Today marks 2 months since I have returned to the US after living in Costa Rica for the past 27 months. Proof that I am still adjusting from the slow pace of rural CR: it has taken me this long to compose my final post. Where to begin? The last few months in site were hectic, finishing up projects, savoring every last moment of my 'vida tica,' and saying goodbye to people in a town who had taken me in as another member for the past 2 years. Needless to say, a lot of soccer playing and coffee were involved.
In terms of projects, I am genuinely satisfied and happy with how everything culminated. The book drive was a huge success, thanks to the generous support of family and friends (including the Osborn Hill School in Fairfield, CT, who are pen pals with the kids in CR). The kids, parents, and teachers were super excited about the tremendous expansion of the library in the elementary school. Here are some happy kids:
Another big accomplishment was the regional Art for Peace Conference that I co-coordinated with a fellow PCV friend, Becca. Over 40 kids from 4 towns had a blast presenting plays, poems, and dances they prepared, as well as participating in various interactive workshops. The evaluations from the kids were overwhelmingly positive, making Becca and I feel that our hard work paid off.
the volunteers who brought kids to the conference
having fun making stress relief balls with corn starch and balloons (a bit messier than we imagined)
the kids working in groups to dream up and draw their ideal town
first ice-breaker of the morning: get in a tight circle and sit on each others' laps-- took a few tries but they got it, with lots of laughter along the way!
One of the big projects in town, the government funding to build concrete ditches for the steepest hills in town (with the hope of paving them in the future), was approved and currently underway. I look forward to seeing pictures of the final product, but feel really good about the fact that the local development association now has the knowledge of one successful project design and implementation and will hopefully apply for another grant in the future to address local needs.
On a more personal note, in terms of saying my goodbyes, it really didn't seem possible that after all this time, I was actually leaving my town, for good. I visited home twice throughout the 27 months and it kind of felt like I would just be coming back in a little bit. Similar to when I first arrived, there were a lot of questions I answered many times (When are you coming back? What are you going to do in the US? How about you just stay here?). However this time around, it was with friends and my familia tica (host family) and it was hard not having a firm answer as to when I will come back to see them again. What I do know, having moved around so much growing up, is that you keep in touch with who you want to keep in touch with and I have already been able to do that via phone/email/letters with my tico friends, which has been wonderful.
I feel really proud to have finished my Peace Corps service, having had the opportunity to do my small part to make the world a better place (though the very idea of how to go about doing this evolved tremendously during this time). This is a personal goal that I will continue to develop. In addition, it has been an incredible opportunity to gain valuable experience in a (relatively!) short period of time. I would 100% recommend Peace Corps to someone considering it and would welcome sharing my experience with anyone who is interested in joining.
As I close this chapter of my life, I would like to wrap up by saying how much I appreciated everyone's support while I was away. I know I never could have done it without the emails, calls, and visits, as well as the messages from everyone who read my blog. Now that I am back in the US, I look forward to sharing my story with everyone as I begin the next chapter of my life, finding a job and moving to NYC. And instead of connecting through my blog, this time it will be in person!
Lots of love and "pura vida,"
Tes
