Expectations and experience

By Siri Gaaserud

I did not get struck lighting, but I did get soaked in the warm torrential thunderstorms.                                                                      

I did not get bitten by a shark surfing, but I did get bitten by fire ants and mosquitos while playing.

I did not yet see a monkey, but I do hear them in the morning.

I do not walk to school, I BEACH BIKE to school

I do not just play and surf the waves, I boogie on the waves

I did not fall into the river, but I did swing over it on a rope swing.

I did not just drink coconut water from a bottle, I drank it straight from a fresh coconut.

I did not think that a papaya tasted good, but it looked very pretty, dark orange flesh with a star of shiny black seeds

I did not get a sunburn, but I did get a heat rash – a very itchy heat rash.

I did not speak Spanish before, but now I do – un poco.