Thursday, January 8, 2009

And so it begins...

It's only January now, but I live in a state of energized excitement and slight trepidation as I wait for March 9th, 2009. This is the day I will fly to a two day staging at a yet to be determined US city. Following this sure to be hectic event I will fly to Costa Rica with a group of other Peace Corps volunteers to embark on a 27 month excursion of volunteerism, learning, and challenges.

This is simply my introductory blog in which I wish to introduce myself and my reasons for blogging. I hope for it to be a resource for myself and others regarding my life as a Peace Corps volunteer in rural Costa Rica. Through my research and reading I have learned that my project may limit my access to technology such as Internet, so my blogging may be sparse at times, but hopefully well worth the wait.

As a first entry topic for this blog, I would like to say that I was disappointed when I first received my assignment for Peace Corps. My reason? I have spent a significant amount of time in Costa Rica... traveling to three different regions within the country and exploring much of its attractions. From the very first interview with PC, I was honest about my preference to not be assigned in Costa Rica due to the fact that it is the only country in the Central and South American region to which I have traveled. I said I would be happy with any other location. When the final phone call came in December to make sure I was prepared to commit to Peace Corps, I was asked again about location preference and again I stated I would rather not be assigned to Costa Rica considering my previous experience there. And yet, when the Fed-Ex package came the next day, the assignment booklet clearly stated Costa Rica as my assigned location. I couldn't believe it. I was completely shocked and quite honestly, I was irritated.

After the initial fuming, I calmed down and the thought entered my mind that I was placed in Costa Rica partially due to my previous experience there. Perhaps it would be beneficial. I also gained more confidence in the assignment as I read about the many parts of Costa Rica that are not wealthy from tourism and need significant help in promoting the economy, education, and local stability.

Overall, I've decided to be thankful and positive about this placement. I need to learn to be flexible and accept not having complete control. I will be doing the type of work I had hoped for, and I know that Costa Rica is a beautiful country with much to offer. I only hope I can offer its people something in return.