Marks.

The early morning sun cast its celestial rays over the endless expanse of mismatched, corrugated, tin roofs. As I lifted off the ground with my dog safely tucked in the compartment below me, I soaked it all in for the very last time...one last glimpse of this significant country and its people that has left an indelible mark on my soul as a Peace Corps Volunteer. I breathed it all in, and said my final farewell.

Days earlier I had said farewell to my community of Copey. It was there that I spent two years and made a mark - or a dent, as least, I had hoped. Afterall, that's why we embark on such adventures, right? - to somehow make a mark, and of course, marks are made on us...the place and the people always ends up leaving a deeper mark on us. These marks are often hard to conceptualize, ambiguous and hard to see. Rather, I think they are more felt. When I went house to house to the important people in my community to say farewell and enjoy our last cafecitos together, I knew by the tears, the sentiments spoken, the comfortable connections, the open invitations for return, that marks has been made.

As I look back on this freshly completed experience, I wonder if I was successful? Is this the point of Peace Corps? To be successful? Or to fulfill the 27-months of service to JFK's liking? Well, perhaps. But I know that I can say that I leave this experience behind (while taking it much of with me, of course) with 100% satisfaction and have no regrets. And while it was largely about the work and the collaboration on projects, it was most importantly for me about the relationships formed. I will never forget the extended embrace of the father of one family I became close with. How his love for me - a mere stranger just two years earlier - exuded from his arms as we said a tearful goodbye. And the mother. And their son. It still makes me incredibly sad......over a month of being back home.

Now I move forward and on from this experience, carrying with me the important provisions - changed, fearless, stronger, zero regrets. Where I will go, I don't yet know. Much like two years and three months ago, I once again step into terra incognita. And I'm pretty darn sure I can face anything that will come my way, just a little bit stronger...

Thanks for following along and stopping by my journey, readers!!!

Signed, Sealed, Delivered.

Today as I relinquished my Peace Corps ID that has served as my entire identity for the past 26 months, it hit me - I'm movin' on. And as I left the Peace Corps office after saying some serious heartfelt goodbyes, it also hit me. And after filling my two-page, check-out sheet with important, executive signatures, getting final approval of release, it hit me even more. I got on that bus for the last time and bid adieu to my life that I have known for the last two years.

Signed, sealed, and tomorrow, I will be delivered.

How to express and form words for this experience has not yet come to me. Therefore, I just wanted to post a final farewell from this beautiful country that has penetrated my heart and mind over the past two years. A huge, huge, huge, enormous thank you from the deepest depths of my heart to every person that has affected my life here in Costa Rica. I could not have done it with your support.

Meanwhile as I board the plane tomorrow and see this country fade into the great, expansive distance below, I will ponder, I will reflect, and I will give thanks for all that has become of me. As well as try to come up with a thoughtfully composed cadence of words...something on which I can hang my latest emotions.

Until next time, readers.....in the United States we will meet.

Tomorrow's Wise Words....of Today.

Here is Arturo. He is the father of a 6th grader I worked with in a girls' empowerment group my first year here. He used to own a private taxi company, so I would drive with him to and from Copey every now and then. Now he drives a van that transports students in the area. I ran into him my last time in Santa Maria, my nearest town and I was so lucky to drive up to Copey for the last time with him - it was a perfect, late, sunny, afternoon.

Here are his wise words, in talking with him about me leaving and how I felt about my experience and Costa Rica:

"Here in Costa Rica, we live Pura Vida [**the Costa Rican phrase meaning Pure Life, calm, no worries], we don't have many problems in relation to other countries. You know, in the end, if a person has a place to eat, a place to sleep, somewhere to watch their television, they live happily, calmly, they can live in peace."

Hasta luego, readers!

A Wise Word Storm!

Stay tuned for tomorrow's wise words from Arturo....they're coming at me left and right lately!

Todays Wise Words....

....spoken by a true wise man the other day at cafecito, Mario, the father of a family I am close with in Copey.

"It doesn't matter if the roof over your head is made of plastic or gold, both serve the purpose….it matters more what's inside - the family, the unity, the love."

Need I say more? I think not.

Until next time, Readers.

Musings on Leaving...

I only have two weeks and three days left being a Peace Corps volunteer! What a mixed bag of emotions right now. Set to take flight from this Rich Coast bright and early Thursday, April 21st...to be received (with my dog) in Portland, Oregon by my sister!!!!!!

This is her, by the way....so artsy, that one...

In other news...this family has become my second family in Costa Rica....it will be hard to leave them. Set to spend my last night with them...

....as it will be hard to leave many things from here. The time is ripe, though.

Until next time, readers! Yes, there will be a next time.

Just another day........encountering Juan

So today as I was walking into town, way up ahead of me I noticed a man on a bike coming in my direction, and simultaneously heard someone shouting "Christ lives in you!!" "Christ loves you!!!" with their arms waving in the air, and their bike haphazardly steering its own way up the road. As I got a little closer, I realized it's my neighbor, Juan. A bothersome, anticipatory sounding sigh softly came out of my mouth.

