Hello everybody, it’s been a while.

My last blog post was over 3 months ago, and I wrote about the projects I could foresee myself starting in the new year. They were decent predictions, and some have come true, but new opportunities show themselves often, and I have embraced a few of these as well.

I started an English class in the local computer lab. This isn’t really a part of my job description, but I am an Economic Development volunteer, and learning English increases everyone’s earning potential, so I don’t know what is more economic development than that.

This is the rock I need in my schedule. Working with several different groups on different projects leads to meetings on different days at different times every week. During the early months, I had a hard time feeling productive some days during the integration process. With this class established, I find myself with something to do every day that gets me out of the house. It is also a huge help for my Spanish skills to facilitate a class in Spanish with class material that I know well. This is giving me the confidence I need to facilitate more courses in technology or business concepts in Spanish.

I have been attending meetings with several groups, but I think I have the most potential to help out with two groups in particular. One group focused on protecting the biodiversity of the area as the pineapple industry expands, as well as an old folks’ organization that holds events to promote socializing between the older population that may lead very solitary lives without the events held by this group.

These groups are very different, and I am thrilled they are open to working with me. Working with them provides me with rich opportunities to see the surrounding nature and to further integrate with the community. Working with the old folks has been amazing, and it has been really cool to hear their stories of other Peace Corps Volunteers who have worked in this community. The furthest back I have heard is about a tall guy who was very popular in town 40+ years ago. This checks out considering Peace Corps just celebrated the 60th anniversary in Costa Rica.

Beyond work, life has been going great. I have some cool friends around my age that own a local coffee shop. After about two weeks of coming in almost every day, we started talking, and they have quickly become some of my strongest connections in the community. They have introduced me to countless people, helped me furnish my new house, helped me find students for my English class, and, in general, have been great friends.

The new house I am currently moving into is near the center of town, a lot closer to my job and the places I like to go. This is going to change my ability to attend certain events at night, and I will feel more like a member of the community. This marks a new chapter of my life here.

In travel news, I am going on a trip at the end of March to Limón, the province on the east coast in the Caribbean. The culture there is different, and many of the locals speak Patua, a form of English, and the gastronomy is different there as well. If you are interested, google more information about Puerto Viejo Limón.

I miss you all, and I am excited to see you again around August 2025 or sooner when I come back for my cousin Jake and his fiancée Katie’s wedding. But I do want to warn you that the longer I am here, the more interest I have in the world of diplomacy. This interest could lead me to applying to the foreign service one day, meaning I might not live in the United States that much during my career. Regardless, I will return and go to grad school, so that will be a solid 2 years back in the states.

Thanks for reading, enjoy some photos!