During our last full day in Panama, we met some local tour guides that agreed to take us on an island hopping tour of the area. We got up bright and early, made some sandwiches for lunch and set off with 20 other people on a small motor boat.
Our first stop was a spot that is known for dolphins. As we all hoped, as soon as we approached it we saw a dolphin jump out of the water. We brought the boat a tad bit closer to the same spot, turned off the engine and waited to see more. We ended up seeing two different dolphins swim about a hundred meters while flipping out of the water; it was my first time seeing one outside of an aquarium. When it became apparent that all the dolphins left the area, we moved on to the next part of our tour. We made a quick stop at a bar/restaurant that was literally situated in the middle of the ocean. There was a random area of shallow water and in it a wooden boardwalk-like structure was built. A dock was attached to it so boats could drop people off in this exotic place. Although there weren't any corals in the vicinity, one could easily spot many colorful schools of fish swimming all around us. Although we had the option of staying there and snorkeling, we decided to go to one of the bigger islands that houses a national park.
The boat ride there did take a while; however, the long trip was worth it when we reached our destination and I saw the place. The image that this island embedded in my brain can only be described with one word - paradise. The surrounding water was a teal blue like I have never seen before, the surrounding coral reefs were filled with countless species of fish and the forest on the land itself looked undisturbed by humans. I spent a total of 3 hours here, half of which I dedicated to snorkeling and the other to wondering around and living in the moment. During my walk i saw a local boy climb a tree to get a coconut for a girl. It was incredible the way his hands grasped the bark of the tree and be made the feat look so easy; I knew if I attempted the same I wouldn't get higher than 4 meters. As we were getting ready to go back to the main island of Bocas, I quietly reflected what a wonderful day I had and how truly blessed I am to have the opportunity to travel and explore the world.

As i got back from Panama to San José, I ordered a bus to pick me up from the bus station and take me to my host family in Vargas Araya, San Pedro. My host family's house didn't have an adress ; in reality most places in Costa Rica don't have one. When giving directions to a place people mostly go off landmarks. As i got to my new home stay, I was greeted by my host mom, who was standing outside holding her little dog in her arms. I quickly went inside, dropped off my bags in my room and got to know the family. I learned that I would he living with two other boys (my host mom's sons) who were 20 and 23. The younger one, Steve, is studying to be a pharmacists at a nearby university and plays soccer for the best club team in Costa Rica. The other one, Michael, is studying public administration and told me that he wants to open up his own business one day. Next, I sat with my host mom and we went over some of the rules that I would have to follow while living here. I thought all of then to be fair and just from our first conversation I knew we will get along very well.
The following morning I had my orientation session with the ICDS (the organization in charge of setting up my study abroad program). I took a minibus with the 10 other people in my program to our orientation site; an old monastery situated on top of a hill that currently serves the purpose of hosting retreats for companies and organizations. We were to stay here the night and I could already tell we were up for a great night. First, we had a general presentation about the Costa Rica culture. We talked briefly about common slang terms, what the social norm is for personal space, basic survival tips about how to maneuver around the city and etc. Every 2 hours or so, we would stop the orientation session and have a quick coffee break. I would soon learn that such breaks are very common. Afterwards, we discussed some boring program formalities,ñ and then had a few ice breaker type activities so we could get to know our group a little better. Afterwards, we played a game of volleyball, then soccer and following a short break we had our Latin dancing class. I must say, I was exhausted after such a long day filled with activities. After eating dinner I went to sleep early so that I wouldn't be tired for the excursion to the volcanoes the next morning.