This is the post excerpt.
Hello! Throughout my journey over the next six months, I will use this blog to let everyone know what I am up to and what I am learning. Enjoy sharing in my journey through my posts and pictures of my experiences. I plan to update and post at least once a week depending on Wifi capabilities.
My last week in Costa Rica was spent visiting more turtles, saying goodbye to family and friends, and crawling through a pit of mud while being yelled at in Spanish by teenagers…
Back at Camaronal Wildlife Refuge, I joined a tour group of my host father’s in the pouring rain to look for more turtles. We saw some babies being released from the hatchery and one mother laying her eggs.
The next night, I was able to spend a few hours late in the night volunteering my time patrolling the beach. We were looking for any turtles that would come to lay nests. We only saw one, and she came out of the ocean and looked around, then decided she didn’t like the area and went back into the water. We didn’t see any more turtles, but it was okay because I was mesmerized by all the stars. We could clearly see the Milky Way and more stars than I have ever seen in my life. I also saw at least 10 shooting stars while we were walking the beach. I wish I could have taken pictures good enough to show the amazing view.
The next morning I went with my host dad to buy some horses for a new horseback riding company he is starting with some friends. We ended up picking up 6 horses. I was a little sad because I was leaving the next day, and since I have a love of horses I wish I could have stayed and helped with the business, or maybe just rode them around the jungle and beaches! 🙂
I mentioned how it would be weird to not have Thanksgiving with my family at home this year, and my Costa Rican family promptly decided we would have our very own Thanksgiving. It ended up being on the Michigan vs. Ohio State football game day (Go Bucks!) and was also a going away party for me and an early birthday for my host father since I would be missing it (Thanksgiving Fiesta Celebration). I had help making my favorites like pumpkin pie and green bean casserole, then we also had a tiny turkey (okay maybe it was a chicken), potatoes, sautéed beef, and corn!
My host family started decorating their house for Christmas but to me it felt a little…weird. After being in the tropical weather for three months, I felt like it was still summer vacation and that there was no way Christmas was coming up. However, lights were strung up, and Christmas trees and decorations with snow were hung in all the houses. It still hasn’t really hit me that Christmas is coming up so soon, and it probably won’t until I get back to my home in Ohio with its freezing cold weather. I am looking forward to a cozy living room complete with a fireplace and Christmas decorations though. Good thing the souvenirs I brought back can double as Christmas presents so my shopping is done for the year! 😉
I had the honor of putting the star on the tree
I left my host family early to go with the high school 4-S club to Puriscal for a “camp”. My host sister was also at the camp, but it was really hard to say goodbye to my host parents when we left for the weekend because I would be staying in Puriscal until it was time to take the plane home. However, I really do plan on returning soon so I know I will see them again eventually. I love my Costa Rican family! ❤️
The camp was mostly for students who were interested in doing an exchange to the United States. They had interviews and other activities to see who could go to the USA. Meanwhile, the other kids, Taylor (the other IFYE in Costa Rica), and I played games. One day we had a rally where we did many different activities outside in small groups, one of which was crawling through a mud pit and searching for a medallion at the end, just like how I imagine being in the army is like. I’m not scared to get muddy, but I found myself wondering how I got into this situation as I was searching for a medallion, on my stomach covered in mud, surrounded by high schoolers and getting yelled at to keep searching by the “army instructor”. I couldn’t help but laugh. Ahh Costa Rica, unexpected adventures around every corner!
Taylor and I after our muddy adventures, I had already rinsed off
I wasn’t aware we were supposed to bring a towel….
Hanging with my chicas
After the camp, I had to say goodbye to my host sister and her friends from school. It was a rough goodbye, but we know we’ll see each other again and it’s not goodbye forever.
For the next few days we would be staying with the Coordinator for Costa Rica who was also Taylor’s first host family. While they were teaching at school, we were able to visit some friends and go to their farms. One day we went to one farm which was sitting on a mountain with cows in the valley below. We trekked down below to see the cows, bring them in to eat, and then trekked back up to eat chifrio.
Cow patties and palm trees
Chifrio
Another day, we went to their other farm and trekked down a mountain again to see the cows and talk about life by the river with the family’s daughter who is about our age. Our Spanish understanding at this point is just enough to be able to communicate effectively and we had a really great time, even walking back through the river in a downpour.
While in Puriscal, we also took one day to go into San Jose and visit the market for souvenirs. I probably spent too much money on gifts for my family (and a few for myself 😄) but I love everything I bought and am excited to display them in my house and remember all the wonderful times I had in Costa Rica. I had to leave a nice stack of clothes behind in order to take home all my gifts but after wearing the same clothes for six months I was all too happy to do it!
Speaking of clothing, I had to completely change my wardrobe for Puriscal compared to where my host family was. In the beginning, whenever I talked to Taylor in Puriscal I would wonder why she was in sweats making tea at her house while I was constantly sweating at my house all the time. Turns out, Puriscal is in the mountains and is really chilly, especially when you just got used to the hot, beachy weather where my host family lived. Judging by how cold I felt in Pursical, I can tell my arrival in Ohio is not going to be easy. Maybe I will have to book a ticket back to warmer weather before I turn into a human popsicle.
