bags, offered me cold agua, and lead me to sit in an air conditioned shuttle van. There I waited for over an hour as 6 more students climbed into the shuttle one by one.  Once we were all accounted for, we drove 2 hours to Samara and arrived at our campus for the first time. Our first night in Costa Rica we all went out to dinner at a restaurant on the beach, we sat at a long, strong and beautiful wooden table. I had a blackened fish sandwich and salmon sashimi with an imperial beer.. everything was delicious and reasonable. In addition, my stomach hasn't felt sick or off since I've been here, which is saying a lot for me.. hoping that means the food is fresh and clean. 

I'm just starting to get used to the money exchange, most places will take american dollars, or visa credit card, but it's just easier to pay with colones.  For every $1 it's 500 colones.. so I've been thinking 'how many 500's fit into my total?' but it's much easier to double your price and take away some 0's.. example: 10,000 colones.. double that is 20,000.. take away some 0's and it's $20 dollars. You can imagine my confusion when my grocery bill was 16,000!? ($32.. get it?) I think every thousand is also called a MIL, so my grocery bill was 16 MIL. It always sounds like I'm spending a lot of money? But that's not the case, it's comparable or less expensive.  My second day here I just went to the ATM and got colones that way.  The campus is nestled right in the town, so everything is close.  The bank is just outside the gate, the grocery is right across the street, and the beach is directly in front (about a 1 minute walk). Perfect. 

My second day in Costa Rica was orientation for the program. Our central classroom is unreal. It's a beautiful outdoor circular classroom, with strong wooden floors, no walls, no shoes allowed, a tall cone ceiling similar to a yurt, surrounded by lush greenery, dogs, and monkeys. Orientation began with a dreamy yummy breakfast of watermelon, papaya, pineapple, quiche, muffins, and fresh orange juice.  I found my name, and a big CRSMT binder and a gift bag was placed at my seat.  Inside was a nail clipper, nail file, tongue scraper, breath drops, hand sanitizer, emergenC's, Yogi teas.. and bunch of other massage therapist goodies.