Day 53
Parachuting into a new school in an unfamiliar country with new languages and customs, requires a special brand of courage. But since she was two, our youngest has done just that, six times. She makes it look easy, and yet I know it’s not. Yet without exception, she leaves for school on the first day quiet and nervous, and we pick her up and she
already has friends. Her kind nature and sense of humor seem to be a winning combination no matter where her feet land.
Here in Jaco, Costa Rica, it was no different. She went to school nervous, and came home excited and with a number of girlfriend connections happily launched. By day two she had a weekend movie invitation and by the end of the second week, sleepovers were planned. She has wasted no time plugging into the sweetest little group of friends. From the giggly cell video snippets, they act like they’ve know each other for a long time. I know it’s going well when we give her the option to stay home and she’d much rather be at school. She is already talking about returning to Jaco in the summers, which would suit me just fine.
She still occupied the Foreign Newbie spot, until today when a German exchange student arrived. Seat happily abdicated. Of course she made the new girl feel welcome, because she knows how it feels.
Sleepover fun.
There are other benefits Cali has gained from attending foreign schools besides language fluency. She is highly observant, and has developed keen abilities to read people and new situations. She is also the one to reach out first to a new or otherwise marginalized person for whatever reason, because she knows what that feels like.
I don’t know how many more times she will attend a new foreign school. But I hope she takes with her the confidence of knowing she can go into new settings, be herself, and rock whatever situation presents itself.