STATES-CATION ALL I EVER WANTED.

Yes, even volunteers get time off.

In Peace Corps Costa Rica, we get time off in two forms. The first is called an OOC, or Out Of Community day. We get three of these per month. They do NOT accrue and can be used for professional development opportunities, personal days, and other work-related projects out of your site but still in your country of service.

The second are regular Vacation Days, which are just what they sound like. We get two of these per month, adding up to 48 in total over 2 years. These days DO accrue, and can be used for in- or out-of-country travel.

Nearly two years into service with 40 unused vacation days burning a hole in my pocket, aproveché (I took advantage) and went home for just shy of a month this May-June. Here are some highlights:

1.Aly Graduated, and I got to visit my alma mater. Go Bearcats.

2. I finally cut my gosh darn hair

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3. Memorial Day weekend reunion ft. wine tours, boat days and some of my favorite humans.

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4. New York City, which included Shake Shack, coffee dates, finally finding out that WeWork is an actual place and not just a cult that all my friends joined, brunch, weeping 3rd row from the barricade to Florence and the Machine at Gov Ball, and more best friend reunions.

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5. Found out my mom has happily taken over my garden and visited a couple new viveros (greenhouses) in my area.

6. Ithaca with my Aly and the obligatory stop at Collegetown Bagels.

7. Clayton Wine Festival with my Tom. Working this wine festival was one of the last things that I got to do with my dad before starting my service in the Peace Corps in 2017, so it was extra special that the timing of my trip back to NY coincided with this festival and we could go together again.

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8. My dog. Obviously.

9. Getting to spend time in one of my favorite places in the world.

So, first time home in two years. What was the best part?

For me, it was going back to NY and experiencing genuine, guilt-free enjoyment without feeling a sense of defeat.

Does that make sense? Anyone else relate with me on that?

Between studying abroad in Costa Rica, Argentina, and Perú and embarking on a 2+ year volunteer program to Costa Rica a month after graduating university, I’ve had a pretty travel-buggy couple of years, and I’ve loved pretty much all of it. I’ve hiked ancient ruins. Stood on glaciers. Swam in two of the world’s five oceans. Judged English festivals. Watched a glowing stream of lava dribble down the side of a volcano late at night. I learned a second language, and I’ve crossed paths with people who have utterly changed the trajectory of my life.

Out of an emotion along the lines of pride? stubbornness? I decided that my growth and personal development was reliant on distancing myself from what I knew as familiar. To accomplish this, I always had to focus on what was next; where I’d be living next, what I’d be doing next, and, most importantly, that I “just wasn’t ready to go back home yet.” 

Go home? I’ve got too much language, too much culture, and too many experiences to consume for that! To me, the thought of going home felt like tossing up a white flag and admitting nope, you were right, the world is too huge and overwhelming and it chewed me up and spit me back out and I can’t do it anymore.

Yup, these feelings are clearly sponsored by my ego.

But defeat wasn’t on my mind while I was home. I felt happy. And what’s more, I didn’t feel guilty for feeling happy about going home and being surrounded by the familiar comforts that came with it.

Basically, going home helped me find peace.

God, could you say it in any cornier of a way, Lauren?

Going home helped settle an internal dispute that I didn’t even realize I had boiling below the surface. I love finally being able to come to terms with simultaneously loving where I am right now, wherever that may be, and being excited to go back home.

You can be the world traveler that the Magic Treehouse books inspired you to be without feeling compromised by the fact that you still love it when you walk upstairs and your mommy or daddy made your bed for you. Ultimately, there’s no shame in going places that make you feel warm and loved. Being home was great, and I can’t wait to go back again. Period.