Costa Rica Day 1 & 2

It´s been a busy 2 days!

Day 1
Friday morning, we were picked up at 6 am to go white water rafting. We took a 2 1/2 hr bus ride out through the country to get to our site. It was a really beautiful drive. Costa Rica reminds me in some ways of Korea... albeit in a tropical paradise. It´s somewhat disorganized. It´s not particularly ¨wealthy.¨ Although, it´s also not that ¨poor,¨either. I wished I had a camera to take pictures of the ride, but I didn´t think it was a good idea, considering we were rafting. The adventure company took us to their remote site, where they had bathrooms, changing rooms, and an open cafeteria. Tourism has really had a huge impact on the way they do things here. It was such a nice site. The bathrooms were quite nice considering we were out in the middle of nowhere. They then served us breakfast. The traditional Costa Rican breakfast is a dish called Gallo Pinto, which is essentially just rice and beans. Before I got here, I wasn´t sure how I would do with Rice and Beans every day in the morning. Well, I´m not worried about that anymore. It was delicious. They served them with scrambled eggs and some round crispy toast. We also had this Costa Rican salsa called Lizano Salsa. It´s a secret family recipe for a salsa verde, that is not too hot, a little bit sweet, and oh so amazing. I put that on my food and was in heaven. I could drink that stuff out of the bottle. The real treat though is the fruit here. The fruit is so freakin´good that I am already sad that I won´t get to eat it in the States. Because the fruit is so good, they make some unbelievable juices. So in addition to our Gallo Pinto, we had pineapple, mango, papaya juice blend. It was so good that I drank like 3 glasses. We also had fresh cut pineapple, watermelon, and of course, Costa Rican coffee. I was so happy at the end of my meal that I could have cried. All of this while sitting in a lush tropical paradise.

We then embarked on our trip. I haven´t been rafting in over 20 years. It was on the New River in West Virginia, and it was also for a graduation! The rafting here was amazing. I got to sit up front, which ensured maximum splash factor. We had rapids up to Class IV´s. And the guide was really cool. Actually, all the guides were really great. The weather was unbelievable. It was mostly sunny with intermittent clouds. So, we got some sun without getting burnt. The scenery was unbelievable. It´s such a beautiful country.

Along the way, we stopped at one of their camping sites and had lunch. We made our own burritos, which was very good. We had tamarind juice to drink. Tamarind is a type of vine. I´m not sure how they get juice from the tamarind, but it has a tea like taste and is REALLY refreshing. I had 3 glasses of that. We then had pineapple and watermelon again. After the cut chunks were gone, I actually grabbed the rind and was grating the remaining fruit with my teeth while I was sucking up the juice. After about 5 minutes of this, I realized I was eating like some rabid dog and turned around so no one else could see. Notice, I did not stop out of shame... simply hid.

At the end of the trip, we were headed back and saw a horrific accident on the mountain road. Driving in Costa Rica is kind of a risky proposition. It´s even worse in the mountains. It´s even worse when it rains. We had dinner that night with one of the staff members here. It was a mexican resaurant. The food was pretty good. Not dramatically good. To drink, I had melon juice and then mango juice. I´m in love with the juice. I went to sleep at 9. I was exhausted. I had had very little sleep the past week. It was a good night to crash.

Day 2
Woke up at 6:30. Felt like I had been beaten in the face. It´s been a while since I´ve been this tired. But, I woke up happy, because it was another day in Costa Rica. We had Gallo Pinto for breakfast. Not as good as the day before. No fresh fruit. BUT, we had some strawberry juice. I really like strawberry juice. I had 2 glasses. Also 2 cups of Costa Rican coffee. Mucho contento. We then got picked up at 8 to go to several locations. I brought the Alpha this time and had a blast taking pictures of San Jose and Alajuala on the way to the Poas Volcano. It was a gorgeous drive... and I loved feeling the air get cooler as we drove. Once we got there, we took a small hike to the volcano. It's an active crater and we were really lucky because the weather was beautiful. We got to see the crater in its entirety and the sweet smell of sulfur. Hahahaha... After that, we took a somewhat intense hike up the mountain a bit further to get to a spot overlooking the lagoon. The lagoon was formed from the remains of an old crater as rain filled it in. It's still too acidic for much wildlife to grow, so it's this beautiful blue lagoon with nothing around it but some grass. It was really breathtaking. We walked back down to the visitor's center, but took a trail through the cloud forest. The flora here is pretty amazing. A lot of ferns and a lot of the epiphytes, which are a plant that doesn't really require soil in order to grow. So, they end up growing from every imaginable spot. Mostly in the nooks of trees and such.

