"Ticking away, the moments that make up a dull day..."

"Home, Home again..." The lyrics of Time, by Pink Floyd, perfectly describes my current emotions and way of being. My perception of time is broken up into weeks, and either passes quickly or slowly, depending on my attitude and appreciation for the work I am doing.

What does this have to do with anything? Everything. I spent three weeks in Jaco, Costa Rica. I felt as if I was there for two days. A lot happened and changed over those few weeks, literally and philosophically, but it went quicker than I ever expected.

I have not become a psychic, but I know what you are wondering...What changed? What did you learn?

After letting my experience settle for a whole day, I have recognized a few things in myself. I went from loving to be by myself before I traveled to New Zealand, to loving to constantly be with others, to having to learn to be alone when I returned home after three months of travel Down Under, to finding a balance of alone and friend time.

Lesson one: Balance.

The second, and so far final thoughts that have been racing around in my mind is the whole idea of pura vida. I know I have already written about its significance and meaning, but it has really become something vital to my philosophies on life. If you live your life doing what makes you happy, and are not too concerned with minute issues, you will live a uniquely happy life. I want to do what I love in my life, otherwise all I will think about are my regrets. Have no regrets. I do not want to walk around being paranoid all the time, like most people from the United States are, so I will no longer have this constant paranoia that everyone is out to get me. I will be aware of my surroundings and wise about my actions, but not paranoid.

Lesson two: Pura Vida.

Now for the less serious business...

Costa Rica was AWESOME!!! I would recommend the School of the World to just about anyone...well anyone that is interested in learning Spanish, Surfing, Photography, or Yoga. I met a lot of amazing and unique people there from diverse backgrounds. The locals in Jaco were also extremely friendly and fun to hang out with. I was warned that Jaco is not the best place in Costa Rica to visit, but I was pleasantly surprised. I felt very safe in the city. It's one of those places that people will talk and whistle, but nobody will touch you. I really hope to go back to Escuela Del Mundo again very soon! It was an awesome place to live and learn.

What's next on the agenda? I am home for a few days...yesterday was Brett's birthday...and then New Years! I am going to Connecticut, as tradition may tell, to celebrate New Years with my camp friends. After, the family and I are going to Florida for a few days, and while we are there, it is my dad's birthday! I can't wait to give him his awesome gift :) And then...Brazil for two months! I am nervous and excited for what is in store for me in the next two weeks, and then two months!

In the mean time...here are some photos to enjoy from facebook! These photos are from the activities I did, and friends I made!

Click Here To See!


And here is my Photography: Here!




Chao!

Pura Vida

Pura vida. These two words, although not meaningful to many, are the single most important to the people of Costa Rica. We all know I am not Costa Rican, but three weeks of exposure to this "Pura vida" lifestyle definitely has got me thinking about my lifestyle in general. Not my past, but my present and future. After three years of growing passion for photography, I finally was able to take a class to help me pursue my passion. 

My first question: Why did it take me three years to further explore photography? I have managed to do many things in leu of a photography class such as become an EMT, volunteer in various locations locally and globally, and study in New York. Although I often attempt to combine my passion for taking photographs with my other ambitions, I never took the time to learn how a camera works. 

My second question: Why am I so passionate about something so simple, but yet complex, as taking photographs? I have discovered that photographing the simplicity that exists in nature amuses me. Photographing something as minute as a bird excites me and makes my mind wonder...what is this birds story? My mind is constantly changing situations around me into photographs. Some may consider this crazy, but others consider it the mind of an artist. 

My third and final question: What am I going to do about this? I have often been asked if I am going to pursue photography as a career. I always respond with a simple, no. It is a very difficult decision to take a passion and change it into a career because that passion will often become a chore. I am not making an irrational decision, and I may change my mind a thousand more times, but I have finally changed my mind. I want to pursue photography as a career. I keep attempting to find other interests, and although I do have other interests such as in teaching and the environment and hiking, none of these interests can even compare to photography. 

So finally and proudly, I am announcing that I want to be a photographer. I want to study the history of photography as well as different types of photography such as film and digital. My decision is a bit flawed though. Franklin and Marshall does not have photography as a major, and offers minimal classes. I still have not figured out a solution to this, but I will continue to think of options. 

I need to live my life similar to those in Costa Rica...and pursue my passion in life. 

Pura Vida.

Update!

Buenos dias! I can't believe I leave in a week from today. The past two weeks have gone incredibly fast, and I have been having a great time here in Jaco.

Yesterday was a fun yet laid-back day. I didn't have Spanish class because our teacher, Laura, was sick. Instead, I went with a lower level class on their lab to a fruit market to take photos. After, for photography, Carlos took us back to the beautiful look-out point at a hotel to photograph the sunset.

Last night, I cooked some ravioli and the others enjoyed another BBQ. After, we went to Tabacon to see Eric Wilson, the guitar player from Sublime, play! I even got to photograph him from the front row! It was an awesome opportunity. I was a bit disappointed though because the lighting was very difficult to work with.

"Burned by the Sun"

Who ever gave me the fantastic advice to not sit in the sun for three hours was incredible intelligent. No, I didn't go against this advice and sit in the sun all day, but instead very careful. I have been sitting out for twenty minutes each day, and spending the rest of the time hanging out in the shade. And the results? The best tan I have ever had! Well...for me it's good at least.

