Back on the Road!!

Hello again!
I am back to what I do best...packing up and giving my passport lots of love. After graduating in May and supposedly entering the "real world," I decided that getting a job, applying to grad school, and generally being a responsible adult just wasn't for me (yet...). I'm sure that doesn't come as a shock to anyone.
Soooo off to Israel I went for a lovely 5 weeks. The first two weeks were with a program, which was a cheap way to get back to the Holy Land. It was not at all what I expected, and the goal was to teach me about (and then make me become) orthodox. No success on their part, but I met some great people, learned a lot, and had a good time. I spent the next three weeks traveling around and visiting friends, which was really nice and fun and HOT. I had plans to make it to Egypt but did not succeed...however, I did spend a day in Petra, Jordan, which was really amazing and interesting.
While I was there, a bunch of people asked me if I was keeping up a blog again, which was really sweet and flattering...I didn't think anyone except my mom actually cared or read it! So that's why I'm keeping this up again...back by popular demand :)
After a long 12 hour flight back to NY, helped along by some xanax, I made it home safely on July 1st. I have a few days at home, and on the 6th, I am headed back to Costa Rica!
I will be there for one month, working as a Teaching Assistant for my professor from Northeastern. I am SO excited to get back, although it will be really weird to be without my friends from my study abroad experience in Costa Rica. We are working with the same organization, so I am very familiar with the area and the people, and I get to live with the same host family, which I am most excited about!! It will be a fast switch from hummus overload to rice and beans overload, but I think I can handle it.
The trip is the same model as the one that I went on when I went to Mexico in a few summers ago. The students study language and do service learning at various organizations in Costa Rica. They also have lectures, field trips, and some time to travel as well. It looks like it will be a great program, and I'm so excited to get started. There has been so much work and preparation before we leave over the past few months that I am ready to actually get to Costa Rica and put everything into action.
The past 5 weeks have all been focused on learning and practicing Hebrew as much as possible, so I have completely mixed up or forgotten all of my Spanish. Hopefully it will all come back after a few days, but my brain definitely has been getting a work out.
After Costa Rica, I get to spend a few days in Boston, then I have the rest of August to hang out at home before...drumroll please...moving to Ecuador for 8 months! That's right...I am buying a one way ticket and shipping off to South America to live in the Amazon Jungle teaching kids. I will be the Assistant Coordinator of a program that works to bring education to children in this area of Ecuador. More information on that as the time gets closer, but suffice to say that I have a crazy, fun, exciting year coming up! In between all of this I will have to find time to apply to grad school and prepare for real person-hood. But I won't rush that process.
SO. That's me. Whats up with all of you? Please keep in touch!

Happy 4th of July. Lots of love to everyone.