We left the volcano to go to the Doka Estates Coffee plantation. I wasn't that excited to go there... but I have to say... it was amazing. The plantation itself is gorgeous and it's really well put together. We started off with a welcome drink from the plantation. It was a mocha frappucino made with all local ingredients. I could have had a gallon of it. We then stepped into the butterfly reserve. It was pretty cool. After the reserve, came lunch! We started with a small salad and then had a traditional Costa Rican lunch. We had rice, pinto beans, a potato mixture, stewed beef, and stewed chicken with a grilled tortilla. The dish itself was delicious... but then they brought around... some Salsa Lizano!!!! I freakin' love that stuff. I could have a gallon of that, too. But instead, I washed down the meal with some Sour Sap Juice, which is not sour at all. It is deliciously sweet, kind of coconuty, very, very refreshing. For dessert, we had a coconut flan with a sampler of costa rican coffees. I liked the peaberry blend the best!

The tour of the plantation was quite nice. I learned a lot about coffee. It was just a really laid back and beautiful way to spend the afternoon. Once we got back to the guesthouse, we sat around and watched tv... and then went to dinner at a local peruvian place. I had a Guanava juice... I had no idea what it was... it was also milky and sweet with a bit of tart. Also... very good. Seriously... the juices here are really amazing. I then had a whole fried sea bass with salad and fries. It was... so simple... and so delicious.

I haven't had a chance to go exploring a lot on my own yet. We've made a few excursions to Pali. Pali is a grocery store that is somewhat of a chain here... and it is owned by... Walmart... dun dun dun... the evil empire is everywhere. But in the store, I've already gotten excited about the different snacks and different food options. I'm really hoping to get some good street food once I get to Dominical. Dominical is my next destination. It's about a 4 hour trip from San Jose. It's a local beach town that is apparently very non-touristy with amazing surf beaches and great wildlife. I've taken a ton of picture already and I'm excited with what I've got so far. I can't wait to see what's coming. I have a 2 sisters that are going to the same location, so that should take some of the edge off of travelling 4 hours. We're going to try to look for a bakery in the a.m.

It's only been 2 days and I'm already so glad I came. I am pretty sure I am not going to want to leave.

I don't know what my internet situation will be starting tomorrow... but I will try to update again. Until then! Pura Vida!

I´m Here!

I am here in Costa Rica!
I´m having a hard time believing I´m finally here. Departure was not flawless. My Dad was a basket of nerves... but God is good... I got switched to aisle seats all the way here... and for the 2nd part of the trip, I didn´t have anyone in the center seat! It was... quite nice.

I was picked up at the airport and it was such a smooth drive here and to the house. San Jose is the capital. It is part of the Central Valley. So as we drove in from the airport, I could see mountains on either side speckled with lights. It´s something I haven´t seen since being in the Korean countryside.

San Jose is obviously a major tourist destination now. With the explosion in Costa Rica´s tourism industry, the city has a very familiar feel. Burger Kings, Nissan dealerships, Ramada Inns... for all intents and purposes, it had the look of a stretch of LA. But once we got into the residential neighborhoods... I felt like I was back in the Korea of my childhood. Some areas looking a bit ghetto-ish... but with a certain... charm? It was pretty cool. The guesthouse is nice. It´s got the feel of someone´s house... not a motel or b&b. I´m the only guy here so far, which means I have my own bed... and not a bunk.

Tomorrow morning is an early start. They are taking us whitewater rafting for the day. So I have to be ready by 6 am.

I´ll write again when I can! Buenos noches!

