I'm finally here!!!

Yesterday-
Saturday was a day brimming with emotions. Excitement, fear, joy, and pure sadness. Leaving friends and family to travel is probably the thing I like least about this whole experience so far. I just have to remind myself that it's 3 months. The plane ride to new york was pretty good for the most part. Being that i'm only 5'3 it was a little tricky putting my carry on, which i swear weighs 50 lbs, into the overhead compartment. It probably took me a good 2-3 minute struggle to attempt to find any sort of upper body strength to get it up there but I did it. There was quite a bit of turbulence and all I could thkn was , this is it, i'm going to die. I stayed in the new york airport all night and got noooo sleep, but saw some interesting people. Right before i was to board my next flight i had a nervous breakdown on the phone with my mother and cried for the good part of an hour and then had to board my plane to Costa Rica which was filled with only spanish speaking people including the pilot and flight attendants. Lost the one book I really wanted to read " the shack" it must have slid somewhere on the plane but I couldn't find it to save my life! Arrived at the airport to discover that my luggage did not make it with me. So after even more crying in the san jose airport I was able to speak with someone, who spoke very little english, about finding my luggage. She informed me that it never made the plane to Costa Rica. So after an hour or so of trying to figure out my luggage situation I finally left the airport and was greeted by a man from COSI holding a sign with my name on it! He was the 1st and last person I would meet that day who spoke any english. He drove me to my host family where I was greeted by my host mom and her very noisy dog Toto. She only speaks spanish! At this point all I want to do is sleep but she is so excited to see and talk to me, so I sit, talk and realize I'm in for quite the adventure. So we talk about family, my luggage and life. She then invites me to go to her sister's houe for a Rosary service thingy/ birthday gathering for her grand daughter. Althuogh I am both physically and emotionally drained I decide to go with her. This gathering consists of 20-25 of her family all spanish speaking people. I have never felt more like a fish out of water as I did at this party. Throughout the night I am offered 2 different beverages, 1 milky coconutty thick drink that I choke down as to not appear rude and 1 "fresco" that is a pulpy banana, orange, pineapple tasting drink that isn't too bad! I also am offered cookies and lunch consisting of black bean mush, rice and potato chips. Super tasty! I came home to my room to find a cockroach scurry from beneath my bed, and all I could do was screech! It's going to take a little getting used to having the house so open to bugs and birds! there were 2 birds that flew into the kitchen! All in all so far an experience. I'm praying my luggage finally arrives so I can get clothes and my toothbrush, as I haven't changed or brushed my teeth in going on 3 days!