icy

friday the boy & i made an accidental discovery.  we had planned to go to a display of lights in a historic district about 30 minutes away...but it didn't end up working out (we went the next night though!)  i was upset,  so to salvage the night, we decided to meet up with some of the boys at the bowling alley downtown.  when we got there, we found there is an outdoor ice skating rink set up in the little courtyard! we rented some skates & ended up skating for about an hour before bowling.  maybe because the boy is going back to a snowy michigan for christmas or the fact none of my extended family will be around for christmas this year, but i am really bumming about spending another christmas in arizona (i mean, it was about 80 degrees today.  nice for the 5 hours of yard work i did saturday, but not great for a christmas-y feeling!)  the ice skating & hot cocoa after really put me in the christmas mood.  needless to say, the night was saved!

i don't really have words for this last one...

pura vidaaaa

i'm back from volunteering in costa rica.  it was an absolutely unbelievable, amazing experience.  i miss it so much already...everything about it!  even the humidity (kept my skin nice & hydrated!).  all that green...the amazing vistas, abundant, gorgeous wildlife, the people.  i'll be back there sooner than later i hope.

i had planned on rewriting my journals from the trip into blog form, but the photos have been first priority.  & because there are about 5000 of them, i think it is safe to say i'm a bit behind schedule.  as usual, i have a lot of plans for projects, like making a huge journaly scrapbook from the trip with photos & stories & little things i have saved.  but since being home (2 weeks now) i have been struggling to find a job to pay the bills, so craigslist & resume writing has been occupying most of my time.  i checked my bank account last night, & it's worse than i thought.  unfortunately, this means i may have to go back to bartending until i can get another internship & some graphic design classes under my belt...just to be more marketable to an employer i actually would enjoy working for.

my ex told me last night that i can do anything..."who else quits their job to go to central america?"  & while i take that as a huge compliment, i wish i could see myself how he does.

but enough of this!  i'll leave a couple photos, & then work on a photo post a little later.  i have an interview (for an unpaid internship unfortunately) later & then i'm teaching one private swim lesson tonight.  kind of makes me laugh how i'm just squeaking by......