The sea kayaking adventure on Tuesday was amazing! Hannah (my roommate) and I were great partners! The sea was a bit rough, and I was getting drenched for most of the time by the furiousness of the sea. We paddled to Playa Blanca, a beautiful beach for snorkeling and hanging out. I didn't snorkel, but I managed to get coaxed into going for a quick swim. Natalie, from Martha's Vineyard (she also went to Echo Hill for summer camp for years, the place I will be interning in the spring), and I went for a nice walk out on the rocks on the beach.

In photography, Carlos took us to an awesome town near San Jose. It was a long trip, but well worth it. The people were so friendly and even posed for us! I got a few great shots from that excursion.

Wednesday was also Natalie's birthday, and we cooperatively planned a surprise party for her. We bought balloons and a cake, and of course cooked a delicious meal all together!

Today was a very relaxing day after a fun night. We went to Tsunami Sushi and then to Back Yard for ladies night. It was Natalie and Mareke's last night at the school, so we had a group night out! In Photo class today, we went to a cool deserted church, which was really a concrete building with a cross on top. After, we went to a beautiful lookout point. It is amazing how stupid people can be. There were a few burn outs spinning out in their cars on the small, dirt driveway. We were just standing there for the three minutes, stunned and hoping that they wouldn't crash. They were so lucky that they didn't.

I have a great weekend planned...but I am going to provoke your curiosity and make you wait until my next post to learn what it is I will be doing! In the meantime, here are some more photos!

Costa Rican Sun

Sorry that it has been so long since my last post! I have been a combination of lazy and busy...and I'm still feeling a bit lazy..but here I go anyways!

The end of last weeks' classes were great! In Spanish, we got to learn body parts by drawing out people. Our teacher, Laura, thought it would be hilarious to emphasize certain parts, and pretty much the entire class was crying of laughter. In Photography, Carlos took us to a few great lookout points to snap some photos.

My weekend was also a lot of fun! On Saturday, we went to a beautiful private beach. How did we manage to get ourselves to one of the most beautiful private beaches in Jaco? Caliche, the owner of Wishbone's Restaurant and friend to the School of the World, lives in a resort called Los Suenos. He is one of the only Costa Rican locals that lives there year round, so we had the beach to ourselves! Beach party! Because I am not too fond of the ocean, I found myself sitting under the massive palm trees and walking along the beach to find some cool spots to photograph. Caliche also ordered pizza from his restaurant that was delivered. Best international pizza that I have ever had in my life! We also played some beach paddle ball!

On Sunday, a few of my friends from the school and I went zip-lining through the rainforest! Although I didn't see any monkeys, it was an amazing experience. I still can't believe that I wasn't a bit nervous before stepping off of the first platform that was suspended about 500 feet (a horrible guess...but it was high!) off of the ground. If you ever get the chance to do something like that, I would one hundred percent recommend it! I also snagged some great photos of my friends flying between the trees.

Also, a new group of people arrived over the weekend! Although most of them are older (about thirty), they are all very friendly. It's funny though because every person that I have met here thought I was lying about my age when I said I was eighteen. They thought that I was between twenty and twenty-two!

Tomorrow, everyone from the school is going on a little excursion! We are going sea kayaking and snorkeling! Although I am a bit uneasy about the snorkeling part, I am extremely excited for the kayaking! I wanted to go in Australia or New Zealand, but I couldn't manage to fit it into my busy schedule.

Here are some photos from the weekend!

And now some photos of me! I don't have the photos of me zip-lining yet because they are on another person's camera..but they will come later!

Work and Play

Thus far, my experience has once again gone against my expectations. This is not necessarily a negative point, and in my current case, it is actually positive! I have seen many unique places in and around Jaco that the usual tourist wouldn't ever imagine. For this reason, I consider myself lucky, especially to be a photographer. Each new destination is like a blank slate for my artistic mind to wonder and explore new potentials as well as challenge unknown perspectives. 

Yesterday, all of the School of the World students went on a trip to a Crocodile Tour on one of the biggest rivers in Costa Rica. We saw countless crocs as well as Osama Bin Laden (the largest crocodile on record in the river). One of the tour guides fed a few of the crocodiles and was extremely daring. We also saw many beautiful and colorful Costa Rican birds. 

After, we had a photography lesson in which we explored Photoshop. Carlos, our instructor, informed us that all photographers use photoshop. Since then, I have been looking through magazines and websites of famous photographers to learn that this is true. Even film photographers learn how to edit their photos in the darkroom during development. 

Spanish class yesterday was great and I learn something new every day, including confidence. After class, I went with all of the surf students to the beach to photograph their lesson. I have never seen such a beautiful sunset.

Last night, a few of the girls went out with some instructors from the school to a cool bar called Back Yard. There was an interesting mixture of people from the United States and Costa Rica. It was "Ladies Night," meaning that women drink for free. Nonetheless, I did not take advantage (or disadvantage) of this, and only had one drink (it tasted like water). 

After a late night, I was fortunate to be able to sleep until 10:30. I had three hours of Spanish class in the morning, followed by a great Photography class. We went to a unique surf shop that customizes surf boards. We then went to two great lookout points.

Enjoy some more photographs!