When I arrived in my site one year ago everyone here told me it was a very dry winter and I basked in hot sun and outdoor activities. This year is a stark contrast with the now heavy daily rains, thick cloud cover and constant dampness. But the rain is a blessing for the farmers as crops flourish and everything turns a deep green.
Before the rains were in full force I was able to hold a kids soccer camp in April. Nearly all the kids of the community signed up to participate in a day of soccer techniques and pointers from some of the best soccer players in our town. They taught them how to use the head and chest, control passes, shoot on goal, and be goalie. The day was interspersed with other games, races, and activities, along with a healthy lunch and snacks. A fellow Guanacaste volunteer Kathryn came to help me run the event and it was a total success.
The annual VAC dinner took place in April as well. It was a dinner party that bid farewell to Tico 18, greetings to Tico 20, and keep up the good work to Tico 19. We danced the night a way to a local Costa Rican band that sings American songs. There was even Alanis! I remember clearly this dinner the year before when I was the newbie, shuffling around uncertainly amongst a crowd of people who obviously knew each other well and had been through a lot together. Now I was the confident one, ready to welcome the new faces into a totally different way of life.
The end of May brought a new neighbor to me. Community Economic Development Tico 20 volunteer Elena will be serving for the next two years in Los Angeles, only an hour walk away. She is incredibly artistic, with a talent for art and photography and I´m very happy to have a fellow PCV nearby!
English classes continue at full force. I will soon have four different courses going. I continue to teach in the school to the kids two days a week and my adult group is nearly done with the level one book. I will soon start another adult beginner class with a different book and program. Also I will be teaching an English for tourism course to the women´s group.
Women´s soccer is also progressing in my site. We are working to get new uniforms and we have hosted several games in our town. Some of us also recently participated in Poppy Futbol in Los Angeles and placed third in the most recent tournament.
I went home for a week in May for a family reunion n Colorado. It was great to see all the family in one place after being away over a year. We camped in the mountains in Rye and my only culture shock adjustment was in the airport trying to remember to use dollars instead of colones and rejoicing in the fact that toilet paper can be flushed down the toilets.
I came back just in time for Peace Corps mid service training at which we had parasite tests, dentist appointments, and extra training to get us motivated for our second year of service. I gave a presentation to my peers about working with women and sports in the community. Before heading back to our sites some of us went rafting at the Pacuare River in Turrialba. It was the same river I rafted with Mom, Mark and Jamie in 2006 when we were here. The rapids were amazing. One of the boats in our group flipped, but everyone in it said it was a rush, and no one was hurt.
For Father´s day we held an activity in the school for the kids to give presentations and play games with their dad´s. We played some fun ice breakers and the dads watched poetry, plays, and songs presented by their kids.
I have plans to visit Panama with my fellow PCV Jessica in October and then I look forward to some family visitors in November and December, along with a trip to Nicaragua with my mom. Time is flying by and I feel like there is still so much I want to do in terms of both personal travel and work projects. In the grand scheme of things, two years is just a little blip on the screen.
