Month One: Completed

 I absolutely CANNOT believe that, as of today, I have now been living in Costa Rica for exactly one entire month. In all actuality, it feels like I just arrived in San José yesterday, and that the entire semester lay before me, but that simply isn't so. Of course, there are things, mostly people, that I miss about home. I can honestly say that I spend most nights falling asleep thinking about plans for this summer, or what I should bring home for which friend. Yet there is no denying that I love it here. I never would have guessed that jetting off to Latin America was what it would take to get me to slow down and just enjoy a breeze, or a walk, or the present company, but that's exactly what seems to have happened.

I think the most painful, difficult transition may actually be returning to the culture back home, rather than fusing into this one.

On a less sentimental note, so what happened this past weekend? 

Well, Friday began with a trip to a dairy farm in nearby La Cruz that supplies some of the milk used by the cheese factory next to the institute. The farmer was lovely, and his operation seemed nearly ideal in more ways than one. 

Stay tuned for what happened on Saturday!

A close-up of the busy little worms turning manure into
beautiful compost!

One of our gorgeous, awesome professors, Pati,
explaining the necessity of windbreaks between
livestock pastures.

All of the manure generated by the cows while they are
in the milking shed is converted into vermi-compost with the
help of HUGE numbers of worms. The worms were so efficient
at their job that there was literally no odor emanating from the manure
whatsoever.

Seriously, who wouldn't want to work in this office?

One of the fat and happy cows on the farm. Despite the fact that
the cows will be butchered for meat at the end of their 10 year productive life,
the farmer names each and every one. (There are about 15 cows on the farm
at any given time.)

The healthiest, organic tomato field I have ever seen in my entire life.
There wasn't a single bug or blight to be found here... and the
lovely banana trees in the background don't hurt either!