With a smile on my face, twenty one days ago I could officially say it..."I am a Peace Corps Volunteer." For over a year I have been anxiously awaiting to be able to actually call myself a volunteer. No longer an applicant. No longer a trainee. Finally a volunteer, and it feels good.
Along with 18 other volunteers, I swore-in as an official volunteer on September 30th at the ambassador's house in San Jóse, Costa Rica. We sang the national anthems of Costa Rica and the United States. We gave the official Peace Corps Pledge. We said "hello" to our friends and family in the United States through a live-stream. And...I gave a speech! In Spanish! (But, the ceremony was dubbed in English.) You can watch all of the swearing-in activities below, as well as some photos of an amazing group of newly inducted volunteers looking extra snazzy and excited!
http://livestre.am/5cTUl
Along with 18 other volunteers, I swore-in as an official volunteer on September 30th at the ambassador's house in San Jóse, Costa Rica. We sang the national anthems of Costa Rica and the United States. We gave the official Peace Corps Pledge. We said "hello" to our friends and family in the United States through a live-stream. And...I gave a speech! In Spanish! (But, the ceremony was dubbed in English.) You can watch all of the swearing-in activities below, as well as some photos of an amazing group of newly inducted volunteers looking extra snazzy and excited!
http://livestre.am/5cTUl
After officially swearing-in as a volunteer, we left for our sites on October 1st. I traveled 5 hours with two buses and a car ride to get to my little town of Los Ángeles. It's a trek from the capital city, but I really don't mind the bus rides. It gives me a chance to look out the windows and observe the rolling country sides, the beautiful cloud forests, and the little towns all along the way. It gives me a chance to observe and see more of this beautiful country.
Since the beginning of October, I've been slowly integrating in my town every day. I've been introduced to the elementary school and the high school. I've observed classes and participated in activities. I've meet a ton of people, practically the whole community! Which, I have actually learned is not very hard to do because my town consists of a single dirt road surround with houses and pineapple farms on each side. My community has been extremely welcoming and inviting. I'm really excited to continue to get to know Los Ángeles every day, through their strengths, challenges, desires, leaders, resources, and all the new names I have to remember!
I've enjoyed spending the majority of my time in the schools observing and getting to know the students. Because I'm new and because I'm foreign, I receive a wide range of good questions, such as... Where in the United States are you from? Is that near Miami? Minnesota? Kansas? (or fill in with any other random state/city that happens to come to mind...) Is there snow there? Do you actually like the cold? Do you like the heat here? Do you eat pineapple over there? Do you eat hamburgers every day? Do you like rice and beans? Are you going to live in Costa Rica forever? Do you miss your family? Are you married? Do you have a boyfriend? Do you have kids? How many siblings do you have? How many names do you have? Wait, you only have one last name? What time do you go to bed over there? Do you know how to drive? Do you like to play fútbol (soccer)? How do you say ____ in English? And many more...
I actually rather enjoy all the questions. Curiosity is good. Sharing my own culture and day-to-day living in the United States is one of the three goals of Peace Corps, as well as sharing Costa Rican culture with friends and family in the U.S. (like this blog!). I love the two-way sharing, and the initiation of new conversations. It's one of the main reasons I joined the Peace Corps.
Since the beginning of October, I've been slowly integrating in my town every day. I've been introduced to the elementary school and the high school. I've observed classes and participated in activities. I've meet a ton of people, practically the whole community! Which, I have actually learned is not very hard to do because my town consists of a single dirt road surround with houses and pineapple farms on each side. My community has been extremely welcoming and inviting. I'm really excited to continue to get to know Los Ángeles every day, through their strengths, challenges, desires, leaders, resources, and all the new names I have to remember!
I've enjoyed spending the majority of my time in the schools observing and getting to know the students. Because I'm new and because I'm foreign, I receive a wide range of good questions, such as... Where in the United States are you from? Is that near Miami? Minnesota? Kansas? (or fill in with any other random state/city that happens to come to mind...) Is there snow there? Do you actually like the cold? Do you like the heat here? Do you eat pineapple over there? Do you eat hamburgers every day? Do you like rice and beans? Are you going to live in Costa Rica forever? Do you miss your family? Are you married? Do you have a boyfriend? Do you have kids? How many siblings do you have? How many names do you have? Wait, you only have one last name? What time do you go to bed over there? Do you know how to drive? Do you like to play fútbol (soccer)? How do you say ____ in English? And many more...
I actually rather enjoy all the questions. Curiosity is good. Sharing my own culture and day-to-day living in the United States is one of the three goals of Peace Corps, as well as sharing Costa Rican culture with friends and family in the U.S. (like this blog!). I love the two-way sharing, and the initiation of new conversations. It's one of the main reasons I joined the Peace Corps.
"So now that you are in site and not in training, what does a typical day look like?"
Such a good question that I have received various times, but a bit difficult to answer. Every day is different, especially right now in the beginning. The first three months at site, as we get to know our communities, we are also collecting information to write-up, more or less, a diagnostic. I'm in the process of collecting surveys and interviews with the teachers, principals, students, parents, and community members. I'm asking questions and having conversations. Lately, I have been spending the majority of my time in the schools preparing my surveys. The Costa Rican school calendar is opposite that of the U.S. They go on "summer" break from December through sometime in February. Also, the majority of November the students take various exams. That means that I pretty much only have the month of October to all the surveys I want in the schools while the students have normal class schedules. Once the students are in exams or finish the school year, then I will start to conduct more surveys/interviews/conversations or whatever it may be with the community. I will reach out to local organizations that may be a resource for the community. I'll continue asking questions and listening, and I will start to compile all the information I have into one large report. The idea is to listen and observe first before starting anything new.
Such a good question that I have received various times, but a bit difficult to answer. Every day is different, especially right now in the beginning. The first three months at site, as we get to know our communities, we are also collecting information to write-up, more or less, a diagnostic. I'm in the process of collecting surveys and interviews with the teachers, principals, students, parents, and community members. I'm asking questions and having conversations. Lately, I have been spending the majority of my time in the schools preparing my surveys. The Costa Rican school calendar is opposite that of the U.S. They go on "summer" break from December through sometime in February. Also, the majority of November the students take various exams. That means that I pretty much only have the month of October to all the surveys I want in the schools while the students have normal class schedules. Once the students are in exams or finish the school year, then I will start to conduct more surveys/interviews/conversations or whatever it may be with the community. I will reach out to local organizations that may be a resource for the community. I'll continue asking questions and listening, and I will start to compile all the information I have into one large report. The idea is to listen and observe first before starting anything new.
But, it's not typical "work" as we may know it in the U.S. It's hard to pinpoint my day or schedule because my "work" includes so many things, such as going to community meetings about future road pavement projects. It's playing soccer in the field with kids. Or teaching a group how to play Frisbee. It's watching traditional dances, or helping kids with their English classes. Having coffee at someone's house or learning how to make a new recipe. It's watching an assembly and being called up to sing a song in English with a group of 11th graders. And that's just within the first month of being here. I don't have a 9-5 office job. It's more like a 24 hour job, as I'm continuously learning, continuously sharing, and continuously doing something to integrate and know the community. It's the little things that add up quick, and it's only the beginning.
Pura Vida,
Emily
Pura Vida,
Emily