The Final Countdown

10 days until my return to “reality”.  But as I recently said in an email to some friends, at this point I don’t know what reality is.  I’ve mentioned before that I feel I’ve been living someone else’s life.  Not an Portland life, that is for sure.  The things that are different here range from beliefs, customs, attitudes, food handling, animal treatment, woman’s roles and rights, etc. etc.  and even though many of the people I have met speak English and have been exposed to America and Americans the underlying differences surface quite quickly at times.  But that’s not what I’m writing about now.  

I am filled with anxiety about my return.  My friends and families lives have continued on without me.  And though I’ve only been gone for about 4 months I haven’t had much news from home and I know that many things can happen in 4 months.  I’m also filled with uncertainty about what I want to do from here.  Work, money, houses, cars, pets and even bicycle decisions feel very pressing.  

However, there is part of me that thinks I’ll just enjoy summer and worry about that other stuff later!  Pura Vida!  Tomorrow is another day.  Even though that's what I've been doing for the last 1.5 years since my layoff.  If I've leaned anything at all in my time here it's that sitting in an office will be very a difficult life for me to return to.  

In farm news: 

The cheese making continues

The pigs ate the male duck

2 hens are broody sitting on no eggs - cold baths for them

3 bun buns are doing well!  

My chigger battle is futile, and I'm once again covered with them!  They itch like EmEffers!  

I hesitate to tell this one, but I encountered my first snake here in Costa Rica this week.  The other night Coco and I walked to the neighbors to take them some food and visit.  We both had flashlights and were looking for the Fer-de-Lance (Bothrops asper)Spanish Name: Terciopelo-  Most people don't survive the bites of these.  And the small ones are worse because they can't or don't control the amount of venom that comes out when they bite.  However, since I've never seen one, I only know that they are hard to spot and blend in.  They don't run like most snakes but will attack right away.  In a Costa Rican snake miracle I step right on it's head!  and didn't even know it until Coco was yelling and chopping it up with the machete!  He was in shock and awe that I wasn't biten.  He saw it right when I stepped on it, not enough time to warm me.  It really did blend in to the dirt road.  If I would have been biten, and actually made it to the hospital in San Jose or Golfito, I would have probably been hospitalized for a long time while they tried to stop the spread of the damage.  Some people loose their legs or have to have many skin grafts from other parts of the body.  Needless to say, my walking anywhere at night is probably not going to happen again.  :) 

To answer some much asked questions:

Yes Coco is my boyfriend.  No, I don't know if we will ever see each other again.  Yes this is breaking my heart.  No, I am not painting.  No, I am not an alcoholic, still a binge drinker with maybe more binges.  :)  But in the last 2.5 weeks we've only drank a couple of times.  Yes, I'm excited to see people at home, but no, I'm not really looking forward to returning.  No, I don't have any idea what I'll do when I get there!  

That's it for now.  The solar panel situation is still not good so my power supple on this computer is VERY limited!  

Love and bunnies nose kisses,

Serena