Finally, or unfortunately, the day had come to leave Costa Rica. After packing our bags until 12am, we woke up at 3am to catch a ride to the airport for our flight at 7am. Everything including customs went seamlessly, except maybe for the part when Taylor and I forgot we were back in the USA when we were asked, “Are you USA citizens?” and we promptly answered, “Si!”
Anywho, we made it to Washington DC to meet up with the other 4 IFYE girls and our program coordinator to go over our experiences and prepare for our presentations. It’s been really great to hear about everyone’s experiences and listen to their funny stories.
This experience was honestly life changing and one of the best decisions I’ve ever made in my life. I now have friends and family all over the world, a new sense of confidence, and a whole new perspective on life. The only problem is this little urge to already be off again, onto the next adventure and out the door. First, maybe I’ll figure out what I’m doing with life. Or maybe not, who knows.
I encourage you take a look into the IFYE program or contact me if you have any questions. It really is worth it to completely leave your comfort zone and challenge yourself to a new adventure.
This is my last blog post, so thank you for coming along on this journey with me. I hope you learned along with me about the cultures of Finland and Costa Rica and maybe you are inspired to do a little traveling of your own. Just don’t be afraid to get off the beaten path and befriend the locals or see what a new place is really like aside from the touristic point of view. My favorite motto for the whole trip was “Never say no” and I think that’s a pretty good life motto as well. You may think you are too tired to spend your last day before traveling exploring a farm in the mountains, but when you go anyway and end up sitting by the river in a jungle talking about life with good friends, you know you wouldn’t have wanted to miss it for the world. Pura Vida.
Adios!
It’s been a pretty eventful past couple of weeks, and I apologize for the delay in postings but when you lose your cell phone you also lose all the pictures that make a good blog possible. Needless to say, I am very thankful for the friends I’ve made that have sent me pictures of our adventures, as well as my Costa Rican family for letting me take photos on their phones or sending me the ones they took.
‘Playas & Cataratas’ (Beaches and Waterfalls) is a great theme for the past couple of weeks because I’ve been able to visit many of them.
While visiting Tamarindo for a long weekend, we rented a car with some friends and headed out to see some pretty beaches like Conchal and Bahia de los Piratas. They were both stunning and we were the only visitors to Bahia de los Piratas which made it even better.
Bahia de los Piratas
Playa Conchal with friends
The next day we caught the sunset at Playa Avellana and had a small photo shoot among the mangrove trees.
And of course I’ve visited Playa Carillo, my ‘hometown beach’. I was able to show my visiting friend who is also in the IFYE program the beach and even though it was cloudy and raining a bit, we enjoyed watching the surfers and the beautiful sunset.
And now for the waterfalls! On our road trips from Tamarindo we visited the Llanos de Cortez and then the Oropendola waterfall with some friends.
On the edge of Llanos de Cortez
Oropendola Waterfall
This weekend we visited a family friend in Arenal which led us to more water falls!
Ready to face the rain
La Fortuna 
The next day we went to Viento Fresco and hiked to a series of 5 waterfalls.
While we were in Arenal we also visited the Baldi Hot Springs which were really sweet and naturally heated by the nearby Arenal Volcano. It was basically a series of swimming pools of various temperatures, my favorites being the really hot ones.😄 I was reminded of Finland because there was a steamy sauna room and also cold pools to take a dip in before you went into a hot pool, just like swimming in a cold river after the sauna!
They also had some waterslides which I felt obligated to go down because they reminded me of my childhood summers at the Beach Waterpark, but I decided it was enough after going down the second one at a terrifying velocity and seeing my life flash before my eyes.
While in Arenal we also drove to Lake Cote, which is famous for a photo of a UFO. We didn’t see any aliens but the wind and foggy weather definitely made it a mysterious place. I have to admit I was even a little chilly, which might be a first for me in Costa Rica.
The family’s friend in Arenal has an adorable dog, Booger, which I took the liberty to love on. He’s the sweetest, but I’m not sure how I feel about 5am kisses to the face.
She also feeds the local hummingbirds and I was amazed to see so many of them every morning. They looked a lot bigger than any of the ones I’ve seen in Ohio.
Earlier during my time in Costa Rica I was able to see a sea turtle laying her eggs and hoped I could see some hatching one day. Luckily for me, during this week there has been an “arribada” which is a time of mass nesting for sea turtles when many come at one time to lay their eggs. My host father and I woke up before 4am to head to Ostional and see this phenomenon. Here is an article about Ostional which tells more about the amazing process. It was an amazing and once in a lifetime feeling to watch the little turtles emerge from the sand and head to the ocean to begin their lives.
Hatchlings from the last nesting are heading out to the sea while new legs are laid
Good luck out there, little buddy
It was quite an amazing morning. Then, that evening, we visited another beach, which was closer and also had many sea turtles coming to lay eggs. It was beautiful watching them come ashore while the sun was setting.
And finally, me with a giant leaf. Or as my host mom said, a poor man’s umbrella.
