We’ve reached the two week mark of living in Monteverde and it truly feels like home to wake up amongst all this green and nature. The weather here has been fairly consistent, with highs of 75 degrees during the day (much hotter in the sun, cooler in the shade) and the temperatures dropping to low 60’s in the evening. This makes for lovely days and nearly perfect sleep. I’ve yet to wear any of the pants I packed and a sweatshirt and raincoat are the only additional items I’ve needed so far. (editor’s note: Elise can usually be found wrapped in several layers and is wondering why she brought so many sun dresses).

The girls have settled into their classes at the Cloud Forest School and have been practicing a couple of times a week to participate in a Costa Rica Independence Celebration on the 15th of September. We attended Gene’s Open School night this past Thursday afternoon and it was incredible to witness and take part in such a great event. There were the usual introductions, but what followed were multiple ice breaking activities and team building contests to encourage dialogue between both teachers and parents. Coffee and tea was provided by the school and we (the parents) provided all the snacks and baked goods. All parents were completely engaged (no cellphones), the event lasted well over an hour, and there was so much laughter and smiles abound. We have Cleo’s this coming Thursday and I am already logging so many ideas to use in my own classroom next year.

All 4 of us started taking Spanish lessons this week with Elsa, an incredibly kind and patient teacher. We also spent an afternoon last weekend labeling all of the nouns on the first floor of our house in Spanish to help us improve our vocabulary. We are truly hoping to return able to speak Spanish as a family. Below are some images from Cleo & Gene’s notebooks.

Elise and I have also been keeping ourselves busy with orientating ourselves within the community and making connections with multiple organizations. Elise is testing out multiple sites throughout Monteverde for her field work and it has taken us to some beautiful locations. There are two elementary schools here that I am hoping to work with over the course of the year. In addition to the Cloud Forest School that the girls are attending, I am hoping to spend some time at the Monteverde Friends School that was started by Quakers more than 70 years ago.

Otherwise, we are continuing to explore the area while settling into our own rhythms and routines. One of the first things I did was re-read Jurassic Park upon arriving and its Costa Rican setting made it a perfect book. Though, as I walked through these same forests where velociraptors would have been lurking with the always fearless Elise Morton, it did make the recent puma sightings all the more present in my mind.

And lastly, these are perhaps my favorite moment of dining out this far: Michelada & Ceviche cocktails

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