
Waking up to discover class has been canceled is always a good way to begin the day. After eating breakfast and dropping off my laundry at a local laundromat, a group of us decided to head for the mall to do a little shopping. (Personally, I am in desperate need of some day to day clothing items.) The walk was a long one. However, we darted in multiple stores hoping to find some inexpensive wear which made the walk a little more bearable. As we finally stumbled upon the mall, the search for some decent clothing continued.
The distance between the hotel and the mall was probably a mile or two. Needless to say, after walking there, around, and back, we were pretty exhausted. But just when we thought we were done for a while, we headed back out for lunch. The restaurant at which we were to dine was almost as far as the mall. Again, we thought we were finished walking, and again we walked another mile or two, this time to the University of Costa Rica campus. (And we still had to walk back to our hotel.) In other words, we walked enough in one day to last us a week.
At the University of Costa Rica we listened to a talk on the history of Costa Rica and its variety of cultures. It was quite a confusing talk due to the speaker being fluent in Spanish but knowing very little English. Though we had a translator, it was hard for her to relate it back to us in English terms. I did feel like I somewhat understood the basics of the lecture but wish I knew Spanish so I could have grasped more concepts.
After the talk was finally complete, we rushed back to the hotel to get ready for dinner. We had reservations at a restaurant sitting atop a hillside and overlooking the city. As we all showered and dressed in out fanciest clothing, we were giddy with excitement at the idea of finally having the opportunity to look nice. Arriving at the restaurant, we disregarded our seating and headed straight for the view; it was absolutely breathtaking. Lights, buildings, the skyline. Just gorgeous. And of course, we just HAD to take pictures. After the paparazzi session, we headed for the table. However, some of us (me) were distracted by the beautiful jewelry for sale...
Dinner was a buffet and absolutely delicious. Along with dinner, I had a (my first) margarita. I really enjoyed chatting with everyone around me with the beautiful view in the background. After eating, we were asked to proceed to the dance floor where we were to watch a traditional dance. After the first dance was complete, which absolutely awesome, the dancers changed and came back to the dance floor for a second dance. The boys began choosing "volunteers" from the crowd. Yes. I was one of them. Though I was nervous and shaking, I had so much fun. This was definitely not my forte, but I embraced it and tried my best.
Dinner was a buffet and absolutely delicious. Along with dinner, I had a (my first) margarita. I really enjoyed chatting with everyone around me with the beautiful view in the background. After eating, we were asked to proceed to the dance floor where we were to watch a traditional dance. After the first dance was complete, which absolutely awesome, the dancers changed and came back to the dance floor for a second dance. The boys began choosing "volunteers" from the crowd. Yes. I was one of them. Though I was nervous and shaking, I had so much fun. This was definitely not my forte, but I embraced it and tried my best.
Today I learned that fear is everywhere. Along with heights, one of my greatest fears is having all attention placed on me. Tonight, being pulled onto the dance floor caused this exact situation to occur. Though I wanted to shake my head and stay seated (well, I really wanted to run in the other direction), I stood up, let out a little "woo-hoo," and began dancing in my extremely no rhythm manner. I was not about to let the fear of how others perceived me direct my choices. Letting others' thoughts dictate your fun is no way to live. In other words, sometimes it is necessary to completely let go and simply HAVE FUN!
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