Check out this giant grasshopper. He was bigger than my finger and when he jumped and flew around it looked like a bird. 😮
At the beach we saw two sea snakes that had washed ashore. This is a yellow-bellied sea snake, and once they wash ashore they usually die because they can’t survive on land. The sea is a scary place…
I finally caught one of the river crocodiles on film. It’s not the best photo but you can get an idea of how large it is under the flashlight beam, and it’s proof that there really are crocs in the water! That yellowish spot near its back is a leaf.
This week I went to my mom’s school and helped out by watering plants in the garden and then painting bottles for a new garden decoration coming soon.
This is the rice aisle at a larger grocery store. This is probably only half of the aisle, plus there was more rice on the other side. I think it shows how rice is a staple of the Costa Rican diet. It’s possible to eat rice at every meal of the day, and it can always be found in the rice cooker. When we played bingo one of the prizes was even a bag of rice.
We visited the farm again to collect some corn with a few friends. It’s at the age that we could call “sweet corn” at home. Here we eat it boiled in water (corn on the cob) just like at home, but they also make other dishes with it, including corn tortillas called chorreada. Here I am hiding in the shade taking pictures while the men collect cobs.
Then I got to try my hand at using the machete to chop off some cobs.
When we were finished they carried the bags of corn to the truck. No combines or machines needed here!
We also took a look at the rice which will be ready to harvest in a few weeks. Also all by hand.
And these are the beans that we planted just last week. My beans! They grow up so fast 😅
Costa Ricans do not generally celebrate Halloween, but some cities may celebrate if they have many tourists or people from other countries who live there. Our neighboring town actually had trick-or-treat and many of the bars were decorated for Halloween. We went to check it out and celebrated with a few beers.
Check out the giant spider web decorations at this place.
The other evening we borrowed some kayaks and floated down the river all the way to the ocean. We saw lots of neat birds, iguanas in trees, and no crocodiles. 👍
My favorite bird is the Roseate Spoonbill because it’s pink and it’s bill looks like a spoon. Plus it reminds me of a flamingo.
A Great Egret
Over the weekend my parents, sister, and I went to stay at a friend’s cabinas in Brasilito. While we were there, the family got to catch up with some good family friends and we also attended the first communion of their young boy. We visited many beaches in the area.
This is Playa Flamingo. It was a little cloudy but we stopped to take some pictures and walk on the beach.
Just like the monkeys.
We also ate lunch at a restaurant with a pool nestled in the hills and an ocean view.
Me in my natural habitat AKA eating ice cream on the beach. This is at Playa Potrero.
We walked to Playa Conchal from our cabina. It’s really unique because the beach is made up entirely of shells instead of sand! Really cool.
The water was also a beautiful clear blue.
Enjoying one of my favorite activities, soaking up the sun, while my family plays it safe in the shade. They are the smart ones because they didn’t get burnt like me, but I can’t help myself when I’m at the beach. I love the sun! (It just doesn’t always love me)
Oh look, another frozen treat on the beach! This is a common treat that I’ve had a few times here. It’s like a snow cone, but in the middle is powdered milk, and on the top is condensed milk. Different, but delicious.
Then on our way home we also stopped for awhile at Playa Tamarindo. This is my host mom and I enjoying (surprise) another ice cream on the beach 🙂
My host father and I
We also stopped at KFC on the way back! It was delicious and I was excited about all the dipping options, although they were out of ranch. 😦
It was a really great mini vacation with the family and I liked spending time with them outside of the home exploring new places. I also enjoyed getting to see more of Costa Rica.
This week we went to a new part of the beach to hunt for mariscos AKA seafood. It was low tide when we arrived so we could walk way out on the rocks. We collected all sorts of creatures hiding in and on the rocks.
Burgado//sea snail
Our bag of seafood and a Cucaracha//Sea Roach
Casco de burro//Mussel
Las Peñas//The Rocks
There’s a cool rock formation here that we can see all the way from the beach at Camaronal. The plants on top make it look like it has dreads.
The longer we were there, the closer the waves started to come in until we had to leave.
But on the walk there and back, I found the perfect house for me complete with an ocean view 😄
Last week the 4-s club went to visit the senior center and do some activities with them. I was asked to lead them in yoga, so I did the best I could with my limited knowledge of both yoga and Spanish.
The club also danced for them, played a game, and talked about healthy food. I couldn’t understand everything but it looked like they had a really great time.
Plus the room was lined with rocking chairs so I took some time to rock away. I could enjoy this lifestyle…
That day at school I also got to attend my sister’s cooking class where we made hamburgers. The burger meat actually had an egg, and chopped up cilantro, tomato, and onion in it. It tasted delicious, so I might have to try it that way some time.
Then I went on the nature walk at school with some of my sister’s friends. It’s just a small path through the forest, with signs to label the different plants.
Different birds in Costa Rica
After that, I helped make the writing for some new signs. This one is for lechuga, or lettuce, with both it’s common name and scientific name.
On Saturday I woke up early to help my father on the farm. We went to plant frijoles mantequilla, or as we know them, lima beans, by hand. My dad and the friend who was helping us definitely had the system down pat; they could dig a hole and toss the beans in 2 seconds. I was a little slower and had to carefully place the beans or they would end up everywhere. I also took a lot of water breaks because the heat kept getting to me fast. I don’t know how they do it year round, but I think right around the time I start getting used to the heat is when I’ll be returning to the frozen tundra of Ohio in December. Thankfully, the rain was headed our way so the sun went away and a nice breeze meant I could help finish the job. Right as we were finishing it started raining.
