Orgullo

One note to mention regarding my lovely little Costa Rica trip is that I had the most fantastic traveling companion! She came in the form of my darling twin sista, Celina Mariah. There's something to be said about having a trusty buddy to traipse foreign lands with who will walk alongside you, backpack and all. Celina took care of me when I was really sick, laughed with me when yet another Latino questioned, "Tienes un novio?", persevered through monsoon-like rain, and was a willing spirit to partake in whatever adventure happened our way. We compared opinions a few days before our trip ended. Even though we hadnt really conferred on the matter of our feelings towards one another as traveling goes, we both felt precisely the same. I think I said something like, "You havent even annoyed me yet." Ah, twins.

I did state that my only frustration was her vegetarianism, which was quite the annoyance for herself as well. Rice and beans start to taste like crap after you have eaten them several dozen times in the course of a few weeks...no mas gallo pinto...or is it pinto gallo?! Poor Celina had far too few choices to select from in the realm of food. We made many a tostada, ate pizza, and literally forced down rice and beans when our strength suffered at lack of calorie ingestion since we couldnt bear to eat gallo pinto.

So, the best sort of traveling companion in my mind is one who just flows with you. You dont need to debate over where to go next, how long to stay, or how you are feeling about things. You just say it and do it. You just know what the other one can handle, endure, or pursue. That, I found, was exactly what Celina and I were. Yay for twins! :)

Lastly to mention, I feel so proud and frequently did throughout our journies. Celina spoke some struggling basic Spanish phrases prior to Central American departure, but when I joined her three weeks and one language school later, the girl could get along quite well on her own if need be. I did relieve her of some translating duties and was able to communicate slightly more fluently, though I still have tons of work to do with my miniscule vocabulary and slow Spanish speech. Celina's Spanish improved vastly and I would overhear random conversations on buses, in restaurants, and with little Mexican friends where she was telling her life story with much ease! Hurray and spread the Spanish!

This was also Celina's first trip out of the country (besides Canada, which, let's be honest, doesnt count, especially when you live less than an hour from the border)! And, to a country where she spoke small amounts of the language. The girl took the cake. She really just fit in with her little backpack, her ever-present Lonely Planet travel guide, and her urge to meet fresh faces and adventure new places. She will move to Hawaii in a few weeks and she can totally handle it (not like I'm not going to miss the little lady like crazy). She learned, as I have in the past and continue to do so, that traveling outside of the confines of one's own country offers a vast opportunity of change, a plethora of lessons to learn, and a myriad of enriching experiences. I feel blessed and honored that we shared this expedition juntos...side-by-side. It was the perfect traveling buddy experience, she learned Spanish, and she learned the joys of foreign travel. And, we can forever laugh when we hear a car alarm or utter the phrase, "Tienes un novio?" I am a proud baby twin sister! Can you believe...I dont think I have a single picture from our trip of just us?! :(