Today is day 9 of Real Life. That is, it's been 9 days since my stint as a post-graduate volunteer expired. These have been the craziest few days in recent history [read: have involved buying a car, a new wardrobe, finding an apartment, meeting my new boss, seeing my family, and taking the praxis], but have been full of MANY small miracles. Everything seems to be falling into place quite nicely...which either means that what's next is meant to be or the other shoe is about to drop. I'm pretty optimistic, though, and believe this might just be meant to be :)
So, what's next? I will (finally!) be a teacher! Next week I start work at a charter middle school in Newark, NJ, where I will be the first, and only, Spanish teacher.
Honestly, I don't know what that means for this blog, so now's the time for me to thank you, faithful readers (especially you, MomMom, Gramma, and Hubba!), for staying with me through my adventures in Los Angeles and Costa Rica. In some form of poetic closure, I used the poem Do it Anyway as part of my goodbye to my FrancisCorps family. I hope it keeps inspiring them, and me -- and you -- to live the best life and be the best person each of us is called to be.
Next stop, Jersey City!
Friday, July 27, 2012
Transition
The moment I landed back in San Jose, Nicole and I were in full scrubbing mode. We had a couple days left to clean the house from top to bottom for the next group of FrancisCorps volunteers, and sort through our stuff, and stuff the other girls had left behind. We had started early on the organizing, but it got down to the wire. We got everything out of the way so we could spend our last day with friends.
On the Wednesday before we left, our dear friend Marta invited us over for one last brunch. We have been to her house a few times this year, so it was a really special way to end our time in Costa Rica. We ate pancakes and hung out with Marta and her son, Charlie, before coming home to put the final touches on our suitcases and the house.
Here are some pictures of what the following days entailed...
On the Wednesday before we left, our dear friend Marta invited us over for one last brunch. We have been to her house a few times this year, so it was a really special way to end our time in Costa Rica. We ate pancakes and hung out with Marta and her son, Charlie, before coming home to put the final touches on our suitcases and the house.
Here are some pictures of what the following days entailed...
I made Nicole take a break from the craziness to enjoy our last, beautiful sunset over St. Francis. Here she is in front of our lovely casa.
Pretty cool view, huh?
Later that evening, we went to Lonestar, one of our favorite spots, for a last margarita. Above are Arthur, Charlie, Me, Marta, Nicole, and Yamy...they were our "goodbye" committee!
Yamy told the waiters it was our birthday...before figuring out that it was exactly halfway between our two birthdays!
Next stop...Syracuse, NY for our FrancisCorps transition retreat!
...well, after an unexpected night in Charlotte because our flight was delayed..
The Syracuse volunteers decorated their house with USA red, white, and blue for our homecoming party!
Everyone dressed in their best USA gear...it was like a delayed 4th of July!
Thank you, Goodwill, for our matching costumes!
Rebecca went all out!
The Syracuse FC volunteers :)
Homemade apple pie!
After the party, we had a day to hang out at the local lake with the volunteers before grabbing Margie from the airport and beginning our transition retreat. We had some lovely meals with Friar Rick, Jordan, and Brother Jim, and were even able to see Sister Caryn! The retreat was really nicely done, with enough time for relaxing and enough for reflecting together and alone. I will certainly miss Rick and Jordan...they have been wonderful directors, mentors, and friends this past year! I hope to stay connected to the FC crew and see them on their annual trip either to the Jersey Shore or NYC!
Detour to Peru
These next posts are a bit late, but I want to crank them out before I forget or get too busy, which is bound to happen in the next few days. But more on that later...
On 4th of July, I left my house in Moravia for the San Jose airport, where I celebrated my US pride by using my passport -- and wearing flannel. Since I wasn't going to eat hotdogs or sing the national anthem (out loud, anyway) or see a fireworks show, it was the best I could do. A few months ago, I had planned a trip to visit my good friend Sam, who is currently a Jesuit Volunteer outside of Cusco, Peru. Since I had the time and the savings, I figured I should go while Costa Rica was on vacation, because I knew that once I hit US soil I'd be wrapped up in my next steps (and boy, is that true!).