Ohio or Costa Rica?
My special hole digging tool
Beans planted last week are already growing!
All set and ready to work
Complete with bean carrier on my hip
I also learned about these indio desnuda trees which are used commonly for fences around here. They chop off the top and replant them in a line then attach barb wire, and soon the tree is growing new branches from the top but the bottom part stays nice and straight for the fence.
Indio Desnuda trees, on the right with 2 termite nests
More fence made with indio desnuda trees, as seen from the car
I see ants in Ohio too, but here the ants are everywhere! I like to see them carrying things like these leaves. It’s hard to see but under every leaf here there is an ant following the path.
At the farm as we stood near the field, we could hear all the corn buzzing. Okay, it wasn’t the corn, but the bees that were pollinating the tassels on top of the stalks. Pretty neat.
And I finally saw my first scorpion! And then saw about 3 more and lots of spiders right after. 🙈 That’s enough I think.
On Sunday we went to bingo at the high school, and it was a really popular event! I got my card and some corn kernels to mark the spots with, but unfortunately I never won. I just missed out on winning the television! It was definitely a good refresher for my Spanish numbers though.
We visited the Camaronal Wildlife Refuge again, where hopefully I will be volunteering for a few days soon.
Turtle tracks!
The Turtle Hatchery, where eggs are kept safe and sound until the little ones hatch
And for my last tale this week, I was able to go on another tour with my host dad. We went to Barra Honda National Park to visit a cave! We were with a family of 6 from Washington, and it was great talking to them and hearing about their thoughts of Costa Rica from the tourist point of view. (They love it too.) At Barra Honda we climbed down a ladder into a cave. The drop was about 20 meters, 0r 65 feet, and we even had a rope and harness to be safe going down. The cave was very wet, muddy, and slippery inside–but luckily we suffered no casualties. There were so many formations everywhere, stalactites, stalagmites, and columns, plus special looking formations that had their own special names like the papayas, fried eggs, and Holy Family.
Climbing up to the cave opening
The entrance is on the right next to the tree
Pretending not to be scared
Pictures at the Information Office, forewarning me
The entrance and last of the sunlight above
After we climbed back out into the sunlight (thank goodness) we stopped by a great viewpoint and looked out over the local area below.
My host dad and I
Afterwards we stopped to have lunch. Just look at this giant plate of Costa Rican food which I (mostly) ordered in Spanish. (because food is the most important)
And when we stopped in town on the way home we saw these giant iguanas. Dinosaurs exist?
He knows he’s handsome
I can’t believe that in less than a week it will already be November! Time is always flying.
This week at my sister’s high school I spent some time with the fútbol girls. One day I actually played with them, and while I’m not as bad as I thought I was, I am no soccer player for sure. I think my brain is too far away from my feet for them to be coordinated and work together. 😂 Plus I got so hot running around in jeans in the sun that my face turned bright red for a long while after… If I thought all the students stared at me before, I was wrong. NOW they all stared at me. I kept hearing the word ‘tomate’, and I’m sure you can guess its meaning. 😂🍅
The next time I went I just watched the girls practice and chatted with the coach’s young daughter (in Spanish. It went surprisingly okay.) Then today I actually traveled with the fútbol girls and coaches to watch their game. (Yay, field trip!) It was an exciting game but we lost 4-5. I did learn that they were actually playing futsal, which has only 5 players per team and is generally played indoors and on a smaller court.
Practicing before the big day
On the way!
Pre-game pep talk
A shot of the action
I’m still enjoying walks on the beach, even when it starts raining or there is a naked man on the loose. (I didn’t actually see him, what a bummer.) I also like playing in the ocean waves like I’m a kid again, trying to avoid the big waves but still getting pummeled by them and having salt water go up my nose. It’s the little things.
Sometimes there is even a beautiful sunset (or incoming storm) to capture or the opportunity to practice some modeling shots.
We even visited a different beach that had a waterfall! We took lunch with us and picnicked on the sand.
This week’s list of “interesting creatures seen in Costa Rica” has some neat ones… When I hear, “Kelley, bring your camera!” I know it’s going to be something cool.
One evening we were joined by a tarantula on the front patio. I put my foot next to it for comparison as close as I dared.
We also saw some caterpillars making their chrysalises. Soon they will be butterflies. My host mom LOVES worms of all kinds. (Only kidding, she hates them with a burning passion.)
And at the beach there was a million hermit crabs of all sizes. They remind me of our family vacations, because I think every time we went to the beaches of Carolina or Florida as kids we would come back with pet hermit crabs that our parents bought for us.
And as usual, whenever we go visit friends I always enjoy the company of their dogs and cats. This week’s feature: cats.
This Saturday we made two pizza breads since it was in high demand last time and we didn’t really have enough. This time we had a perfect amount and we also made the same chocolate chip cookie recipe that I made with all my families in Finland. I really want to try no-bake cookies next if I can find all the ingredients.
Cookie dough!
Pizza bread with ham and cheese
After some failed attempts to watch the Ohio State football game on my phone, I settled for the ESPN app which at least told me what was going on.
