"Life in the Peace Corps will not be easy. There will be no salary and allowances will be at a level sufficient only to maintain health and meet basic needs. Men and women will be expected to work and live alongside the nationals of the country in which they are stationed - doing the same work, eating the same food, talking the same language.
But if the life will not be easy, it will be rich and satisfying. For every young American who participates in the Peace Corps - who works in a foreign land - will know that he or she is sharing in the great common task of bringing to man that decent way of life which is the foundation of freedom and a condition of peace." - JFK

Wednesday, March 12, 2014

One Year of PCCR

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.


March 12, 2013 sitting in the airport with a bunch of strangers

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!


No comments:

Post a Comment