So, off I went. The journey there was long -- I spent the night in the Lima airport and had my Fourth-of-July part of one by eating McDonald's chicken nuggets and diet coke. God Bless America! Despite the long night of sort of sleeping on floors and benches, and the early morning flight to Cusco, I arrived in one piece and good spirits. Now, if you scroll back about three years in this blog (here ya go!) you'll see a little bit about my last trip to Peru. When I studied abroad in Quito we spent about 10 days there and saw a lot of the country, including Cusco and Machu Pichu. This trip was quite different. Instead of being totally a tourist, I was visiting a resident!
The trip was quick, only about four days, and for the most part we stayed in Andahuyallias and the surrounding towns. I got to meet Sam's (awesome) JVC community-mates, as well as some other volunteers from England and Spain who live with them for short-term volunteer stints. Sam and his housemate/my friend Susan, another BC grad, showed me around the Jesuit parishes in the area. I got to see the ins and outs of their jobs and meet many of the people they work with. We also went into Cusco where we ate at the central market and walked around the city for a couple hours.
On Sunday, we took a long walk along train tracks that connect the towns. The views of the mountains were absolutely breathtaking. I was amazed at just how different everything looked and felt from Costa Rica. One of my favorite things about speaking Spanish is being able to visit so many diverse places -- no one country or region is like another! I feel so lucky to have friends in cool places to visit, too. (So...who's the next one to move abroad? Call me, I'll visit.) The biggest difference, though? It was SO COLD. At night it was easily below freezing, but thanks to 6 or 7 wool blankets I was able to sleep just fine. The days were warm in the sun but cool as soon as the sun began to set. What a difference from Costa Rica! And if that wasn't a big enough change, I went home a few days later to East Coast July humidity...gross!
To wrap up, I am so glad I had the opportunity to visit Sam. It was great to catch up with him, meet his JVC family, and see Andahuyllias! Enjoy the pictures :)
On 4th of July, I left my house in Moravia for the San Jose airport, where I celebrated my US pride by using my passport -- and wearing flannel. Since I wasn't going to eat hotdogs or sing the national anthem (out loud, anyway) or see a fireworks show, it was the best I could do. A few months ago, I had planned a trip to visit my good friend Sam, who is currently a Jesuit Volunteer outside of Cusco, Peru. Since I had the time and the savings, I figured I should go while Costa Rica was on vacation, because I knew that once I hit US soil I'd be wrapped up in my next steps (and boy, is that true!).
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| Susan & Sam |
So, off I went. The journey there was long -- I spent the night in the Lima airport and had my Fourth-of-July part of one by eating McDonald's chicken nuggets and diet coke. God Bless America! Despite the long night of sort of sleeping on floors and benches, and the early morning flight to Cusco, I arrived in one piece and good spirits. Now, if you scroll back about three years in this blog (here ya go!) you'll see a little bit about my last trip to Peru. When I studied abroad in Quito we spent about 10 days there and saw a lot of the country, including Cusco and Machu Pichu. This trip was quite different. Instead of being totally a tourist, I was visiting a resident!
The trip was quick, only about four days, and for the most part we stayed in Andahuyallias and the surrounding towns. I got to meet Sam's (awesome) JVC community-mates, as well as some other volunteers from England and Spain who live with them for short-term volunteer stints. Sam and his housemate/my friend Susan, another BC grad, showed me around the Jesuit parishes in the area. I got to see the ins and outs of their jobs and meet many of the people they work with. We also went into Cusco where we ate at the central market and walked around the city for a couple hours. 
On Sunday, we took a long walk along train tracks that connect the towns. The views of the mountains were absolutely breathtaking. I was amazed at just how different everything looked and felt from Costa Rica. One of my favorite things about speaking Spanish is being able to visit so many diverse places -- no one country or region is like another! I feel so lucky to have friends in cool places to visit, too. (So...who's the next one to move abroad? Call me, I'll visit.) The biggest difference, though? It was SO COLD. At night it was easily below freezing, but thanks to 6 or 7 wool blankets I was able to sleep just fine. The days were warm in the sun but cool as soon as the sun began to set. What a difference from Costa Rica! And if that wasn't a big enough change, I went home a few days later to East Coast July humidity...gross!To wrap up, I am so glad I had the opportunity to visit Sam. It was great to catch up with him, meet his JVC family, and see Andahuyllias! Enjoy the pictures :)
Tuesday, July 3, 2012
It's not adios, it's hasta luego...
