What a year it has been!

S'up!!

Welcome to my final post from my first year in Costa Rica! So this is mainly about my last week and coming home, which was pretty intense. On the Monday we had Group 4 planning, this is a science project in groups, my group focused of the origin of products in local stores in relation to CO2. On Tuesday first years went away to a pool place thing where we reflected on the year and had fun in the pool! On Wednesday and Thursday there was mini rotations of classes and we received some exam results. On Friday I went into San José with Pietro and then our groups for Group 4 projects had to present our project and findings to the school and guests. On Saturday both first and second years went to another pool place thing where we hung out and did activities together and again played in the pool and reflected on our year together. On Sunday I went to the fruit market and there was the pass down show where acts get passed down from second to first years. We also dressed up as heroes or villains, I was assigned Freddie Krueger. Monday was an early start for Graduation and on Tuesday everyone started to leave from as early as 3 am. However I left on Wednesday, so after saying a tough goodbye to many people, Dilly and I went into San José, got some nice grub and bought some nice things!

All free time was spent with people chilling or packing. It was definitely an emotionally intense last week. Here are some pics from it:

Firstie pool trip!

Smoothies con Alison A. and Amiya!

Me and my amazing second year Valentina at the school pool trip <3

Me and Ju' sunbathing...

Fruit market pupusas and kebabs con Clara y Kate :) mmm

First years creating a path for the second years at Graduation.

Me and Maia at Graduation with our flags.

First years on stage attempting to sing a song for the second years but as usual there is no power so we have no music to sing a long to... fail.. but we had fun!

Me and my room mate Lutfe at Graduation!

Second years :) <3

The next text I wrote to pass time at airports, so here is my thoughts and feelings during those moments.

28/05/2014 - USA

I am currently sitting in Atlanta airport in Georgia, US, after my first flight from San José. I am then going to travel to Paris and then arrive in Newcastle on Thursday morning. I had a very early start. With very little sleep and a lot of stress ensuring I had everything packed, I hopped onto the 4am bus from the college to the airport with my co years Juliette and Max and my second year Anh. This is all very strange, everything feels really weird. Knowing I'm going home, the possibility of never seeing some of my second years again and that general iffy feeling of airports is all very weird. Right now it definitely feels like I live two lives and I'm stuck in-between the two, both Costa Rica and the UK feel like home to me equally, not to sound all Hannah Montana-esc! I am so excited to see my friends and family at home and have an amazing summer, but I also know I need to work hard too especially leading up to my second year. But my eyes tear thinking of what I have left in Costa Rica... what a year it has been!

Just to give you a taste of what my summer will be like, I am going home first to be with family and friends and hopefully go to woodcraft folk and rowing. I am helping out at the Green Fair in Newcastle. I then go to Marseille (and Nice a little) in the south of France for a week to visit Julia. I go to Norway for a week to visit Vilde. Then our annual surfing holiday in Devon with the fam and see Sarah's Brit co-year in Mahindra there too. UWC GB orientation is somewhere around this time also. Then I go down to Lancashire for The Beat-Herder Festival with the girls! I go to Woodcraft Folk DF camp during which is my birthday. I go back to Costa Rica around the 13th of August. I also hope to squeeze Amsterdam in at some point too. So very busy indeed, I best plan my time efficiently!

29/05/2014 - Parrrriiiii(s), France

I had a really nice flight sat next an Arab girl my age and her family. We talked and laughed the entire time, making the journey much more bearable and quicker. But I feel suupperr ill, swollen glands, blocked nose, the lot! I am so tired from only sleeping a few hours in two days but I'm sitting at my gate in Paris and the Geordie accent is echoing around and comforting me. It wasn't hard to find the gate, I simply followed the gaggling flock of Brownies, with their Geordie accents, distinct sashes and brown and yellow jackets, to our destination. This is going to be a noisy ride!

29/05/2014 - Home

I am super ill and disoriented but glad to be back in a really weird way. I miss everyone so so much! No words can describe this feeling, but right now the only word that comes to mind is sleep so adios!

I think I'll stop posting for a while so I can focus on enjoying my summer buttttt I shall post again sometime nearing my return to Costa Rica to tell you all about what I've been getting up to in the toon.

Muchos abrazos,
Hasta la vista,

Alison :)
<3

Nearing the end..

Hola,

Sorry I have not posted in so long!! Recently, I have realised just how intense uwc life can be, with the loss of a friend here life has been a struggle, but I am also very grateful to have such a loving family here and at home around me.

I have finished first year exams woo, so now to start to focus on my next batch of work but first and foremost try to make the most of my last weeks here with people I may never see again. Because of exams I do not have that many pictures for you but I have a few!!

Soooo mum came to stay for Semana Santa... quite a surprise, all last minute booking! Here she is next to the uwccr sign!

We,  my mum and I, went to San Jose for one night and then to Cahuita, a beach on the south Caribbean coast. This is also the beach my residence is named after. We did a lot of things, mainly chill, eat and sunbathe ( from which I got became burnt.... again). Here I am just in land of the Playa Blana, a beach in Cahuita's national park. 

Here is mam strolling down the carribean coast!

Cocktails by the sea!!!

Here is a picture of my E-systems class all dressed as environmental activists!

A stimulation activity for European Week involving crossing boarders within Europe. There was also a lot of delicious European snacks and a royal dinner.

Ice hockey!

Sky Jump CAS!

My first Wendys,( a fast food restaurant, apparently very big on the American side!), here with Sheree.

Semana U, a week of free concerts and amazing music at the University of Costa Rica. 

Me, Dilly and Amiya out for all you can eat sushi! ( Although I was really ill at the time so I just went along and pretended to be a walrus).

Just-finished-exams-trip out to Wokapi, a café, with Camila, Valentina, Clara and Amiya! Here enjoying a smoothie!

Calle 13!!!!! I went to see Calle 13 with Sonambulo as their supporting act. One word: incredible!

On our way to Fería Verde!

Cahutia end of year activity was your typical UWC students dream.... food, food and more food! We had sushi (so.much.sushi), chicken, salad, guacamole, crisps, chocolate cake, sweets and ice cream! Mmmmm.

Me with my ice cream!

Chilling with Sebas, Sam and Amiya.

Cahuita's year book photo, 'We can do it'!!

<3

So now there is only one week left. It can safely say there is not enough time left for all the things I would like to do before the year is up but I am going to try to enjoy myself as much as I can. I shall blog again once the year is up, probably when I am bored in the airport!

Abrazos,
Alison <3