Hurry up, let's go

A few months back, when I first signed up to be a volunteer in Costa Rica, I wondered if the time would come, say, two weeks before my departure date, when I would be wishing I weren't going.

I imagined myself acting really excited, chatting with people about the work I planned to do, but then sobbing endlessly into my pillow at home, trying to think of some way, any way, to get out of it.

The two-week mark has come and gone, and my pillowcase is still free of mascara.

I am excited about the trip and so grateful for all of the donations and support I've gotten from my family and friends — and family of friends and friends of family. At first I dreaded asking people for money to pay the program fee, but it turns out the fundraising has been a really important part of this adventure.

Accepting money from people has forced me to take the endeavor more seriously. I feel accountable to my supporters and really want to do good work as a volunteer. And knowing that people have enough faith in me to write out a check in my name gives me a much-needed confidence boost.

I'm sure that soon enough there will be some crying done into my pillow, but for now I am too excited, too thankful and too terrified for tears.

It's a really good feeling. Thank you!

I know the arrow isn't in the right spot, but it's as close as I could find in my collection of stock photos.

A new home

Last week I found out where I'll be living in Costa Rica. It's a
town of 1,500 people called Potrero Grande. It's in the south of
the country, near Panama.


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It's super hot but apparently doesn't rain quite as much as it
does in other areas. My host family consists of a mom and a dad
and three daughters, who are 13, 17 and 27 years old. The oldest,
I think, has a newborn baby. They also have some pets, including
a parrot. I've always wanted a parrot.

The volunteer who is living with the family now said in a letter
to me that the family is really great. I'll have my own bedroom
and my own bathroom with a toilet and cold shower. The school
is right next door.

There doesn't seem to be much access to Internet, although there
is a new Internet Cafe a short bus ride away. And the local high
school teacher might let me use Internet there for a small fee.

The current volunteer said things can be a little boring around
Potrero Grande, with the only thing to do at times is to sit in
a hammock and read a book or write in a journal. Lucky me! Those
are my favorite things to do.

The town sounds a lot like my hometown. It's flat. People grow
rice and beans for a living. For fun, people go down to the river
to cool off. I think I'll fit in just fine. Except when it comes
to talking. I still haven't remembered much Spanish.