Goodbyes are no fun! In my last post, I was angry about the idea of not being able to say goodbye thanks to events far out of my control. But then, the next day, I was, thankfully, given the opportunity to say goodbye to my students and their moms at a little fiesta. The last-day-of-school-before-break party was not cancelled because my group's moms had planned to do it off-campus. Steven's mom hosted us all for a delicious lunch sponsored by all the families. Everyone arrived dressed to impress. We danced, we exchanged hugs, we cried (me, especially), we said thank you for a great year, and we laughed about the sinkhole putting a little hiccup in everyone's plans. It was a beautiful celebration and opportunity that I am incredibly grateful for. See, Carolyn, someone upstairs has this all under control. Remember when the moms fought to get the party moved off-campus and you thought, "Why bother? It's so much easier to do it here at school!" Well, little did you know you're very last day would have been ruined for sure. Let go, Let God.
Here are some pictures from the last day :)
Also, this past weekend, I joined Nicole, her dad, and her grandfather (who is doing GREAT at 91 and is up for any adventure Costa Rica presents!) on a trip to Monteverde. Art came along for the ride too. We got to explore some of the reserve and the neat little touristy town. We made friends with the hostel manager and laughed along with the gringo students who were the only people dancing at the local bar. It was a nice trip for my last weekend in Costa Rica!
And finally, here are some pictures from my surprise goodbye lunch at work last week!
Here are some pictures from the last day :)
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| Angie, Ale, & Me |
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| waiting for lunch |
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| <3 |
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| IV ciclo <3s to eat |
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| Las madres!! |
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| pretty telling of a typical day at school |
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| The Santasieros! |
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| I "graduated" with honors in painting, paper crafts, and cleaning behinds ;P |
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| mis compas del trabajo |
Thursday, June 28, 2012
Expect the Unexpected
In Costa Rica, one of the most said "dichos" (sayings) is "Si Dios quiere." Literally, this phrase, means "if God wants it" and is spoken hundreds of times a day and almost as automatically as we say "fine-thanks-and-you?" It often follows an "hasta luego" or "I have to do tal y tal cosa," (such and such a thing) or really anything that implies "i have planned - however so loosely - to do something in the near, not so near, or far away future." Yes, it's vague and multi-functional. However, in my year as a volunteer here in Costa Rica, I have learned that there really is something to it. Whether or not you or I or whoever uses the words "Si Dios quiere" believes that God is behind every event, accident, coincidence, or plan, there is a lot of truth and wisdom in the letting-go of control.
I cannot even begin to count how many times this year I've left school one afternoon only to find out later, and often not until it's too late, that my students wouldn't be coming the next day, that a coworker had gotten sick/injured and would be out for weeks, that there was a last minute event planned or canceled, or that - in the most recent case - a sinkhole on a highway has caused all classes to be canceled. (More on that in a moment). Plans have been made, changed, and canceled so many times and in so many ways that it's hard to keep track of the whys and hows of logistics. It's easier, almost, and oddly comforting, to tack on the "Si Dios quiere" as a way of saying "don't plan your life around this!"
I like to think that a lot of things do have to do with God's will for us, but I also recognize a huge cultural difference in the acceptance of responsibility and control. As a born and raised gringa, who has so far thrived in an overly organized, highly planned, responsibility based society, it's been challenging to adapt to the take-it-as-it-comes attitude that many people, including professionals, adopt in Latin America. Efficiency and responsibility are certainly present in theory, but what I've seen in practice has been a bit different. I'm not saying they're wrong. I'm not saying I'm wrong. I'm saying these are two really different worlds, with life philosophies that are complex, multifaceted, and influenced by all sorts of historic, religious, and social factors. Each has many pros and many cons, and in a perfect world, we'd find a happy medium. I also happen to think a perfect world wouldn't be all that interesting, so I'm content to keep exploring our current one.
Now, back to that whole sinkhole thing. Today was to be my last day of work on campus at Centeno Guell. Mid-year vacation begins on Monday, so even though I'll be in Costa Rica for two more weeks, I won't have school. I left my classroom yesterday in a bit of a hurry, intent on getting home to get a head start on writing my thank-you notes, making little gifts for my students, and rehearsing what I wanted to say to the many many co-workers I had planned on despediring today. (That's Spanglish for "saying goodbye to"). I hadn't planned on being on campus tomorrow because my group is planning on having a 'Goodbye Caro/Happy Vacation' party at one of the students homes. Now, even if I did go tomorrow I wouldn't find any of my co-workers because the Ministry of Education canceled all classes for schools in the areas in and around San Jose where traffic may be affected by the sinkhole. Sinkhole, you ask? Yes. After a very strong storm the other night, a piece of the highway between San Jose and Alajuela (where the airport is) caved in. The hole is about 4 meters deep and is causing a ton of traffic issues. So, naturally, there's no school today. Naturally.
