Unbelievably, my time here in Costa Rica is winding down. I have a little over 3 months until I complete my 27 months as a Peace Corps Volunteer. At the beginning, 27 months seemed an impossibly long time and though it does seem like it has been a long time since I’ve lived stateside, time has simultaneously crept up on me. As with the end of any adventure, it is quite a bittersweet feeling, although it really doesn’t seem to be sinking in yet. However I don’t think I go through a single extended conversation with a person in my town where that person doesn’t bring it up, saying how much he or she is going to miss me and how much I am going to miss things here (the people, living in nature, and of course yummy Tico food). They then proceed to tell me that the simple solution to this is me getting a boyfriend so that I stay here instead of heading back to the US. My response to this is, “Nunca se sabe” (you never know), but in truth, besides the uncertainly of what I will be doing career-wise upon my return to the US, I think I will be ready to re-adjust to a life that involves living within driving distance of family and friends. But I still have a few more months and I know they are going to fly by with lots of activity, so I am quite consciously enjoying every minute. Here’s an idea of some of the things I’ll be involved in:

-As my Mom wrote in an email to many of you a few months back, a friend of mine on the development association and I wrote a grant to CRUSA, a non-profit organization that works to encourage collaborations between Costa Rica and the US in development projects and specifically accepts applications from Costa Rican towns that are working with Peace Corps Volunteers. Our grant addresses a necessity that has been defined by numerous community members: a playground. In December we received the news that the project was approved and just this past week, we transferred the money to the company that will come to build the playground, which should be in a few weeks. We’re hoping to plan a celebratory party soon after—pictures to come!

-Last year, one of my most fulfilling projects was the play a group of elementary school students wrote, practiced, and performed at the annual Arte por La Paz conference in San Jose. I was really hoping to have the event before leaving this year and luckily met a really cool Tico 19 (the group that came in February of last year) volunteer, Becca, who wanted to help organize the event, so we will be co-coordinating the event which consists of the volunteers who live closest to San Jose bringing kids from their school who will perform plays, dance routines, poetry, and exhibit their art projects that all relate to peace. We will be having it at an amazing space at the University of Costa Rica, which will be wonderful to simultaneously expose the kids to the university setting and show them that if they keep studying, they too can go to college one day! I think it’s going to be a really fantastic day, and the planning of it is a good culminatory project as I’m realizing how many connections with different people and organizations I have made during this time.

-In addressing another community-defined need, I’m coordinating a book drive fundraiser to start a little library in the elementary school. I sent out an email detailing this project and am really excited at the prospect of working with my friend in the community and the school teachers to set up various programs to utilize the books (reading buddies, having the parents come and read, etc.). If you did not receive the email and are interested in supporting this project, please email me or leave a message on the blog and I will gladly send you the email with the information =)

-I am also looking forward to continuing the Voces Valerosas workshops that I conducted with the English teacher in the high school last December, as well as Chicas Poderosas in the elementary school. Also, I will be co-teaching a conversational English class with my friend from Canada, Sandy, who has a house on the next mountain over and recently returned to Costa Rica after spending the year in Canada.

Certianly, lots to do! I am absolutely happiest here when I am busy and know that the next few months will fly by with these various projects… and before I know it, I’ll be back in Connecticut looking for a job that will complement all that I have done here--- ojalá!

Ok, hope all is well with everyone!
Pura Vida,
Tes