Life in Tico Town

So, I have almost two hours before my class starts and I just love feeding the internet café industry so, a post of random pros and cons about Costa Rica:

Things I miss about the states:
1. I would currently give a lot for a good strong, cuppa PG tips decaf (yes, only decaf because I´ve got enough stressing my system right now). With cream and sugar, please.
2. Hot, steamy, pouring showers that make the mirrors unusable for a week.
3. Super-fast internet in my house. Both of them. All of them.
4. Putting toilet paper...in the toilet.
5. Real fruit juice. It´s always an odd toss-up here between amazing, fresh-squeezed tropical, fruity goodness or rather chemically tang-like mixes. My madre seems to prefer the latter.
6. My family, housemates and boyfriend. (Lest any of them be offended that this was relegated to number six, well, pure coincidence.)
7. Having my own car to drive. And understanding the rules of the road where I drive it.
8. Ice cream. Lots of ice cream. Not that I can´t get it here, it´s just...well, it´s sort of different.
9. Aged cheeses. I´m an addict.

Things I love about Costa Rica:
1. Walking everywhere. As much as it can be stressful, hot and exhausting... It´s also really cool to be able to walk to almost everywhere I need to get to.
2. The food. Fried plátanos, fresh fruit with breakfast every day, and I have to confess to enjoying beans and rice. Lucky me.
3. The people. Everyone is very friendly, laid-back and just has this great relaxed attitude about life. Which makes it much easier to slowly allow myself to fit into the culture here.
4. The weather. I´m warm. It´s a sensation I haven´t truly felt in months.
5. Speaking Spanish. I love it. And every now and then, at home, I forget how much I love it. But it´s great to have the opportunity to stretch my skills and learn new vocabulary just walking down the street.
6. The enthusiasm for life that Ticos have and the way they are able to constantly express it.

I feel bad, writing a longer list of things that I miss about the states than things I love about CR, but the thing is, while the second list is shorter, it´s made of much bigger things.

Though, I do have to confess, after my trips to Central America, I will never take a hot shower for granted again.

¡Pura vida!