24/1/11

8:41pm

It's hard to believe I just had my last day here. Tomorrow we head back to the city at 7:30 in the morning. But today sure was a memorable string of events.

When I got up for breakfast, I found the Australian tea towel placed on display under the plastic table cover, right in between the two New Zealand ones. It helped spawn some conversation between my mother, my brother, and myself during lunch today, and it's heartwarming to know I'll always have a little place in this home.

I also realised I've made a few really good friends in some of the girls here on project. I went for a walk with one of them this morning (as well as our last day, it was our day off), as we did in our breaks a few days before, and found myself having a really deep and thoughtful conversation. Same goes for another pair of girls, who I spent over an hour to talking about all sorts of things this afternoon after our coffee meeting. We laughed about the most ridiculous things, but also had some quite serious topics of conversation. All in all, I've met some pretty amazing people, both Australian and Costa Rican, who I'm unlikely to forget any time soon.

For some unknown reason, my roommate wasn't home for dinner (he still isn't home now, either..), so I had my last meal here as the only visitor. It was nice, and easier because we got through all the emotional goodbyes last night. I also pulled out the paper and coloured pencils I intended to donate to the school, but the chance never really came around, and I can already see that my little sister is going to love them and make the most of them. I signed a couple of the drawings that I did and wrote my name under them. The most amazing thing was that after teaching the family how to pronounce my surname, my younger brother proceeded to recite my whole name, and added their own family name on the end. It was a true sign that I was really part of the family.

But just in case that wasn't enough, they made us t-shirts, with their family names and a photo of the town, as seen from the top of the mountain. I think I cried all my tears last night, but it was a touching moment, and now I have a meaningful souvenir to remember them by forever.

My roommate (who's since arrived home) ad I also brought them a soccer ball, which I know for a fact the whole family will love and use until it's as worn out as the one they have now. It's been a long two weeks in San Cristóbal Norte, but my time here really couldn't have ended on a better note. The cold showers, noisy nights and less-than-perfect beds may have been testing, but nothing comes close to the way this place has changed me for the better. No matter what happens in the next two weeks, I already know that I've had the time of my life on this trip.