Change Change Change

I have officially moved.
I hate moving.
This time was no exception.
I am a packrat by nature. I grew up moving every 1 to 2 years. As a result, I think I got really sentimental about things and always kind of wanted to keep a piece of things with me. So moving out of my apt in Richmond was a bit of a nightmare because of the sheer volume of stuff I have accumulated. I sold a lot of stuff. I threw away a lot of stuff. Yet, I still had... all... this... stuff.

Moving was exhausting. I had to stay up all night to get everything packed. If it weren't for Ryan and my parents, I don't know how I would have gotten it done.

Leaving Richmond was bittersweet. I wasn't a huge fan the first few years. But I really grew to love the town in a lot of ways. I loved the restaurant scene and the little things that make the town so unique. I'm sad about leaving some people. I'm sad about leaving my apt.

But I'm also very very glad to be home. I was afraid that I would come home feeling a bit stifled or uncomfortable. Instead, I found myself really happy to home. I'm excited about living in NoVa again. I've been in Richmond for 7 years which is the longest I've ever lived in one place. I return very different than when I left. I come back without any uncertainy anymore about my future... I come back with so many new brothers and sisters in Christ... I come back with a ton of life experience packed into the past 7 years. I am... tired... but incredibly happy.

So now... my parent's basement is packed wall to wall with stuff.

But I won't be able to really start tackling the mess quite yet... because tomorrow I leave for Costa Rica! I'm doing a 2 week Medical Spanish Immersion program. I start off in San Jose for 3 days. The program is taking me around and doing some sightseeing. Saturday, we'll go whitewater rafting. Sunday, I go off for my first week of immersion. My first location is on the Pacific Coast in a beach town called Playa Dominical. There is supposed to be amazing surfing and great wildlife. I am hoping to get a surfing lesson and doing some hiking and kayaking. I'll be staying in a cabana by the beach, which I am really really looking forward to. Each day will be a mix of spanish classes, medical exposures and adventure tours. The 2nd week, I go to La Fortuna which is located by the Arenal Volcano. I'll be staying with a host family which should be fantastic.

I've packed both my small canon sure shot and my gigantic sony alpha. I've got 4.0 GB cards for both. I hope to max them both out. Hahahaha.

This is my first trip out of the country in almost 10 years. Packing has been a bit of a challenge, because I am not checking any bags and will be spending some time on long bus rides in the country. I am really really tired and would love nothing more than to sleep for a few weeks. But I'm also really really excited.

When I get back, I'll have about a week off before orientation, and then July 1... I start my intern year at INOVA Fairfax Hospital. I doubt that I'll be able to update while in Costa Rica, but once I'm back, I'm hoping to get back to updating more often... especially as I chronicle my residency in Famly Medicine.

So... it's off to Costa Rica tomorrow. I'll be back in 2 weeks!

Kevin Lee, M.D.

On Friday, May 15th, 2009, I was officially hooded... and on Saturday, May 16th, 2009, I officially received my M.D.

Words cannot begin to describe how overwhelmed I am with gratitude.

There are few people that can truly appreciate what it took to get here. It was not a path I "chose" for myself... and even after I heard the calling, it was hard for me to really believe it... because everything around me said that this was not something that was possible for me. My grades were horrific. I had little to no study ethic. My discipline was non-existent. My laziness was unparalleled. My addiction to sleep and goofing off were unrivaled.

Yet... this was what He called me to do... and whenever I doubted... He showed me time and time again that He is faithful... and that He knew what He was doing...

So I sit here tonight... unable to sleep... because i can't stop crying...
tears of thanks...
tears of humility...
tears of awe...
tears for the love of a Father who called me to something greater than I could ever imagine for myself...
tears for the love of a Father who moved heaven and earth to make this happen...
tears for the love of a Father that surrounded me with friends and family who were more supportive than I could ever deserve...

Special thanks to my Mom & Dad, Ryan, Su, Deborah, Cindy, Jennifer, Lenni, Eleanor, Elly, Sam, and my Eemo & Eemoboo for coming to watch me walk...
But an incredible thanks to all those who have been a part of my life these past 17 years since I first heard His call.

I don't care if I never stop crying... because I am happier today than anyone deserves to be.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YsFWhvpsDDo