Sunday, January 29, 2012

Still Struttin' in the City



I closed out 2011 with a wonderful visit to my old Rural Community Development site, Quebrada Grande, Guanacaste. The two week trip was filled with birthdays, Christmas parties, and a new year’s hike to the beach with fellow volunteers. A community member turned 80 years old while I was there and the entire town came together for music, dancing, singing and general celebration. It was also wonderful to see how well Austin, the new Peace Corps volunteer in Quebrada is doing. He loves the town and the community loves him as well. He just moved out of the host family stay and is now renting his own home in town. At the end of my two week stay I headed down the mountain to Playa San Miguel, my favorite beach in Costa Rica with a group of about 10 volunteers from Austin’s group (Tico 22 that arrived in March of 2011). We kicked off the New Year with a giant bonfire on the beach and a rocket firecracker. It was great for me to get to know a different group of volunteers.

Since my last blog entry my life has mainly revolved around work. I did conquer Chirripo, the highest mountain in Costa Rica with some fellow volunteers. We did it over Thanksgiving, drinking wine out of a box and eating sliced pre-packaged turkey to celebrate the holiday. The trip was just as brutal as expected and we hiked much of the mountain (both up and down) in the rain. But it was a truly memorable experience.

As for work, I keep very busy. So many projects and support for current volunteers, and so much coordination and planning in preparation for the new group of 22 TEFL volunteers due to arrive in February. I am so excited for their arrival. Our project team is super busy planning the trainings and most importantly locating the sites in which these future volunteers will work. Locations we have identified are spread throughout the country, from border to border and coast to coast. I have the amazing opportunity to join my program manager on three of the site visit trips in the coming months. One of these trips delves into the indigenous reserve of Talamanca where we have a few sites for some very determined and committed future volunteers. I am so excited to see parts of the country I have never seen while representing Peace Corps and informing local communities of the TEFL project and its purpose.

I love working with volunteers as a support system, resource, and listening ear. I love working on a project team with two of the most fun and down to earth guys I know; one Costa Rican, one American. I love working in a bilingual office and improving my Spanish skills every day. I love working for the Peace Corps and truly believing in its goals and its work in Costa Rican communities. And with this passion in mind I have decided to stay in Costa Rica an extra six months beyond my originally extended close of service date in June of 2011. My program manager asked me to apply for the extension as there will be no TEFL volunteer available to take over the leadership position until December of 2012, the date when the current TEFL volunteers complete their two years of service. So if the application is approved, I will remain in Costa Rica until next December and continue my work with the TEFL project of Peace Corps Costa Rica. I again feel the excitement of the opportunity to stay longer in Latin America. More travel opportunities, more time to perfect my Spanish, and more time to narrow down my next steps.

I also continue my work with the counterpart organization Costa Rica Multilingue. Working with this foundation and the amazing people who form it has been an incredible experience. I have been the guest at many events, met incredible people and been a key player in the planning of many projects and activities. In April we are planning a 5/10k race to benefit the foundation and express a social campaign message of the importance of multilinguism in education.

I have also joined a women’s club here. It is called the Women’s Professional Network, a facet of the Women’s Club of Costa Rica. The club is very active in education in Costa Rica and is formed by a variety of incredible women from all over the world now living in Costa Rica. I am on the planning committee for an upcoming event in April at which we will host guest speaker Gloria Feldt, a feminist and women’s rights activist from the US. She is a pretty big deal and I am excited to be a part of the project.

Next week I embark on one of the final top sites of Costa Rica on my list to see; Corcovado National Park on the Osa Peninsula. It is said to have an incredible abundance of wildlife and is one of the most well-protected national parks in the world. You must hike in at one side of the park and then trek through the jungle and beaches to the other side. It takes a couple days to complete the journey. Unlike the freezing cold of Chirripo Mountain, Corcovado is sure to hot and humid.
My new official close of Peace Corps service date is December 21st, 2012, which also happens to be my 27th birthday and quite possibly the end of the world according to the Mayan calendar. So, we’ll see what happens!