March 14, 2009
Seriously, where I am supposed to begin? I don't have time to think through this post, so please pardon the lack of articulacy and vivid, expressive language that is typically characteristic of my writing. Our schedule over the last 4 days has been so filled with information bombardment, ice-breakers, self-examination, Spanish evaluations, and gallo pinto that my brain does not function by the end of the day (which is actually night), so I will try my best to make this coherent.
My training group (Tico 19) got its first taste of the Peace Corps experience last Tuesday, in the beautiful city of Washington D.C. After a 6-hour orientation, we slept for about 30 minutes before checking out of the hotel at 1:30am on Wednesday morning. We then waited at National Airport for our flight, which did not leave until 6am. Although I was surrounded by 50 of the biggest, baddest personalities I have ever encountered, I have to admit it was pretty miserable, but we all knew this was just one of many experiences we would just have to take in stride over the next 27 months (Pura Vida!). At 11am on Wednesday morning we arrived in Costa Rica, and immediately went to a beautiful but modest training center in Tres Rios, a mountain region just outside of San Jose.
It's difficult to explain what we have been doing 12-14 hours a day for the last 4 days here at the training retreat. Basically, we have been in meetings related to everything from Peace Corps Costa Rica in general, to our specific programs (e.g. Child, Youth, and Families), our commitment to service, community-based development theories, safety/security, worries/expectations/goals, ethics, Costa Rican culture, etc. We’ve shared so much about ourselves already that I might know some of my fellow trainees, after just 4 days, better than I know some of my family and friends, which is kind of ridiculous.
The people in my training group are truly extraordinary and I feel so privileged to be here working with them. Also, our Peace Corps Costa Rica (PCCR) training staff consists of the most competent, knowledgeable, organized, gregarious, hilarious (hehe, that rhymes), and supportive human beings on this planet. I wish all of you could meet them because it is out of control how prepared they are to get us ready for this experience.
If anyone has questions or wants to know more you can always email me. I will happily respond whenever I have internet access and time. Tomorrow I will meet my host family, with whom I will live for the next 3 months while I am in training. They live in a town near San Antonio, which is about 6km from the capital city of San Jose.
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