“Un día mas, un día menos.”

We sit at the kitchen table sipping afternoon cafesito. Rain patters softly on the tin roof as the last blue light of the day filters through the clouds and night falls. I hear this phrase muttered frequently as my host mom shuffles between the coffeemaker and the table. Un día mas, un día menos. One day more, one day less.

This past week marked one year in site. In other words, we’re all currently 475 days into this 820 day adventure. At this point in our service, our Tico 34 cohort attended what is known as Mid-Service Crisis Training (MST), a milestone that marks the halfway completion of our 2 year service. That’s right, we’re already halfway there. Diay. 

For those of you who, like myself, enjoy visuals, feast your eyes on our lovely Cycle of Vulnerability:

This week, besides logistical check-ups like medical and dentist appointments (23 years cavity free, suckers), LPI’s (language proficiency interviews), and meetings with our Project Teams and Country Director, is meant to serve as a week of reflection on our first year of service and provide a launchpad as we enter our 2nd half of service.

The past year has been a whirlwind of emotional struggles adventures. Moments of elation and triumph, like when you finally memorize all of the names of the kids in your class, or dish out an objectively #nasty remata (spike) that wins your team the point they needed to put the game in their favor, or get an invite to cafesito from one of your night school students; the list goes on.

Of course, we only chalk up our happiest moments on the board as wins when we can hold them up next to our low points; for example, those days when you decide to wash your hair for the first time in 5 days and right after you load up on shampoo your water goes out and then you sit down in your little soapy shower puddle to breathe and let a frustrated tear roll down your cheek and notice that a thumb-sized cockroach has been in the corner passing judgement over you throughout the entire experience.

 

Or when you go into town to pay your electricity bill, thinking you just made the deadline, only to return home later that day to discover that they turned the lights out on you anyways.

Life always finds a way of humbling you.

It’s a weird sensation being halfway anywhere. For me, it’s been a limbo between “Wow, we’ve already made it a year! That’s a long time!” and “Holy mother of god, it’s only been a year, and we have a whole year left to go. That’s a long time.”, along with all of the other emotions (high, low, and everywhere in between) that come with that. Isolation. Indifference. Inspiration. Contentment. Motivation. Helplessness. Excitement. Loneliness.

It can be a lot to process.

So that’s why they throw you in a room with 28 of your closest Tico 34 friends so you can sort it all out together.

The timing of MST could not have fallen more perfectly. After entering Week 9 of huelga, it was a much needed breath of fresh air to reflect on all that we’ve accomplished in our sites over the course of the past year, reconnect with other volunteers, and give us a gentle reminder of the goals and commitments we set for ourselves when we started our service back in October 2017. Over the past month, between unlearning the routines and that helped give us a reason to wake up every day and trying to find activities to fill our days with during the strike, it has become increasingly facíl to question our purpose here. 

So, in the name of self-love and reflection, I complied a quick list of 15 things that have happened over the past year:

1. Spent some time lovin’ on plants in the Botanical Gardens
   Got to take several trips up to this green paradise to walk along guided tours, visit with friends, and walk around myself to ponder how so much bamboo ended up in Costa Rica.

2. Explored some parts of Guanacaste, including Cerro Pelado, some playas, a biological reserve, and Nicoya
This is probably one of the coolest trips I’ve gone on. Period.

3. Had my first tamale-making experience
They were edible !!!

4. JumpStart!
More to come later with respect to this, but fellow PCV (Jackie) and I worked on a grant proposal to host a JumpStart camp (intensive English camp designed to help facilitate 6th grader’s transition into high school) in our community of San Vito.

5. Started working out
One of the places I’ve grown to love in site is the airplane landing strip by my house. Many thoughts have been worked through during walks on this tarmac, as well as podcasts listened to (s/o to Amanda Seales’ Small Doses and Jonathan Van Ness’ Getting Curious. Additional s/o to PCV Jackie for introducing these to me because I know she’d be on my case about not giving her credit if I didn’t mention her here).

Sometimes, there are even actual planes. 

6. I got older
I would say nobody likes you when you’re 23, but it’s entirely too cliche. Plus I just managed to sneak it in by calling out it’s cliche-ness anyways.

7. I continued building relationships with my all-star counterparts
Its hard to believe we’ve only known each other for a year now. Johnny and Ana Lu are two constant sources of light in my service.

8. My Lynn and Tom visited
The family vacation we’ve always dreamed of. (Sorry you missed it, Aly).

And taught them what boomerang was, free of charge. 

9. Learned how to make bagels
Coto Brus Bagel Factory, opening soon in a Costa Rica near you.

10. I moved into my own place!
And have been gracefully stumbling through all of the experiences that come with this for the past 7 months (which includes but is not exclusive to cooking, being my own exterminator, and playing What’s That Sound? with myself every night as I lay in bed alone).

11. Went bird watching
Things I convinced myself I would never do while sitting in Upstate NY but actually turned out to love. Thanks again, Paula.

**Pro-tip, they’re still difficult to identify, even when they fly into windows and don’t ever wake up again. 

12. I made a small friend
Who also likes to colour and draw. Kids aren’t so bad after all.

13. Found a home with my local women’s volleyball team
These women breathe life into me.

14. Started a Bachillerato Prep Course
Bachillerato is the set of exams that students have to take (and pass) prior to graduation. This opportunity to get to know the quinto students in my school a little better has been a massive source of joy in my service.

15. I started painting and bullet journalling.
Hobbies. (Future post to come?)

Un día mas, un día menos. Though a rather melancholy sentiment when you’re left alone to really chew on it, I like to see it as a friendly reminder to enjoy each day we’re given (when did this turn into a self-help post? She tricked us). Some may look at having a year left as daunting, however, in the grand scope of things, that time is a drop in the bucket. As we “jump” (see what I did there?) into our second year of service, I look forward to enjoying the highs and lows of each day and, rather than wishing the time away, seeking experiences to continue making it meaningful.