like McSweeney's, except not funny

The other day, on a morning walk with my host mom, we had a conversation about what is most important in life. We talked about death, family, marriage, etc.. Granted, her references were to the Catholic Church and mariachi bands, and mine to Tuesdays with Morrie and the Flaming Lips, but the ideas were basically the same.

She noted how some people in Costa Rica like to have a mariachi band play at their funeral. This is no good, she said. If I’m going to pay that much money to have such a good band play, I want to be alive to hear it. That made me think of Tuesdays with Morrie when Morrie says that no one should have to wait until their funeral to hear nice things about themselves (So he plans a party for everyone to say nice things about him before he passes away.) She talked about how you have to tell the people you love that you love them earnestly and often. (Which, in so many words, is akin to what the song ‘Do You Realize’ by the Flaming Lips says.) How people seem to be able to forgive their family more than anyone, but nothing is ever really forgotten. She said a son or daughter’s harshness hurts more than any physical pain, and vice versa with parents. She said that marriage is a risk and a gamble, because you never know if things will change a few years down the road. But it’s one that is worth it (I guess it’s only worth it if your risk and gamble turned out well).

Point being, I wanted to say, lamely and through a blog, that if I’ve learned anything from being here, I hope its that its important to not take a day for granted and to stop and appreciate the family and friends that you’ve got in your life. (And to carpe the diem.) It's a different situation to live in a place and know that on a certain date, what has become so normal and routine, will soon be the remnants of your travel blog, or pictures or the ""semester abroad"", instead of just daily life. Each day becomes a little more valuable.

Time goes by fast. And in just a few months, Claire is moving across the country. So while I’m at home this summer, I’ll enjoy every trashy TV show watched, every breakfast at Elmo’s, every fight had (which I secretly always enjoy anyway—jk, jk), every time she yells at me for being messy, and every time we stay in our pajamas all day for the last time before she’s heading out into the real world as a real adult with actual responsibility. (What a tiring sentence just to say let alone live—although that is probably due to the awkward sentence structure.)

Anywho, as I don’t feel like doing the boring chronological update of what’s been going on in H-e-r-e-d-i-a, I shall do one later and finish with a list.

Things I will miss: :(

Morning walks with my host mom

My host family, especially my host mom

Rice and beans, GALLO PINTO!

Tropical fruits of all kinds and at all times of the day

Dance class in all of its awkward glory

Amigos, fellow exchange kids, Tico friends, everyone

Filosofia kids

10 minute breaks aka 30 minute breaks in history class

Afternoon coffee breaks in the soda, really a lot, a lot

The ugliest dog in the world

Empanadas de chiverre

Spontaneous guitar serenading, "Wish you were here," "Flaca," "Al Lado del Camino," and the chicken song (los pollitos dicen pio pio pio, cuando tienen hambre, cuando tienen frio...)

Dancing like idiots with Bonnie and Kristin

Dos Pinos and Lizano

Traveling on a whim

Being hours away from Nicaragua and Panama

Picnics next to active volcanoes

The tranquilo quality of life

Retro on Thursday nights

Being terrified in Philosophy class

Taking pictures

The Saturday market

Browsing through books at the little book stand at the university

Thursday music at UNA

Being able to go absolutely anywhere by bus

* Making up slightly inappropriate versions of the national motto, Pura Vida

* Spanish

* Team Nica

Things I won’t miss:

Dog poop

Cold showers

Ants, ants, ants, and ants and fruit flies and ants

City dirtiness

Printing at copy stations

My host family’s dog

Crazy, crazy driving

Taxis without seatbelts

Misconceptions about the US

The worst class ever (2nd to chemistry with Yousaf, aka the devil) : Health and the Environment (Interesting Title, TERRIBLE class)

Bathrooms without hooks on the doors, toilet paper, soap and occasionally, without toilet seats

The semi-permanent invisible dunce cap that comes with speaking a language that isn’t your first when you aren’t fluent

Things that I can look forward to about Chapel Hill!

Pedestrian rights, woooo!

My family and friends and family friends!

Asian food, home cookin’

My dog!

Mindless television every once in a while (i.e. food network)—I haven’t watched TV here at all pretty much, which is nice, but once in a while, seeing Barefoot Contessa lard up a recipe, or making fun of Sandra Lee’s horrendous “cuisine” is nice

Spending the summer in Chapel Hill hanging out with Claire before she leaves us for the other side of the country and has only 6 days of vacay a year (Tuna and onion sandwiches a must)

Morning walks with real-mom and Henriette!

Yopo

Weaver Street

Contra-dancing

Talking to my relatives on the telly-phone

Having all my clothes

Renting movies with my Mom and Claire

Southern food every once in a while

Cooking some of the recipes my host mom has taught me for the family

Learning some recipes from Mom (so I won’t starve next year!)

Flushing toilet paper down the toilet and not having to steer clear of the electrical box (while showering) that heats the shower water

The summah internship

Hopefully getting a job at a restaurant to make up for the (unpaid) (fulltime) summah internship

Chapel Hill itself

Making choco-hoto pots, tiramisu, Aunt Chieko’s amazing chocolate cake, madeleines and resurrecting the crème caramel recipe

Some of my fave food items: cherries, grapes, almonds, peanut butter, dried fruit, hummus

July 4^th in Chapel Hill

Not having to carry toilet paper in a bag with me everywhere I go

Breakfast with Henriette, Mom and Claire at the Weathervane

Feeling free to wear athletic shorts and a t-shirt without being the most slobbish person on campus (I haven't worn t-shirts and gym shorts to campus here yet)

Going to the Farmer’s Market on Saturday mornings

* Shows at Cats Cradle, etc. in Carrboro

AbrazosHUGS,

Erin

P.S.

ESPELUZNANTE: According to my friend, Jose, this is how you say creepy in Spanish. We were sitting in Ambiente y Salud (Environment and Health) when he, while practicing his english says, "This. is. creepy." I did a double take and gasped/stared at him, cocked my eyebrow thinking, Did he just say what I think he said???? For those who don't know, which I'm guessing is all of you, the other program students and I have been searching for the translation of the word creepy since January. So this, this, my friends, is big, big, big news. (Such big news, that it deserves a sentence with 5 commas.)

P.P.S. Unfortunately, this is more of the creepy crawler creepy. When really, we wanted the weird, awkward creepy. Oh well. You can't have it all.