Yet again a lot has changed and I haven't kept you all up to date! Sorry I'm really bad at that.... :D
I am currently sitting at my kitchen table at my home in Michigan... Kind of had a forceable removal from Costa Rica due to Coronavirus. Our Study Abroad group was on a weekend excursion in Alajuela (ala-huela), enjoying the hot springs at a hotel on a volcano and zip lining through the forest with stinky helmets. Then we all loaded up on the bus and got a phone call from our director stating that the program will be canceled effective of March 22 I believe, which was one week from that current day. Within that week we had to re-arrange our flights home, hoping that they weren't going to charge us an arm and a leg and we were also told that if we were to stay in Costa Rica past the 'move out' date there would be nothing for us, no health insurance, no room or boarding, unless our families did it for us out of their own hearts and pockets. Oh and theres no refund. Within a few days I was on my way back home, which was harder to do than I thought, I cried a lot. But with our program there is absolutely no refund, this means (I missed michael sooooooooooooooooooooooooo much the end - from Michael) our families get paid for an extra week after our departure then the rest of the housing money we paid for goes back into the program, our house families won't get it. We also wont be refunded for transferring to online learning, at least two more excursions that were included in our trip, nor did they offer to help us get to the airport (airport travel was an included fee in our program). So yeah, it was a great hecking time.
But I'm back in the US now and I was able to return to my job after two weeks of quarantine. My job, as a lifeguard, is not watching people swim anymore, its scanning people at the entrances to the hospital. We take everyones temperature, ask if they have certain symptoms, have them sign paperwork if they're salary and hand them a mask according to their level of patient activity. I've applied to a new job as of recently, I applied to be a patient sitter. This is an on call job where if a patient comes in with suicidal tendencies, or dementia, or the ones that remove their IV's, I get called in to watch them.
I'm finishing the rest of my Spanish major online, today is actually my last day of class. It's been a really difficult thing to do. Normally class lasts from 8a-11a Costa Rica time, which is 10a-1p Michigan time. Right through lunch, so typically I eat lunch during class, let it settle and take a nap after.
I've been trying to keep a consistent schedule, I wake up at 8 on the week days (and sleep in on weekends if I can), I finish whatever I need to finish before class starts as we've been LOADED with assignments this last week, take class, and maybe workout/walk/nap in this time. But the thing I'm most excited to get back to is practicing. I told myself to take a break while I finish school because its so frustrating and mentally draining that practicing seemed like more of an unwanted chore than normal. "does this item bring you happiness?" I'm learning that its okay to take breaks, yes you may fall behind someone who is practicing 365/24/7 but if you're not happy and practicing feels like a heavy burden, its okay to take a break. Maybe use this break time to plan a practice regimen.
Anyway,
I hope you all are safe and finding things to enjoy en quarantine,
Em
