The time has flown by. And yet, in some ways it feels as though I have lived here for ages: no hot water for a shower? Hot water is a delightful surprise, no longer a common expectation. Tiny millipedes running rampant in my room? They do no damage as long as I leave them alone (stepping on them releases a pungent smell that takes about 48 hours to go away totally). A torrential rainstorm breaks out midday? I always bring a pair of rubber flip-flops to wear in potential mud or rain on days I wear good shoes.
And yet, all the same, there is the limitless beauty. The unique and unnameable color the sky turns right before sunset, when all is bathed in a golden-tan glow. The frequent and seemingly endless rainbows that jet into the sky after a hard afternoon rain; they seem not so much rainbows, but a multicolored ribbon that leads straight to the stars. The beautiful span of oranges, rose pinks, lilacs, deep purples, and all manner of blues cast across the sky above the sea as the sun sets over the Pacific. And the stars! The vast night sky remains unspoilt by streetlights or high-rise buildings or anything that might diminish the majesty of the heavens. To behold the innumerable blanket of stars (and the occasional full moon) from a vantage point on a dark beach is nothing short of monumental. I highly recommend Costa Rica for those who spend their days in concrete jungles, gazing up through the smog at searchlights or skyscrapers, never seeing more than a hazy ball of sun. I may never live in an urban area ever again.
My entry title is borrowed from a novel of the same name by Madeline L'Engle, who I think may have been the first author I ever read who absolutely blew me away. In second grade I remember checking out A Wrinkle in Time from my elementary school library, attracted by the title, and after reading it, I was completely amazed. I wanted to read the book over and over again, to have the same surge of overwhelming pleasure that I later learned cannot be replicated. Better to enjoy great books the first time, and sit afterwards basking in the glow of a master at her craft. L'Engle wrote many more books that I loved and enjoyed, but I think she was the first author who ever sparked the thought, however deep in my heart, that someday, I too, might create such amazing literature for children.
There is time yet, I suppose. I am still young.
I have, however, decided to name my room's second gecko Charles Wallace.
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In other news, Jane Goodall, who visited last week, was fascinating and awe-inspiring; I had the pleasure of taking a picture with her and Mr. H, the stuffed monkey who has so far accompanied her to 59 countries. I also learned that Jane, though 73 years old, travels approximately 300 days out of the year-- basically 10 of 12 months. Can you imagine? I get tired when I go away for a long weekend. What an extraordinary, courageous, dedicated woman. One of my favorite quotes from her whole speech was as follows, after being asked about why she wanted to work with animals:
"I have always loved animals... When I was a child, I was fortunate to have a very wonderful teacher... this teacher taught me so much about animals, but most of all, this teacher taught me that animals have souls, and that they have emotions, and that they have feelings, too. That teacher was my dog."
I have to admit I got a little teary-eyed at this point, thinking about my own wonderful dog, Goldie, who I was blessed to know for 14 years of my life. She was a Golden Retriever, and the only picture I brought from childhood to Costa Rica is one of her and me from when I'm about 7 or 8 years old. Her nose is almost at the camera, and my arms are around her, and I look utterly, completely happy. Dogs are truly magical creatures. The picture of Goldie actually fell off my nightstand a couple days ago and the glass cracked diagonally across the frame, which I'll have to fix over Christmas break. However, after it fell, I did notice a formidable spider who was attempting to scale the edge of my bed. Maybe it was Goldie trying to protect me from a nasty spider bite? :)
Here in Costa Rica, my friend Lucia (a fellow teacher from the United States) brought her delightful 9 year old border collie named Reina (Ray-na, Spanish for "queen") with her. Rayna is one of the most well-mannered and delightful dogs I have ever met, and I am holding her to the gold standard (no pun intended) of Goldie. I'm thankful for Reina, through whom I get my quick fix of puppy love, though I'm thinking more and more that as soon as I return to the states, I want to get a dog.
The happiest I have ever been in my life was living with my parents and my dog.
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