But then I was ecstatic to find that the Ohio State-Wisconsin game was actually on TV here!!! I was able to watch the exciting end of it! Go Buckeyes!! Football Saturdays in Columbus are definitely one of the things I miss the most.
This week I had some time to draw with the supplies I bought in Finland but haven’t used too much. My favorite drawing is this one, my dog, Diesel. It’s not the best, but I can’t wait to see him again ☺️
The actual photo above and my drawing below
I’m still trying to get a picture of a crocodile in the river right next to the beach. We saw one big one at night but it disappeared before I could take a picture.
AKA THERE’S CROCS IN THERE
The crocodiles don’t like the saltwater so they shouldn’t be in the ocean, but I was reading a news article the other day about a surfing competition in Costa Rica that was delayed because of crocodiles in the water. So, just imagine that- now you have to worry about sharks AND crocodiles eating you. Ah, Costa Rica.
But, in all honesty, I’m truly loving my time and my family here– All is well. ❤️
I apologize for the delay in posts but last week I wasn’t feeling well and spent the better part of the week lazing around the house so there wasn’t too much to talk about. We think I spent too much time in the sun on the day we went whale watching so I was hot and dehydrated for a few days. Feeling bad sucks, especially when you’re not at ‘home’ but luckily I have an awesome family here who took great care of me and made sure I had everything I needed to feel better.
I’m still enjoying all the nature and creatures of Costa Rica. It’s crazy to just be able to walk outside the house and see iguanas, monkeys, and toucans.
There’s also a neighborhood rabbit that likes to visit so I love on him when I can catch him.
At my sister’s high school, I helped the 4-S club tear apart the old garden to get ready for a new one. Here we are washing off old tires which were used as decorations.
Teamwork makes the dream work…especially when moving heavy items
I did make my famous pizza bread for my family and family friends and it was definitely a hit but we ran out fast! Next time I’ll have to make a double batch. I am hoping to make some more of my favorite recipes for them, and we’ve already been planning what we can do for a Costa Rican Thanksgiving. 😄
My sister and I making pizza bread
My father caught shrimp from the river the other night and then cooked them for dinner. They were sooo good. Hopefully we can have them again 😄 and maybe I’ll go to help catch them one night.
The shrimps before and after
I enjoy taking night walks on the beach with my family and just taking in the sounds and atmosphere by the sea (especially when we get ice cream, too 😉). We also see lots of crabs and one night even a huge crocodile in the river!
This weekend we went to a baby shower in another town. My host mom likes crafting and making decorations, and she helped make the room beautiful as you can see below. It’s always neat to see different celebrations in other cultures and how they are different and the same as ours.
Bienvenida Emma S (Welcome Emma S)
Es una niña! (It’s a girl)
Some tasty pastries and a drink for everyone to toast the family and baby
I felt very welcomed by the family we were visiting and even strangers who included me in the celebration. Everyone is so friendly ☺️
That’s all I have for now!
Hola! This is officially my first blog from Costa Rica! I arrived about a week ago to this hot but beautiful country and have already seen some amazing things. I have a wonderful family, and this experience will be a little different from Finland because I will stay with this family the entire three months.
When I arrived in the evening in San Jose I was taken immediately to see my family. They were in town for the grandparent’s 50th wedding anniversary, which was great because I got to meet a lot of the family. They renewed their vows on Sunday morning during a Catholic mass (in Spanish of course). I really enjoyed the music in Spanish.
After exploring San Jose a little bit and saying goodbye to the family, we took the bus home which was about a five hour trip towards the Pacific side of the country. It’s the rainy season in Costa Rica, but for the most part where we are it just rains in the evening or night. The weather is a lot warmer than what I’m used to and I feel pretty hot all the time, so hopefully can get used to it just in time to head back to a cold December in Ohio. 😄
I have a younger sister who is in high school, and I get to tag along with her some days. Her school is neat because it consists of several classroom buildings connected by walkways, not like my high school at all which was just one building with several floors. I liked meeting all of her friends, everyone is so friendly and curious here and I always feel welcome.
The view as I wait outside a classroom while my sister takes a test
The grassy area between two school buildings
They have an art focused 4-S club, similar to our 4-H clubs. While I’m here I can help out the club with any projects they are doing.
I love the scenery and nature of Costa Rica, there is always so much to see. It’s exciting to hear howler monkeys in the distance and then see them traveling along the power lines. I’ve also seen things like frogs, giant insects, geckos, birds, and butterflies. I haven’t seen a scorpion yet but I’m sure the day is coming.
Howler monkeys
Giant grasshopper
When I have a ‘free day’ I can take myself to the nearby beach which is just a short bike or bus ride away. I LOVE THE BEACH so this is awesome to me. I love being near the ocean and hearing the waves, or walking and swimming in the ocean and laying in the sand with a good book.
My first day alone at the beach, I was lying down and reading my book when a dog came out of nowhere and tried to take my book from me. I distracted him with a packet of tissues, and while he tore that apart I gathered my things. He then looked up at me from my own towel like, ‘Now what?’. He proceeded to hang out with me and we played fetch for awhile in the ocean. It was totally random but cracked me up because I love dogs. There are many stray dogs here that you can see roaming the streets.