Trust me, despite my sarcasm, I am sensitive enough to the situation to recognize that this is dangerous, people's lives are in jeopardy, and patience will certainly be tested on this highway while it's being repaired. But the other part of me - the part of me that says there are no excuses to be made when it comes to education and supporting student success - is disappointed. And yet another part of me - the selfish part that wanted to say goodbye and thank the many people at Centeno who have made this year what it was - is a little sad and a little bitter. ("Like, really? Today of all days?")
But, oh, Carolyn, don't you know? That's where the lesson lies! Don't put off til tomorrow what you could do today. Expect the unexpected. Let Go and Let God. Go with the flow. Cherish every moment as if it's the last. If you want to make God laugh, tell him your plans. Okay, okay, I get it. Meanwhile, I'm going to keep working on those thank-you notes and hope that I get to see my students and their parents tomorrow for one last goodbye, si Dios quiere...
I cannot even begin to count how many times this year I've left school one afternoon only to find out later, and often not until it's too late, that my students wouldn't be coming the next day, that a coworker had gotten sick/injured and would be out for weeks, that there was a last minute event planned or canceled, or that - in the most recent case - a sinkhole on a highway has caused all classes to be canceled. (More on that in a moment). Plans have been made, changed, and canceled so many times and in so many ways that it's hard to keep track of the whys and hows of logistics. It's easier, almost, and oddly comforting, to tack on the "Si Dios quiere" as a way of saying "don't plan your life around this!"
I like to think that a lot of things do have to do with God's will for us, but I also recognize a huge cultural difference in the acceptance of responsibility and control. As a born and raised gringa, who has so far thrived in an overly organized, highly planned, responsibility based society, it's been challenging to adapt to the take-it-as-it-comes attitude that many people, including professionals, adopt in Latin America. Efficiency and responsibility are certainly present in theory, but what I've seen in practice has been a bit different. I'm not saying they're wrong. I'm not saying I'm wrong. I'm saying these are two really different worlds, with life philosophies that are complex, multifaceted, and influenced by all sorts of historic, religious, and social factors. Each has many pros and many cons, and in a perfect world, we'd find a happy medium. I also happen to think a perfect world wouldn't be all that interesting, so I'm content to keep exploring our current one.
Now, back to that whole sinkhole thing. Today was to be my last day of work on campus at Centeno Guell. Mid-year vacation begins on Monday, so even though I'll be in Costa Rica for two more weeks, I won't have school. I left my classroom yesterday in a bit of a hurry, intent on getting home to get a head start on writing my thank-you notes, making little gifts for my students, and rehearsing what I wanted to say to the many many co-workers I had planned on despediring today. (That's Spanglish for "saying goodbye to"). I hadn't planned on being on campus tomorrow because my group is planning on having a 'Goodbye Caro/Happy Vacation' party at one of the students homes. Now, even if I did go tomorrow I wouldn't find any of my co-workers because the Ministry of Education canceled all classes for schools in the areas in and around San Jose where traffic may be affected by the sinkhole. Sinkhole, you ask? Yes. After a very strong storm the other night, a piece of the highway between San Jose and Alajuela (where the airport is) caved in. The hole is about 4 meters deep and is causing a ton of traffic issues. So, naturally, there's no school today. Naturally.
Trust me, despite my sarcasm, I am sensitive enough to the situation to recognize that this is dangerous, people's lives are in jeopardy, and patience will certainly be tested on this highway while it's being repaired. But the other part of me - the part of me that says there are no excuses to be made when it comes to education and supporting student success - is disappointed. And yet another part of me - the selfish part that wanted to say goodbye and thank the many people at Centeno who have made this year what it was - is a little sad and a little bitter. ("Like, really? Today of all days?")
