Finally made it to my site after 2 ½ months of training. Technically speaking today is already day 6 of 730 of my service, already almost 1% done, seems almost short in those terms. Things are going well with my new host family, although it will take some time to adjust to my new life. During training there was always something to do and because of our proximity to San Jose the pace of life just seemed faster. Its a different feeling being here not quite knowing yet what my place in the community will be but I guess that's part of the experience.
Since my last post I have visited Piedras Blancas for a couple days before actually moving here, had a family party for our previous host families, wrapped up training, and officially swore in as a Peace Corps volunteer. The days passed quickly, while training seemed tedious at times I'm sad that its over. Swearing in was interesting, kind of surreal, it felt like I was graduating from college or high school again. One of my favorite parts of the ceremony was swearing to defend the constitution of the United States of America against all enemies, foreign and domestic, seemed a little odd given our work and that they don't give us guns. The next day was weird, saying quick goodbyes to other volunteers as we all went our seperate ways, catching buses to different parts of the country. It's a little lonely knowing that we're farther apart and that for most of us there aren't any other gringos in the area. Before I become more integrated in the community and actually start projects it's hard not to look forward to seeing the other volunteers again for New Years, a regional volunteer meeting, the Superbowl, or mid-service training. Which is not to say that I'm not excited to be here and become a part of the community.
My community is located off the Interamerican highway, a little more than an hour from Panama. The whole southern coast of Puntarenas is dominated by palm and wood plantations, and national parks and private reserves. The bus ride to my site is 6-7 hours, but its not bad as long the bus takes the coastal route and you can see the beach and the ocean every now and then. The window in my room looks onto my host family's palm farm, which borders a national park when it hits the river. The town is more of what I imagined when I thought about Costa Rica before I arrived, spread out houses, dirt roads, and hot. Although the heat makes me appreaciate the cold showers I used to fear in the mornings when I was living by San Jose in the mountains.
Happy Holidays and Happy New Year because I doubt I'll write again before then. It's hard not to think about Christmas with my family around a tree or New Year's Eve with friends spending way too much time on the subway.

The second half of training is going by a lot quicker than the first half. I went on a weekend trip to San Jose a couple weeks ago, it is really bustling in the day but at night the downtown area gets empty. I feel like I generally know my way around it now and feel comfortable getting around on my own. It was nice to get away from my training community for a bit and hang out with the other volunteers. The weekend after we used our other out-of-site weekend to go to Puerto Viejo in Limon, and that's how after over 2 months in Costa Rica I finally made it to the beach. It was interesting to see Limon, even if it was at more of a touristy spot. The beaches were beautiful and the weather was more or less agreable. I won't go into the bus ride, lets just say it was long but some things can't be helped, and there are going to be many more to come so there's no use complaining.

It's weird to think that 6 months ago I was still in Montreal. I miss it sometimes, the people, the city, not the winters though, it all feels so long ago and that makes me think about the things I did and wish I had done. And just when I was set on becoming a New Yorker again, bam I end up in Costa Rica. I don't mean to give off the impression that I'm anything but excited and happy to be here. I guess I'm only reminiscing because I found out my site for the next 2 years, and its hard to think about the future without considering the past. I like my training community and my host family, but I'm really excited to move on to the next part in my journey. I'm going to be living in the South of Puntarenas, in Piedras Blancas in the Osa Province. I'm excited about it just from looking where it is on the map and reading the info they gave me on the community, I can't wait to actually see it and live it.

Possible goals/non-work related ways to pass the time over the next 2 years: learn to surf, learn to play the guitar, study for the CFA (kind of boring but might keep me sane), get Messi good at futbol (thats soccer for you gringos), suggestions are welcome

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Went on a site visit to Guancaste last weekend. It was enlightening to see how different life is in more rural areas. It was good to talk to a current volunteer and get an impression of the challenges and opportunities that I may have to face in the future. I think what struck me the most was how people can adapt to technology but keep other elements, for example everyone seemed to have a TV but they still cooked on wood fires. It was also important to have something to compare life in my training communities to. Here everyone commutes to San Jose to work while the people in the town in Guanacaste still rely on fields and pastures to make a living and have a different set of economic and social issues. Guanacaste is beautiful too, a lot hotter though. I also got my first exposure to how much Costa Ricans love soccer. I heard it a million times but I didn't really believe it until my 2 hour car ride to another town, where they played and watched soccer for 6 hours, stopping only when it was too dark to see the ball.