I named him Carlos.
My father took me to the Camaronal Wildlife Refuge which among other things is known for its work in protecting sea turtles. Four different kinds of turtles come to the beach at night to lay eggs. We patrolled the beach until we found a turtle track coming from the ocean. When we found her, we watched as she dug a hole and then laid 80-120 eggs! Afterward she packed down her hole and camouflaged it, then went back into the sea where she came from. It was such a cool and maybe once in a lifetime experience for me, coming from good ol Ohio. Hopefully I can go back to see the little turtles when they hatch!
Sea turtle laying eggs
We’ve been to two waterfalls, and I am always amazed because the water everywhere is so warm, in the ocean and in the rivers. Maybe that’s just because the last water I jumped in was a little bit chillier in Finland 😉
My father works sometimes as a tour guide, which is awesome because he knows a lot about the nature of Costa Rica and always takes the time to point out neat things to me. Yesterday morning I got to go on a dolphin and snorkeling tour with him and the customers. We saw humpback whales swimming along and one even swam right under our boat! We also saw a whole pod of Pantropical spotted dolphins. It was amazing to see them jumping out of the water and swimming right below my feet in front of the boat. We also saw some turtles swimming in the distance. We anchored the boat to snorkel for a bit and I saw a lot of neat fish. The bright blue ones were my favorite because that’s my favorite color.
Our boat, on the left
Dolphins
Small humpback whale swimming right under us
Where we snorkeled
I took three years of Spanish in high school and it’s helped me a little bit, I can usually understand what someone is saying when they are speaking slowly. But I when I leave I will be fluent! 😉 I downloaded an app on my phone to help me but the best way to learn is definitely being immersed totally in the language, especially when my family says “Only Spanish today.”
So far Costa Rica has been awesome and I’m excited to see where these three months take me 😊
Brahman cattle
The sunset blocked by clouds, but still beautiful
I am leaving Finland and it really is bittersweet. I have enjoyed my time here so much and have made friends and family for life. I can’t thank my host families enough for giving me new opportunities, especially some of the ones I’ve had this week.
The whole family helping collect water for the sauna
My host mom is a great baker and she even sells some of her bread, especially the gluten-free kinds because they are so much better than the store bought bread. So naturally we have spent some days baking. The first day we made rieska, both regular and gluten-free. Then another day we made pulla, which is a traditional Finnish bread usually served with coffee. It tastes somewhat like a cinnamon roll and I think it’s delicious.
Making rieska. Flatten the dough and poke fork holes in it.
Finished rieska, so tasty!
We made all kinds of different pulla shapes with the same dough. I would like to bring this recipe home and make pulla for my family at Christmastime.
Everyone likes to help mix the dough
The dough and the filling are ready!
Rollllll it out
Spread the filling!
Fold in half and slice into pieces
Start twisting
Keep twisting it up
All of mama’s helpers and I
Nicely twisted and ready to go
Coat them with eggwash…
And sprinkle some pearl sugar on top. Now they’re ready for the oven.
Our finished goods!
Different pulla shapes
Enjoying a cup of coffee and tasting all the different kinds of pulla!
While visiting Rovaniemi again, we went to the Arctic Circle Husky Park. We took a tour and saw all the huskies and learned more about them, and loved on the little puppies who hadn’t started training yet. When there’s snow on the ground, the Husky Park is a really popular place for tourists to go on a husky safari and ride in a sled. We went in the “off-season” but they did have a cart with wheels pulled by the huskies that you could ride in if you wanted. We didn’t ride but we watched them get the dogs ready and take off with some other tourists. I would like to come back in the winter and take a real sled ride.
Precious little one
Two older huskies ready to go and one husky pup who thinks she’s a squirrel
I’ve noticed a lot of people in Finland can knit some really nice things like sweaters and cozy socks. I mentioned that I wished I had learned to knit, so my host mom promptly sat me down and started me on my own knitting. It’s not as hard as I thought it looked, but then I was doing the simplest version too. I think it would nice to learn how to knit really well when I’m back in the U.S. as a hobby.
One cool fall evening we rode the horses to the racetrack and let them run as fast as they could. It’s such a great feeling and definitely an adrenaline rush to fly along that fast. You don’t get many opportunities to just run like that in a nice area.
My host father shoes horses as a side job so I went along with him to watch him work. I’ve learned about shoeing and all the tools used in my equine classes at OSU so it was neat to see that the process is pretty much the same here.
My host father also works at the Ranua Zoo, which we visited last week, and this week I had the opportunity to be a zookeeper for a morning! I love all animals so this was like a childhood dream come true and I really loved helping out. My favorite parts were giving the polar bears breakfast and seeing these giants up close, and holding baby beavers so they could get their medicine. I also helped clean the pens of the minks and weasel, and then feed the brown bear, beavers, cranes, dholes, otter, grey-sided vole, foxes, and wild boars. It was so exciting to have this once in a lifetime experience and be up close to these animals, and I have to thank my host family so much for giving me the opportunity. You can see all the animals and learn more about them on the zoo’s website here. I didn’t take any pictures because I wanted to be in the moment and actually help with the work instead of stand back and take pictures, but I have a lot of memories to keep with me in my mind. 😄
We spent a nice evening visiting the home of a man who came to Finland from the U.S. and his wife and kids. He came here 20 years ago from Minnesota to teach. It was really nice talking to him and hearing his perspective of Finland, from an American who has been living here for some time. He also took me to the school where he teaches and showed me around, which is the first time I had been in a Finnish school, and I learned even more about their school system so that was really interesting.
