Volcano Irazu

I’m up above the clouds where airplanes fly.

11, 260 feet up above sea level and I am standing on top of the highest volcano in all of Costa Rica: Volcano Irazu. Not to mention, it’s still active. “…But it hasn’t erupted since the early 1960’s,” I catch the end of my professor’s sentence as I walk by him. With my video camera on, I pan around the whole entire top of the volcano.

I am standing on a volcano! How COOL am I?!

Black volcanic ash surrounds me. It feels odd, yet soft, but not quite as soft nor as grainy as sand. And it’s BLACK! I squeal with delight inside my head. Just then, the wind picks up and plunges through my NorthFace jacket and ricochets off my skin. Right away, I turn my back to the wind and try to bury my neck inside my jacket collar. Looking down, I watch the onyx ash sweep around my body and over my shoes.

My shoelace is untied again.