But, oh, Carolyn, don't you know? That's where the lesson lies! Don't put off til tomorrow what you could do today. Expect the unexpected. Let Go and Let God. Go with the flow. Cherish every moment as if it's the last. If you want to make God laugh, tell him your plans. Okay, okay, I get it. Meanwhile, I'm going to keep working on those thank-you notes and hope that I get to see my students and their parents tomorrow for one last goodbye, si Dios quiere...
Saturday, June 23, 2012
The past few weeks have been filled with lots of ups and downs, and realizations that my time here in CR is quickly drawing to a close. Here's a quick update of some of the stuff we've been up to!
- Nicole and I went to a concert at our friend Josue's church to see Tapon, a Costa Rican reggae/reggaeton artist, perform. Apparently he started out as a pretty mainstream singer but in the last decade or so has been producing Christian music. The show was good (and we got to see Josue play at the end too!) and certainly different...how many Christian reggaeton concerts have you been to?
- Margie, Arthur (the volunteer at St. Francis for the summer) and I took a bus to Coronado one Saturday just for kicks. We got on a bus that passes by our house all the way to the end of the line, got off, and navigated our way to the center of Coronado on foot. It was really fun, and a neat way to see a new town. The church in Coronado is strikingly different from most others we've seen here, and the park in town was pretty hopping, which made for great people watching.
- Jordan came to town for a week! He was here for a few days before our Summer Retreat, which took place at a cute retreat center up in the mountains. Friar Jorge accompanied us for part of the retreat too, which was very special.
- The day after the retreat, we went to La paz, a waterfall garden that has been turned into a huge tourist hot spot, complete with a beautiful hotel, various restaurants, and all sorts of other attractions - jungle cats, birds, butterflies, snakes, etc. It was a beautiful day together!
- Nicole turned 23! To celebrate, we made ice cream sundaes and went out to our favorite Mexican place, in that order :)
- Margie, who had been pretty sick, decided to head home a little early to recuperate before our final retreat in Syracuse in July. It was sad to see her go, and it's weird to have only two people in this big, beautiful house, but she's doing better now that she's home.
- At Centeno, my students were out of school for about 3 weeks because Guiselle was sick, so I was working with the group next store. I was so sad that my kids were out because it was last few weeks of work with them, after having spent about 8 months with them every day. Fortunately they found someone to fill in, finally, so they should all be back next week. Working with the other group was fun, but there were usually more adults than students since anyone who would have been working with my group was there.
- Yesterday my coworkers threw me a surprise goodbye lunch, which was so sweet. Through a series of very sneaky plans, they decorated the room, collaborated on a delicious meal, and sent me home with some pretty gifts and memories (ictures to come!).
Enjoy some photos :)
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| Jordan's buddy |
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| pretty! |
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| true friendship |
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| birthday girl! |
Saturday, June 2, 2012
And then there were three...
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| proudly sporting Lonestar shirts |
The next evening, Molly and I were invited to dinner and a sleep-over with Marlyn and Juan Gabriel. Juan Ga is a student in my class at Centeno as well as a patient at the clinic where Molly has worked. He and his mom, Marlyn, are two very special people who we have grown to love a lot this year. Marlyn insisted on having us over for the night as a way to say thank you. Sure enough, she spoiled us rotten with lasagna, presents, and a delicious breakfast. We loved being able to spend time with Juan Ga as well!
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| last group shot! |
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| Collage for Molly |
This week at work was a little crazy, but hasn't every week been? We had classes Monday and Tuesday per usual where we have been working on Father's Day art projects. On Wednesday, I helped out with the class next store since my kids didn't come in. On Thursday, I joined Guiselle and Ale (the teacher and assistant I work with) on a home visit to two of the families in my group. It was really interesting to see where my kids live and what their home lives are like. I've now seen 4 homes and they're all so welcoming. I really enjoyed the day, especially because it was something a little different than usual.
Also this week, I joined Nicole at the afterschool program she helps organize with students from St Francis. Twice a week, a group of about a dozen students loads into a mini-bus to go to La Isla, a community in Moravia that is markedly different from the area that St. Francis is in. The community is extremely poor, which is evident in everything from the homes, the roads, the schools, and the way people dress. In this program, St. Francis students help tutor little kids from La Isla and teach English classes to the older kids. I helped Nicole with English...it was so much fun. I hope to continue helping out for the few weeks we have left!
I'm down to four weeks left of work, and they'll certainly fly by! Hope summer is off to a great start back home. Sending much love up north!
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| Gecko showdown in the kitchen sink |
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