My last evening we hooked up Roksu to a traditional carriage and drove him around for a bit with the pony in tow. My host dad even wore traditional clothes!
As I sit here on the train taking me to the airport I am reminiscing all the great times I’ve had with my host families. Hopefully one day I can make it back to Finland to visit again. I would especially like to come back during the winter and visit Lapland to do all sorts of winter activities like sled and sleigh riding and skiing.
I’ve also been telling all my host mothers that they will be invited to my wedding (whenever that day comes) so I’ll have to warn my future husband that a plane full of Finns might show up on the big day 😂
Even though it’s sad to leave Finland and all the awesome people I’ve met, I have to say I am so excited to be meeting up with my brothers in a few hours in Munich and then exploring Germany with them. And then (after a quick pit stop in Newark, New Jersey) it’s off to Costa Rica!
Time has truly been flying since I’ve left the U.S. and I think it’s simply because I’ve been having such a good time and have been so busy doing activities with my families. But to my family at home: Christmas will be here before we know it and… “I’ll be hooommme for Christmas” 😄
The Northern Lights! Photos taken by my host mom.
Final Count: 16 different saunas and many many sauna sessions over 3 months. Planning where to put the sauna in my next house ☺️
Here I am with my fourth and final host family in Lapland, which is the northernmost region of Finland. I have 5 little sisters and the 6th one is due to be here soon 🙂
I also have two cat friends and a dog to love on, plus the family has three horses and a Shetland pony. The horses pull zoo customers on sleigh rides in the winter, which makes me wish there was some snow here already!
I was able to ride the family’s horse Roksu and to my surprise he has a western saddle 😄 They are not very common in Finland. Roksu and the other two horses are Finnhorses. I think I’ve said this before but I like Finn horses because they are nice to ride but they can also do work.
My host father works at the Ranua Zoo so of course we spent a day there. I finally saw all the Finnish wildlife I had heard about but hadn’t seen up close yet, plus some other neat animals.
Hopefully this otter is having happy dreams
Sea Eagle
Polar bear sleeping before lunch time
Reindeer
My three younger sisters who aren’t in school yet got to come to the zoo
My host mom had an early morning ultrasound appointment in Rovaniemi so we spent the rest of the day in town. First we went to Arktikum, which is a “museum and science center that provides information on Arctic issues and tells stories about Lapland”. I learned more about the Arctic and how it’s being affected by humans and the climate change, and also saw some historic northern Finnish artifacts.
Next we went to Santa Claus Village, where Santa Claus actually lives and where his mail gets delivered. We met Santa and took a picture with him. 😄 Luckily he spoke English too and I promised I would sing an Ohio song for him when he comes to visit in a few months. I’m thinking Carmen Ohio. Santa’s village is also right inside the Arctic Circle so I officially stepped over the line into the Arctic.
These are letters to Santa from all over the world
Low quality picture but.. SANTA
Standing in the Arctic Circle
Distances to other popular cities. 6204 km to New York!
Over the weekend we headed even more north for some hiking and camping adventures. On the first day we did a small day hike with the whole family and stopped to cook sausages over a fire.
Pausing to drink fresh water from a spring
The hut where we cooked our sausages
Then my host mom and her sister and I continued on with the hike and went up to the top of a hill (I think we can call it a mountain 😅)
The view was breathtaking and the weather was perfect. The next day, after the rain had stopped for the evening, I started on a backpacking trip with my host father’s two sisters. I have never been backpacking before so I was very excited but also a little nervous if it was going to be too difficult for me.
The weather was cold and windy both days we were out but at least it wasn’t raining and I was packed with warm clothes, good (borrowed) hiking boots, and a toasty sleeping bag. We hiked about 6 km the first evening then stopped to sleep in a Lapp hut because the first cottage we came to was very full of people already. In Finland in the national parks, there are cottages and places to stay overnight for free, you are only expected to respect nature and keep the area clean. The Lapp hut we stayed in had a fire place in the middle to stay warm all night, which was nice because it was below freezing that night! Then all around the edges of the hut were benches to sleep on. In total six people and three dogs slept in the hut that night.
Ominous fog on the fells before we left for the hike
First pit stop and small cottage that we did not stay in
We made it to our stopping point! In the background is the Lapp hut where we sleptNothing like warm coffee after a cold and windy hike
Even this dog is prepared for the weather
Going up and down the many fells was difficult at times but I found that focusing on where my feet were going in order to not trip on a rock helped me forget about the strain on my legs (haha). Then all of sudden I would turn around and there would be an amazing view behind me and where we came from was so far below.
Some wild reindeer we walked next to!
Stopped for a break, eating some life-saving chocolate
See the red roofs in the almost middle of the picture? That’s the end of our hike!
In the end we hiked about 16 km over the two days and it was difficult at times but it was worth it. Here’s the link to the national park if you want read more about the arctic fells of Pallas National Park.
