As of today, I’ve been in country for a total of nine days.
It’s been everything I’ve thought it’d be and so much more. On the way home
from San Jose yesterday, I had about an hour and a half to myself (apparently
talking to strangers in public transportation is almost as uncommon here as it is
in the U.S.), and I found myself reflecting on the last month or so and all the
change it has brought.
At the beginning of February, I was entrenched in a massive
journey during which I visited over two dozen friends and family in seven
states. It was a truly memorable experience, and I’m grateful for all the
people who helped put that whole thing together. What sticks out to me most of
all is the massive amount “lasts” that took place up until my departure: Last
visit to Michigan, last NHL game, last home-cooked meal, last jam session
(thanks for recording that, Bearden), last time seeing this person or that, and many more.
Then, all of a sudden, I was awoken from my reminiscing by a
gust of Costa Rican wind, and I found myself beginning to account for all the
firsts that have transpired since arriving last week. Although I’ve visited
this country a couple times in the past, there have been a number of variants
on my “firsts” here in this wonderful place. For example, first time in a
particular part of the country (San Jose, Cartago, Heredia, and others), first
time eating ribs in a foreign country (oh man.), first time meeting and living with my current
family (I’m still learning more and more how awesome they are), and so much
more.
The point is I’ve had one heck of a time transitioning from
Lasts to Firsts, and I know there are so many more Firsts to come. With all
the things I’m learning from the Peace Corps Costa Rica team and all the beauty
in this place, I have a solid feeling that this is going to be the experience
of a lifetime. It’s going to be a beautiful ride.
More specifically, yesterday was a day of exploring the
capital city of San Jose. I’ll admit, when I first received the map along with instructions for our day in San Jose, I was a tad bit intimidated. If you know me, you know my love for maps; however, the city
seemed like a giant, and I was a strange combination of nervous and excited to
get this one under my belt, so to speak. My group was a great help; they were
so great about going with the flow of it all, making sure to hit on all major
points at each stop. Once my feet started moving along the streets of San Jose,
I realized quickly that it isn’t as huge and intimidating that I had considered
it to be. It was a beautiful day complete with a nice breeze and a bright, shining
sun.
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| Teatro Nacional, near the center of San Jose |
On top of having a chance to learn a new city, I also got to
visit with an old friend from years back. Roberto Barrantes, a pastor in a local church, was previously assigned to a location in Las
Juntas, somewhere around four or five hours from San Jose. After sending him a
quick email upon arriving, I learned that he had been transferred to a new
location: one of the oldest (if not the
oldest) Methodist churches in all of Costa Rica. Studying my map, I got a quick
idea of where exactly his new assignment is and scouted whether or not our
potential route might lead us anywhere nearby. Sure enough, my team was able to
take a quick break, which gave me a few minutes to visit my friend. It was a
short visit, but it was so good just to see him and give him a quick embrace
after nine years of distance. Now that I know he and his family are in San
Jose, it will (hopefully) be much easier to visit him in the future. What a
great thing it is to see an old friend.
Getting back to my neighborhood was an adventure as well.
Our plans in San Jose culminated with a visit to the Peace Corps office in the
Northwest portion of San Jose and a short time of debriefing. After the
debriefing session, we were free to return to our training communities by way
of the public bus system. While my normal inclination would be to wait for
other PC trainees to join me and head back together to make sure I knew what I
was doing/where I was going, I chose to test myself by heading home on my own.
Long story short, I made it back with the help of a lovely
lady who works for a local non-profit, a pair of helpful police officers, and
super shady gentleman who was very, VERY interested in my backpack. I have to
say with complete transparency, it felt good to accomplish something like that.
Successfully navigating a new city in which I don’t necessarily speak the
language is a great feeling.
Yesterday was another good day, and I yet again find myself very
grateful.
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