Leaving on a Jet Plane...Don't Know When I'll be Back Again

On the eve of my departure, as I sit on the bed of my childhood bedroom, I can't help but think back 11+ years ago as I sat in this same spot the night before I left for college, with many of the same questions.  Will I fit in? Will I make friends? Will I get homesick? And well, since I can confidently say that one turned out pretty cool (#bestdecisionever), I am sure this too will be okay, in fact it may even be the "opportunity of a lifetime", a phrase many people seem to be throwing around.

Now let's get down to business.  This is my very first blog, so you will have to excuse me if it takes me a while to get the hang of it.  I do however want to make a few promises to my readers, all 2 of them.  I, Sylvia Weinstock, hereby promise to try and make you laugh, I promise to include as many photos as possible, and I promise to try and post on a weekly basis, sometimes more, but hopefully not less. And finally, I promise to keep you updated on the adventures of a JAP from Long Island, living in Costa Rica, who plans to make the most of her "opportunity of a lifetime". 

As long as I am setting the stage, might as well tell you about some personal goals I have while I am on this adventure.  *Side note: If you haven't noticed yet, I refer to this move as "the adventure", something I will continue to do, so you are just going to have to deal with it.  

• Goal 1- Learn Spanish.  When I found out I would be moving to Costa Rica, where they speak Spanish, I had a flashback to myself in 7th grade, when I had to choose between the only 2 languages offered at my school, Spanish and French, and I secretly cursed myself for choosing French.  A lot of good that has done me, sure, I've incorporated the word "sans" into my everyday speech, mostly when referring to going commando, but anyone could have done that.  No, I should have been smarter about that decision and not chosen French because the boy I had a crush on was taking French.  Idiot!
• Goal 2- Learn to surf.  Now this may be difficult as I do not trust any body of water that isn't the Long Island Sound.  Why you ask? <pause for dramatic effect> Spring Break...2004.  Those lucky enough to have been with me on our senior trip will remember a time when I was innocently flocking in the water off the island of Nassau, Bahamas, and I was accosted by a jellyfish.  But this wasn't any jellyfish, this was the biggest, baddest jellyfish in all the world.  I'm kidding of course, actually, I never saw the damn thing, but that night when I was getting down off the mechanical bull (hey! it was spring break!) I noticed my legs were purple and swollen, not a good look! And after a psychedelic cocktail of booze and benedryl, a weird trip to a Bahamian hospital, and a shot in a place I'd rather not say, I was told I'd been been infected by jellyfish larva, yes...larva. It was beyond gross and it caused me to have to be carried around everywhere and to sit at every bar with my legs ups, not an ideal way to spend spring break. And to this day, I still need to self-medicate before going in the open water.
• Goal 3- Explore the country and get exposure to a new culture.  No funny story here, but I am sure this will lead to many comedic episodes, many at the expense of my new roommate.  Yes folks, for the first time in a long time, I will have a roommate, the lovely Ms. Smriti Sharma.  Full bio to come later.

Now, as I prepare to say good-bye to my friends and family, sadly the one I will miss the most is my dog Stanley. Stan has known something has been up for weeks, especially when I started packing up my condo and cleaning everything in sight. And he wasn't too happy when the movers came to take all my stuff, in fact that night we had a conversation (yes, I have conversations with Stanley in my head, I imagine his voice to be that of an old man who has smoked 2 packs a day for years), and it went something like this:

       Stan: "Hey, bitch, what's with all the packing?"
       Me: "Well Stan, I'm going to be living in Costa Rica for a year"
       Stan: "And what about me? Do I get to go?"
       Me: "Sorry buddy, I tried, I really did, but I just don't think it's a good idea for you to come with me, but you are going to go stay with Grandma and Grandpa"
       Stan: "You suck"
       Me: "You don't mean that"
       Stan: "Oh yes I do, oh and by the way, I just peed in the hallway"

So don't feel bad for Stan, he's living out a pampered life of doggy bliss with my parents, where a treat is given to each dog who comes in through the doggy door, I'm just worried about him packing on the lbs and forgetting who I am. 

Well that is it for now.  My adventure is set to commence at the crack of dawn tomorrow morning and remember if you are ever up for vacation to paradise, give me a ring, we have an extra bedroom!!

Until the next post, adios amigos (Look, I'm learning already)!

XoXo
Sylvia