I should probably give a little bit of a background of this trip! For forever it feels like, I've wanted to teach English abroad. I researched & researched, even applied for a one-week stint, but never went through with it. I got the bug again during this year & acted upon it immediately. Probably a great thing! In my searches for a reputable, affordable & exciting organization, I stumbled upon International Volunteer HQ, a New Zealand based voluntourism organization who places people from around the world in a variety of projects in a number of countries. I got that warm & fuzzy feeling inside & knew this was the jump I needed to take!
It was so difficult to choose a project--I wanted to do everything! Women's education in Kenya or India, jungle conservation in Peru, assisting in an orphanage in Ghana, Tanzia or Thailand... I quickly narrowed down my first trip to a Spanish-speaking country since that seemed the most rational. I know a bit of the language, enough to get by, but no where near enough to converse with my NYC students' parents effectively. And, since I've wanted to teach abroad for the longest, that became my focus. Airfare & the desire to see a TON helped me to make my final decision on teaching English in Costa Rica. I signed up for 2 weeks & extended my return flight to NY for 6 days later in order to maximize my exploring! I can't wait to see San Jose, Manuel Antonio Natinoal Park, Arenal Volcano, Monteverde Cloud Forest... do a canopy tour, see some wildlife. And the coffee! Ah! I can almost taste it :)
A couple months down the road, I'm super happy with the communication I've received from IVHQ. They are attentive, helpful & calming. I'll be met at the airport, taken to the Maximo Nivel office (the local organization IVHQ teams up with) in San Jose & we'll see what happens from there. Orientation, meeting other volunteers & meeting my host family, which I'm most excited about.
If I can just get all my belongings for my 3 weeks into my 4200 cu. in./78L pack, I'll be all set! :) :)
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