Thus August, my 7th Central American month, draws to an end .
August (and most of my life down here) can well be summed up in this picture:
August, which has not traditionally been one of my best months in the Northern Hemisphere, blossomed its way into being one of my absolute favorite months in Costa Rica so far. This August has been, for me, a month of reading novels, writing lyrics, diving into teaching the past tense to eager students at school, and spending time with my favorite family in Boruca:
(that's Glen, one of my 4th graders, Sira, the school's cook, and Aris, her baby daughter. I love them dearly.)
...and now this August, one of the best I can ever remember from my 25 years on this planet, is ending and it is time to face a September that promises to be far different from any I have ever known.
For there will be no fall to be had for me this year, a fact which has been one of the harder things for me to accept about my decision to come volunteer in Boruca for such a significant chunk of time. Autumn has always been my time, when I feel most creative, most connected to nature, most cozy, most content, and it has been a challenge for me for the past 7 months--my single biggest challenge-- to essentially live in permanent summer, which had generally been my least favorite season. Costa Rica is a land without a clear changing of seasons, a country of perpetual greenery, of an endless stream of flowering, growing, sprouting stuff, a place of dry heat, and wet heat, and sunny heat, and muddy heat.
I'll admit, though, my feelings towards the seasons have shifted somewhat thanks to being immersed into a life that revolves so intimately around the sun. In fact, I am truly proud of the ability I've found in myself not only to adapt to the constant companionship of the sun but also to learn to enjoy it. One of the things I am most thankful about from this year is my newly-learned love of solar heat and energy, not just for its comfort but also for its skill at drying things, helping clean things, and its calming effect on children, animals, and my own occasionally chaotic mind.
.... that being said, as I'll be away from my favorite time of the year this fall, I ask a favor of all of you: once autumn does indeed settle into the North American continent, please put on your favorite sweater, curl up in a blanket with a cup of hot tea or chocolate, and read a book for me while it's chilly outside. Take a few extra seconds to revel in the beautiful gray melancholy because I will not be around to love it with you, and know that I'll be doing the same, in exchange, by trying extra to enjoy the unrelenting heat down here in Costa Rica.
Gracias, mis amigos.
Raquelita
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