Beginning of the end.

First of all, I just looked out my window and my neighbor is standing on his huge metal roof painting it with a broom and one tiny bucket of green paint wearing shorts, a cut off tank and a cowboy hat.. picture to come, although I think the mental image is equally as comical. Also, a bum just passed with a Jonas Brother backpack. God, I am going to miss Costa Rica.
Today is my last day in my Costa Rican home. My host mom realized that last night was my last night sleeping here, and she started crying telling me she loved me as much as her own children. I could not have asked for a better living situation. I had a mom who treated me as her own daughter, laughing at me when I made mistakes, commenting on my clothes, giving me advice, cleaning (and snooping) in my room, a dad who minded his own business but still made me feel very comfortable, a host sister and brother who I could joke around with about the other volunteers (don't worry Alyssia&Laura, not you!) , and took me out with them and showed me real Costa Rican night life. It's so hard to leave a place that at one point in the past four months, I began to call home. I have had 5 places in the past year the I have called home, and I am starting to feel that I couldn't live any other way... The 9 to 5 sounds so unappealing when there is so much else out there in the world.
(side note: it's started drizzling, and the neighbor is still sweep painting away up there, and now singing also.. He's gotta run out of paint soon?)
Connor is en route to Costa Rica now. Im hopin' and prayin' that his flight isn't too delayed due to the absolute craziness occurring in NY, looks like Bloomberg could have used a few more sanitation workers... I love New York, but I am certainly not looking forward to being back in the snow. Anyway, I'm taking Connor to three of my favorite places here and am so excited to spend our first New Years together :) More blogs to come when we return to NY on the 11th!
It's definitely sad this trip is ending. But I am trying to look at it as a beginning. A beginning to a life where I will appreciate everything so much more and can be a better person.