A Year in Review

My year in numbers:

Swim Suits: 4

Dresses worn through: 5

Times the river peaked: 3

Times I have been called “Teacher”:  Tens of Thousands

Students taught: 60

Grades Taught: 7

Songs learned in class (by kids): 11

Chapters covered: 12

Hours in Classroom: 1035

Trips to America Made: 3

Trips to San Jose: 15

Trips to Manuel Antonio: 11

Beaches visited: 7

iPod’s stolen: 2

Books Read: 27 (Best- Then We Came To The End by Joshua Ferris)

River Rafting trips: 1

Spanish learned: Bastante

Besitos received: 1000’s

Shoes worn through: 4

Mosquitoes killed: 100+

Soccer Games Played: 5

Soccer games won: 2

Farthest walk: To Cajon and back (6 miles)

Greatest Photo Op: Scarlet Macaws on the Highway or Toucans outside of my classroom. 

Phone cards used: 40

Number of crying fits in El Vergel: 2

Number of Crying fits in Costa Rica: 6

Number of meals that included Rice and Beans: 600

Recipe’s learned: 3

Inappropriate Propositions received: 64

Visitors Received: 4

Blogs Written:

Most expensive beer: $3.00

Number of times I wore Pants instead of dresses to school: 16

Favorite Person From the Year:  Kristi Girdharry of course

Greatest Achievement: My Relationship with my Second Graders or just how much my 1^st graders have learned.

Favorite Novella:  La Hija Del Mariachi

Most Watched DVD:  Arrested Development Seasons 1&2

Favorite afternoon Snack: Diquis Sandwich and a Strawberry Smoothie

Best Place to Dance:  Barba Roja, Manuel Antonio

Best Weekend Trip: Manuel Antonio

Best Place to watch for Gringos:  Tortilla Flats, Dominical

Best Place to Relax: Puerto Jimenez

Favorite Snack at the Pulperia: Plantain Chips with Chili, Lime and Salt

Best Ceviche and Patacones:  Puerto Jimenez

Anthem:  I Was Just Thinking by Teitur, Split Screen Sadness by John Mayer, More Adventurous by Rilo Kiley or Dimelo by Enrique Iglesias

Jars of Peanut Butter eaten: 5

Boxes of Cheez-its consumed: 9

Most Costa Rican Moment: Going to a Barbeque on the beach with the other teachers and coming home with a plastic bag full of uncooked pork; which I later ate for dinner, with Rice and Beans. 

Favorite Travel Partner: Mikki Jean Burzon

 

So that’s it.  That’s my year in review.  It’s been sweet.  Thanks for reading and for keeping me in mind.  I’ll be blogging from Chile starting in February, which may or may not be more interesting than the past year. 

I’m anxious about going back to the states.  The adjustment will be strange no doubt.  My biggest challenge is going to be describing the past year in 100 words or less.  If given the chance to repeat this year, I wouldn’t even consider it, however, with that said, I think it’s important to say that I wouldn’t trade the experiences I have had here for anything.  2008 has been an unusual year for me.  It’s almost as if it doesn’t exist.  You see, I was so separated from the rest of America, that I only had bits and pieces of the year.  No Awards shows, no Top 40 songs, no Olympics and only a blip to represent the election, whereas in the States, it was the ONLY news.  2007 seemed jam-packed with the Marathon, Graduation, moves, trips around the world and my friends. This year seems as if it was a figment of my imagination: a couple of trips to the beach, more rice and beans than I care to see in a lifetime and a few hours in the classroom.  That’s it, and it isn’t much, but it’s the most unusual year of my life to be sure.

Thanks for Reading.  Stay tuned in 2009 for more tales of Fast Times and Rad Adventures from Santiago, Chile.  Love Always.  

Radford