First Day of School, 2nd Year in Cost Rica

Well, I guess it is now official....we loved our year in Costa Rica so much that we are turning it into a two year adventure!  With the exception of our oldest, this new life suits all of us just perfectly and we are beginning to hear requests to either stay here permanently or to at least continue to travel.  Dominic, our oldest, still desires to return to his high school in the states for his senior year next year and we have assured him that he can.  Secretly, I hope this year turns out even better for him as he should be now settled in and into the Pura Vida routine and that maybe he will desire to finish out here...but, we will see.  With the newly acquired International Bachelorette (IB) designation at the school, it is kinda hard to pass up an IB International World School Diploma for a regular old California State Diploma (cause we all know what that means).  But, it will be up to him and time will tell.

 

Our wonderful neighbors, the Gammons, are moving back to Florida (sob!) in a few days and started a home school on-line program a few weeks ago and a few of our kids have been very interested in the concept of this (I personally think they just like the idea of doing school in their PJ's and not having to wear a uniform!).  Dominic and Zack will get to try this out soon as they will both take World History on-line to keep up with the requirements of the high school back in the states.  History/Social Studies here at La Paz is taught in Spanish and is place-based and mostly about Costa Rica and the Latin American countries.   Cool in itself, but not cool enough to qualify as World History per the state of California. 

 

In the car this morning on the way to the first day back, we all talked about how different this year feels compared to this time last year.  Last year, we were new, still figuring it all out and had only met a handful of friends in the weeks before school started.  We were all new, in a new land, and attending a new school....this year, Dominic's class (11th) is the highest grade at the high school and thus the upper classmen of the colegio (what they call high school here), and Marissa's class (5th) is the highest grade at her campus and both are excited to be leaders and the oldest.  William is excited to be in a 2nd-3rd grade blended class (especially cause it is with Ms. Kelly...the wife of Marissa's teacher last year....we have all been saying that we are going form one Dodge to the next and so excited to still be in the magic of the Dodge family teaching circle).  Zack's class lost several of his favorite friends this past year, so he is excited to meet the new students and get back to playing some soccer (along with acquiring some advancement in some video game he wants to conquer this year).

 

I find myself personally slipping seamlessly back into my volunteer ways as I will be co-coordinating the new La Paz Community Council (a hybrid of the American version of the PTA) after helping to form the group last year.  After preparing a much needed Welcome Packet for the new families, it gave me the honor to get to know many new families even before they arrived and helped them with a few questions, logistics, and details of moving a whole family to a new country.  It has helped my own second year feel like home, familiar and welcoming.  And of course, I will keep up with my yoga classes (with the exciting addition of an aerial yoga class in Tamarindo!), tennis lessons, and I hope I can keep up with "Mary's boot camp" class (as we call our little work out down at the bridge) even after she leaves for Florida.

 

Kurt just headed back to the states early yesterday morning after United has cut their flights into Liberia to one flight in on Saturdays and one flight out on Sundays per week....yep...just two flight a week to choose from...such a bummer.  But, he was here for our little vacation last week and now he is back working hard on the launch of his new business, Dedicated Capital.  I just love the title, cause out of all the people I know, Kurt is by far the most DEDICATED husband, father and provided I have ever met.  Go Kurt Go!

 

So, I can't pass up an opportunity to show a picture of the kids from last year and this year....who do you think has grown/changed the most?  Just love their adventurous spirit (not to mention their newly acquired Spanish speaking skills.....they are now my translators!).  Go kids go!