After so much time....

...I will actually post something on my blog again. This turned out to be like my journal--after getting more and more behind it seems like a chore to update what I have been up to and so here is a brief, brief recap of the past, oh, year (ok, nine months).

Costa Rica was incredible. After living there for three months, I am alright at Spanish--I can say basically anything I need to say, whether of not it is perfect Spanish is another thing. I met such wonderful people through the families I was living with, the friends I met through them and also all of the women I worked with at the Orquideas and also the guys at the Escuela de Ganaderia. I am still in touch with all of them, and I'm hoping to go back sometime soon!!!
My parents, Andy, Aunt Sue and Karl all came for a week, and we got to travel around the island in the comfort of a car, something I had not done in 3 months of being away from home. It was great to be with all of them, and show off "my" Costa Rica to them, as well as doing all of the touristy things. She-Rene, Kev, Greg and Ted, my wonderful friends from school came down and we had an amazing time that cannot be put into words and only can sort of be captured by photos, but the week involved horsebackriding in the rain, broken toenails, guaro, beaches, and rafting. Sweet.

In October, for my parents' joint (10 hours apart) 60th birthdays, all four of us went to Europe together, something that has not happened since Andy was in high school (some, 10 year ago?). We arrived in Paris and stayed with Marie-Helene in Sceaux, and got to spend a few days with our friends in the city. Then, we took our rental car across to Slovenia, stopping in Alsace, which had such wonderful wine, and storks, and then across Germany staying on Chiemsee (really sweet, too) and then out to Lj. We didn't get to see Irenca because she was sick, but we got to be in Dole with our relatives Slavka, Tone, Tamara and little Gian (who is 4 yrs old and knows to sing lullybyes to his dad in slovenijan when his dad gets mad at him--the cutest thing ever!!) Mom and I were able to stay after and go to the National Park together, and we had all sorts of tour guides with us and it was such a beautiful experience. The two of us drove back, had some more time in Paris and then she headed back for the states and I caught up with my friend Greg in Barcelona--he was living there, chilling and drawing. My time in Barcelona included getting ditched on the discoteca floor, sangria, lots of walking around, gaudi, the aquario, and of course, yummy food.

After studying and taking the horrible godawful GREs, I went out to DC for a long weekend to visit Katiefoster and She-Renie (who is gone from SF for a whole year for a masters program!!). It was Kfo's birthday and Halloween, so it was a lot of fun. We moved Kfo to the burbs of DC, she's so grown up!

El Salvador is really going to need to be its own entry, so I will get that up and running when I get back. That was in January.

Right now I am living with my brother in Paris for three months. He is taking intensive French classes, and I am volunteering in a patisserie/boulangerie in the 16th, it is so incredible! This is thanks to our friends the Schillis, who gave me the hook up. I am working underground with all four pastry chefs and a bread baker, and it ROCKS! I work four days a week when I can, meaning when no one is visiting me (my parents, christ and renie have all been), and I am learning so much! I will give more details later, but basically I wanted to just go off and do something crazy and learn a new skill now, while I can...I am starting my phd program at Stanford in the fall, so this is the time to do it!!