Today I’ve decided to do something different than I usually do on Fridays. I have several things to get in Grecia this morning, so I’m going to go in at about 10:30 (my driver is available to take me then) and then, while she goes off to the feria to do her shopping , I’ll be doing mine in town at three different places. Then, along about noon she and I will reconnect and I’ll take her to lunch at my favorite soda Cafe Delicias.  I have been missing their Plato Executivo for too long now, and it’s time to get one. Since she’s available then, I’ll treat her to lunch, too, before she drives me back home.

 

This means I will miss having feria/lunch time with my Costa Rica family — Jon, Dale, and Clarkie — which sucks, but their outing today starts an hour later than usual, so I decided to go a different route and expand my social circle a bit more at the same time. I need to do that.

 

I also want to meet Marilyn Stevens again as soon as she’s up to it. She took a fall a few weeks ago and has been recovering since then. I figure she’s just about ready to reconnect.

 

To refresh your memory, Marilyn is the lady  Topher and I met at a Compre Bien store while I was still living at Villas Escondidas. Oddly enough, both Jon and Francisco and the Villas Escondidas gals know Marilyn, and they all adore her and gave me enthusiastic thumbs up about getting to know her better. She and I had an instant connection during our brief self-intros at the store (we were both in the writing/editing business), so I feel confident we can build a fond bond.

 

I’M PRONE TO UNHELPFUL PATTERN/ROUTINE – FOLLOWING

 

I’m going outside my comfort zone because of how prone I am to sticking to patterns/routines/structures (unless they pinch too much, as did denying my still-undiagnosed autism spectrum status and trans-ness for decades). Routines have always kept me feeling “safer” (although never entirely safe) and well within my comfort zone. I need to un-learn that and to unleash myself, and I feel ready to do that down here because everyone I meet appears so very open to dialogue and connection.

 

That’s another pressing reason that I want to upgrade my Spanish langage skills with all deliberate speed.  So far — except for Jon’s sweet/creative/compassionate husband Francisco and my safety-minded and compassionate driver Marianela — I only know immigrants from the U.S. and Canada here in Costa Rica.  As a result, I rarely have to even try to speak Spanish. Having to communicate in Spanish puts me outside my comfort zone, which is where I need to be to get better at it!

 

My Driver Marianela

 

I’m immensely fond of Marianela, my driver.  Although we speak different languages, we’re both wanting to get better at each other’s, so that makes our association perfect for both of us.  We can learn from each other. As we do, our fond bond can grow (if she feels as comfortable with me as I do with her; it’s a two-way street, of course!). I think she does.  She jokes with me and we laugh together and whenever I  say (as I do on occasion) “Agradezco mucho” (“I appreciate you very much”) she reaches over, takes my left hand and squeezes it and responds with a warm smile “muchas gracias.”

 

Yeah, our vocabularies are tiny, but our minds and hearts are certainly open to each other.   She has just confirmed that she has enough free time today for me to treat her to lunch in between her driving appointments.

 

It’s going to be fun … and a wee bit uncomfortable ... because we will be flailing in each other’s language but we’ll definitely be laughing about it together.  I’m looking forward to it very much, the pit in my stomach notwithstanding!

 

Ticolandia Language Class will soon be in session! 

 

I’ll follow up with more details this afternoon, I promise!