The trip was exciting and informative. I thought that being in the campo and meeting new people would be my "welcome to costa rica," turns out my real "welcome costa rica" would be the trip back to my training community. A 6 hour return trip turned to 14 when the river flooded onto the road and the only bus leaving the site I visited decided that it wasn't up to crossing that day. After wading through the thigh high water, waiting for an hour for a bus to Santa Cruz, and waiting an another hour to get on the bus to San Jose I thought that I would at least be home in time for dinner. Only to be disappointed when a semi broke down at the entrance of bridge forcing the bus to find another way around, a detour that added 2 hours to the trip. The battery in my Ipod ran out shortly after. I got home late and tired, but not dejected or disillusioned instead proud that my spanish didn't fail me when I needed it and prouder still that when push came to shove I rolled with the punches and made it back.

I'm writing this on the 4^th, exactly a month after I got on a plane to Washington and started this 2+ year adventure. I found that I've really settled into life here. Heavy rains have caused all sorts of problems in Costa Rica, the least of which are that Peace Corp training classes have been canceled for the rest of the week. While school children nationwide are probably rejoicing I found myself disappointed. I was rather looking forward to the classes, so that I could work on my Spanish, see the other volunteers, and learn more about the country. I don't think 2 years will ever stop seeming like a long time but with each day I feel more prepared, more excited, and more confident that I will be a good PCV.

Survived my first two weeks of training living with a host family in a town about an hour bus ride outside San Jose. I'm their fourth volunteer which makes the transition easier. They are all very nice and being surrounded by spanish can only help me learn. It's funny that no matter where you go and how different the culture is, mothers are still mothers, and kids are still kids. I've settled into a nice routine and so far all the food agrees with me, simple but tasty. I have classes Monday through Friday, and soon will have activities on the weekends too. Some times class feels like school again but thats usually just a sign that I need more coffee. It's a little weird for me to be sitting in a classroom that's not in a high school or university and to be learning to learn not just to pass a test. It's a good feeling. It's nice to be responsible for your own education and to be motivated to learn because you will need to the skills to excel in a job that is within sight. We went into San Jose in on Wednesday, it was weird being in a big city again. Especially one that's very different from NYC or Montreal, it was a good experience though and we got to go to the Peace Corps office.

Although it's only been about 3 weeks since I left it feels like more, probably because the two worlds are so different. It's hard to think that my friends and family are far away and that I'll be missing important parts of their lives. For the moment there is an internet cafe in my community and that helps. While NYC will always be my home, I'm really enjoying the change of scenery. To be surrounded by mountains instead of skyscrapers, fresher air, to see vast areas of green diversity and the odd farm animal. I've done a lot of walking, the roads are hilly because we're in the mountains but that just makes for better exercise. Even the busier road (no s) is beautiful and has its share of views, finally started to remember to always pack my rain jacket. 

I imagine that the arrival for a Peace Corps volunteer in any country must be surreal. After going through customs we were whisked to a retreat for orientation where as many questions where answered as news ones were created. The goals and methodology of our respective groups and the peace corps as a whole were drilled into our heads, as they most likely will be for the rest of training and after. It is easy to find solidarity in fellow volunteers that hail from all walks of life but are united by our incomprehensible decision to take the same path. Before we could get accustomed to what will in the months to come seem to be a cushy life at the retreat, we moved in with our host families in training communities that we will call home for the next 10 weeks. True to the Peace Corps philosphy of immersion and integration, it seems to work as I have spoken more spanish in the last couple days than in a year of class in high school. I would say more about visions and technical skills but I don't feel justified having spent barely a week here. No matter how much I would like to say different I am a beginner here, to the culture, to many of technical skills, and to the language but I'm excited and motivated to learn. Ultimately it was a week of firsts. It was the first time I considered myself to be moved out of my parent's house, because college doesn't really count. The first time I had gallo pinto and many other Costan Rican foods. So far I haven't found any that I dislike or had to deal with Montezuma's revenge, that probably isn't a politically correct term. I used my new rain jacket for the first of many times. I survived my first earthquake and my first ride on Costa Rican public transportation, both without injury. Maybe with time I'll grow tired of the rice and the beans and the rain, but for now it's all new to me and I'm looking forward to tomorrow and the days after.