I’ve been noticing how M, now 7, has become more and more social as time has gone on.  Socialization is, of course, one of the hot button issues when it comes to learning outside of school.  Why people think learning to be social with 30 other kids who are also learning to be social makes sense – especially when the main lessons are to sit down, be quiet and do what you’re told – is beyond me.  (If recess were 6 hours long, I could see school as a place …

When we moved to Costa Rica, Arp and I felt we had to eventually learn to speak Spanish. As adults, we had our own language goals almost immediately. We wanted to speak the local language, connect with locals, and begin to establish a sense of community here.  Arp plunged right in and started speaking to the locals (he learns language well in an aural fashion). I took my time and started using Rosetta Stone (I learn much more visually). But the kids took a different path, one that many expats …

Arp recently retweeted a quote on Twitter that we both think describes our current situation.  “Being uncomfortable prompts us to change, to move into our next expression. (via @JaqStone)”
We’ve been a  bit uncomfortable, in little or bigger ways, since we arrived in Costa Rica. And while we still love many parts of this country, we think it just might be time to move on.