One year in Peace Corps Costa Rica. Obviously such an occasion calls for a blog
post, but honestly I don’t even know where to begin. On one hand, it feels as if no time has
passed at all. It seems like yesterday
that I was sitting at staging in DC, being sung “Happy Birthday” by a bunch of
strangers and anxiously awaiting being told we were free to leave so I could
run back to Capitol Hill and spend the last few hours of my birthday with
amazing friends and eat one last basket of buffalo chicken tenders at Cap
Lounge. I remember walking the streets
of the Hill, hugging each friend tighter and tighter as we said goodbye. I finally broke down in tears saying goodbye
to the last one as she gave me an inspirational send-off speech that I will
never forget. As I hopped in a cab to
head back to the hotel and prepare for our 1am departure, I took one last
glance at the Capitol and prayed that I was making the right decision; that
following my dream was going to be everything I had hoped it would be and that
I would not regret walking away from a life I loved so much.
One year later, exactly 12 months into this 27-month
adventure, all I can say is- no regrets.
My Peace Corps experience certainly isn’t what I was expecting it to be,
but expectations are meant to be broken and I honestly don’t think I would
change my set of circumstances if I could.
I feel truly fortunate to be in Costa Rica, learning Spanish, living
close to many fellow PCVs, and let’s be real, I’m extremely fortunate to have
wi-fi. Some days are painfully slow and
I will admit to having watched my fair share of TV series (yes, series) and
have read plenty of books. But I’ve also
spent days upon days at school, trying to find my place and with a new teacher
this year, I’m feeling great about being a part of the staff and truly working
with her to teach the kids of my community that have wrestled their way into my
heart. I’ve been a part of a successful
conversation club for MEP teachers and my community English class continues to
be a success after a few hiccups here and there. I’m excited about helping to organize local
spelling bees, leading up to the first national one this year in November. I’m also excited about starting the grant
process to build a playground at my school.
In reality, I have kept plenty busy.
One year later, that group of strangers who sang me happy
birthday is now family and I feel so fortunate to be going through this crazy
adventure with such amazing people. I
also found a fantastic group of mentors in Tico 23 whom we are now preparing to
say goodbye to. Your wisdom and advice
made this whole journey easier and you all will be so, so missed here in Costa
Rica. On the other hand, Tico 27 arrived
in CR 2 days ago and it seems surreal to now be the mentor and I am excited to
get to know the new group!
Thank you to everyone, both here in CR and back home, who
have supported me this past year. I
couldn’t have made it this far without fellow PCVs to vent to about the heat or
the amount of rice & beans we eat and it brightens my day every time I
catch up with someone back home.
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| March 12, 2013 sitting in the airport with a bunch of strangers |
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| March 2014 spending the weekend with great friends |
One year down and I am so excited and ready to take on year
two of Peace Corps Costa Rica!
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