We have been busy and I already have things to add to my next blog so stay tuned for more! Here’s to my last full week in Finland 🙂
Let us begin the saga of this week.
I was able to visit two different dairy farms-petting cows and calves is always a day well spent in my book.
The first was a neighboring 4th generation Ayrshire dairy farm. The farm was similar to the first dairy I visited here in Finland, where the cows came in to their own tie stalls to be milked.
I found the most amazing item ever, which is this wearable stool. You can wear it while milking so you don’t have to squat and of course I tried one on.
Imagine if you were spending a long day shopping and whenever you got tired you could just sit down where you were 😂 Okay, maybe not.
The daughter now runs the farm, but her mother still comes out to help milk. We trekked out to the pasture to visit the heifers who hadn’t had their first calves yet.
The other dairy I visited had a robotic milker which was really neat for me to see for the first time. The cows can choose when they want to be milked and walk into the milking chute, then the robot does the rest while the cow gets some food.
They also had some nice spinning brushes the cows could rub on whenever they wanted. Ah, the luxurious life of a cow.
I found some kittens hanging around the dairy and played with them but failed at convincing my host father that we needed a kitten along with the family’s puppy. 😄
Harvest has started on my family’s farm and the combine has been steadily working in the oat and barley fields. I rode along in the combine and then also learned how to work the machine. I can now say that I’ve harvested some barley.
This field was harvested and then plowed and seeded with winter canola.
The last bit of seeding to be done
The seeding machine
As I shared earlier, I am staying on a broiler farm and this week the chicks arrived! First we got the chicken houses ready by placing newspaper on the peat. Chicken feed is put on the papers so the chicks can immediately have food at their feet in the very beginning instead of having to figure out the feeders. The water, feed, and temperature/humidity levels of the houses are automated by a computer system but the chickens still need checked at least twice a day.
I helped with the delivery by emptying crates of chicks into the barns. There’s so many chicks! 86,000 in all, split between three chicken houses.
Unfortunately I will be leaving before they go to market, so I will not be able to see that process or their full growth, but I’m happy I was able to see them in their cute stage.
We went to visit the family’s old cottage, which was built in the 50s. We went to sauna while there and swam a little. (Okay I just stuck my feet in because it was freezing and I’m a coward.)
The sauna
View from the cottage lakeside
Courtesy of the meat company that the family works with, we spent a day at the amusement park in Tampere. I love roller coasters so I really enjoyed it.
A neat motorcycle ride
I made pizza bread for the family and judging by the reviews I think it was pretty tasty. I am getting used to making my own dough now without my trusty Bread Machine, and perfecting the crust.
Then, the highlight of this week, we took a boat to Stockholm to visit for a day. In my head I imagined a small ferry with some sleeping cabins, but when we got to the port I was surprised to see a huge cruise ship. We ate a buffet onboard the ship which was amazing of course, and then enjoyed some karaoke before heading to bed. The ship arrived in Stockholm early in the morning and we debarked to enjoy the city, then got on a different ship to head home that same evening.
Our ship to Stockholm
Leaving Turku
In Stockholm our first stop after winding through the city streets was the Nordic Museum, which features the history of Sweden from the 16th century to now. Finland was actually part of Sweden for almost 700 years from around 1150 until the Finnish War of 1809 when it became part of the Russian Empire until 1917. There was a lot to see and luckily they provided audio guides in many languages so you could wander through the museum and listen to your ‘own guide’ tell you about the exhibits.
King Gustav Vasa
Grandfather clock cases
A neat bench
Some fancy shelves which would hold the Bible in a house
I liked this Midsummer description because I also collected the seven wildflowers on Midsummer’s Eve in Finland.
Then I chose to take a bus tour of Stockholm. It was starting to be rainy and cold so it was the perfect time to sit on the bus and listen to different facts about the city as we went around. I even made a friend, all the way from California 😉, and it was nice to chat with him about traveling and being out of the United States.
My host mom and I avoiding rain on the bus
The royal palace, where the King and Queen of Sweden live
Stockholm was very awesome and of course I could spend many more days there just trying to see everything. Being a tourist in the city made me very excited for the time soon when my brothers and I will be exploring Germany!
Saturday morning I visited with a Anna-Kaisa, a 4H Organization Manager, and was able to learn more about the Finnish 4H system. It is pretty different from 4-H in America. To try to sum it all up, the club members learn practical skills from an early age and are encouraged to start their own enterprise when they are older to prepare for a career later on as adults. That’s a very basic description and maybe not the best, so here is the link to the Finnish 4H page if you’re interested in learning more: Finnish 4H
I was also able to meet and speak with some young girls who are leaders of 4H clubs. We made pancakes over a fire and chatted about not only 4H but also the differences of young life in Finland and the United States.
A delicious pancake with blueberries
The young leaders and yours truly cooking a pancake
In the evening my host mom and I explored the nearby national park for a bit and hiked through the marsh.
I’ve been here two months now but the beauty of Finland still amazes me everyday.
Unfortunately it is already time to leave my wonderful third host family and head for my fourth and last family in Finland. Next time I’ll be writing from Lapland, the northern region of Finland 🙂
extraordinaryescapade 