Day 217.

Today, I...

saw the beloved vendor Johanna at La Casona -- a souvenir store I took the Mathis family to. I mentioned this woman a while back when I first returned here; she's some one who remembers me from six years ago. I haven't seen her for a good four months or so and when she saw me, she embraced me with a smile and said, "Ya! Por fin eres gordita! Finally! You're getting fat!" Man I love this country.

missed the tulips.

realized I am going to miss my students so, so much. I cannot even begin to think about saying good-bye to them. They are my friends, they are my sisters, they are my teachers...they are the people who know how to test my patience, cheer me up, and make me love my life. They are irreplaceable.

learned that we are going to the movie theater tomorrow with the girls! We'll be seeing Alice in Wonderland (someone donated twenty tickets or so). I explained to my students that going to movies in the States generally costs $10 a person. Here, it costs $3. One girl asked me how many movies I've seen in theaters. "Demasiados. Way too many," I responded. I returned the question back to her. "Y tu? Cuantos veces has ido al cine? And you? How many times have you gone to the movies?" She looked at me. "I haven't."

smiled when my little choir sang the songs I've taught them to the Mathis clan (they're leaving Carpio and going to enjoy the Costa Rica that guide books talk about). I've always loved young people's voices, but these girls have a raw youth to them that can't be described.

--Hannah