Now, Juan is my nearest neighbor. He lives up the road from me about 300 meters. He is a genuine man. He lives alone by the river with his big brown dog who often wriggles its way between my barbed wire fence to play with Riley. He is the caretaker for a very nice weekend cabin, also on the river located between our two houses. He lives a seemingly simple life. He seems content.

I like Juan. But, sometimes, there's not enough I can do to muster up the patience to listen to him and his preaching. On my morning hikes, I have three options: 1). I can take the road into town, 2). I can take the road to the side of town (very steep) or 3). I can take the road out of town just following the river, aaaaaaand also past Juan's house. The latter is one of my favorite walks. But if I do this, I've learned that I have to pretend I'm out for a jog as I pass Juan's house. Otherwise, a friendly morning 'hello' turns into a Southern Baptist preaching session. Now, I don't think Juan is a Southern Baptist. In fact, I'm pretty sure he's just conventional Christian, but he sure does love preaching. The first couple of times I listened to his preaching. But time again and again, I realized can only smile and nod soooooooo many times.

So today the conversation went like this (as I sped up as to make it looked like I was in a hurry)….

"Hola Juan"

"Hooooola Rebeca!"

"Hey, you got a bike!"

"Ohh yes, it's just an old one that was up at the house, I'm coming from Santa Maria"

**Santa Maria is a town 7 kilometers DOWN DOWN DOWN the steep mountain road, and quite a feat to bike up.

"Wow, you must be strong!"

"I am celestial!!!! Christ lives in me, Christ loves me!"

At this point I realize the preaching has begun….

"So, wow, you really can do anything"

"All this matter (motioning to the nature surrounding us), it's all celestial, it's all Christ….!!!!!! You know that!?!? You know CHrist lives in you…….!?!?!?!"

"Juan, yes, and I'd love to chat, but I'm a running late today (trying to scurry off in the opposite direction)"

"CHRIST LOVES YOU!!! (he shouts as I'm trying to indirectly motion that I have to go)…..

(bold used to denote preacher-like shouting).

And on our ways we went. I chuckled to myself as I continued on down the dirt road.

Just another uncommonly common day in the Peace Corps….

An Afternoon Wander.

Just a scene from my school. How fitting for me to be placed there. (For those that don't speak Spanish it means Pedro Perez Zeledon School loves art).

One recent afternoon I went out for a walk with Riley. With my time coming to a close, I'm realizing so are my afternoon walks in Copey, my favorite time of day here. With that in mind, I walk with intention, knowing that when I am walking the hustling busy streets of Portland (and Seattle and Colorado), I will long for this. And here's why...

This is 300 meters out my front door:

This, 400 meters:

This was just 200 meters (a double, full....!!!):

This was with me the entire time :) :

And this? Well, this happens every day....walk a little, pick a little, walk a little, pick a little...

Until next time, readers.

Go Women!! (A photo exhibit and cafecito)

Yesterday was International Women’s Day….an entire day to celebrate women and the rights we have! Though every day should really be women’s day! ;)

I celebrated the day by organizing a women’s community photography exhibit in my town. I gave a camera to 11 women and asked them to photograph “What it means to them to be a woman.” Then they were then asked to write about the theme as well. I paired the writing with the photo and a portrait of each artist for an afternoon photo exhibit opening and cafecito on the big day. It was a success and the women seemed so happy to see their work up on the local bakery’s walls. The exhibit will be there the entire month of March. So if you’re in Copey, stop in the bakery! :)

Happy Women’s Day (to ALL)!!!!

settin' up...

Nine of the 11 women that participated, and myself!

the womens' photos and captions on the boards...

Love Letter to a Once Foreign Country

Dear Costa Rica,

Don't worry, this won't be the last letter. There will be another.

As I look ahead to my last couple of months with you, I see how you have changed me, taught me, loved me. I never would have guessed it at the start, but you have permeated me - my veins, my blood, my heart, my mind, my soul. Every last bit of you has infiltrated your ways deep inside me. I'm not sure how, but you have. You stealth little thing. And just as I'm about to leave…. In my mind, there needs to be more time for us to grow and love each other in this state. Do you feel the same? Well, the truth is, there isn't. I must move on. I've got other experiences to have, to shape me and affect me much like you did. You will be okay. I will be okay. It's time to go.

You know Costa Rica, things weren't always this wonderful. I'm not going to lie, our relationship has been rocky. And most times it's been a love/hate relationship. But all things in life are challenging. Nothing is easy. If it had been easy, you would have left me unaffected. I would be the same. I would be unaltered. I'm glad I'm not. Thank you.

Taking a look back at our relationship, Costa Rica, is all I can help but do as I think about leaving you.

At first you were new, exciting, and novel. I wanted nothing more than to soak you up, be with you, know you, love you, explore you with all my being. Your exotic, different ways piqued my curiosity. I wondered why you made me so enchanted in the beginning; why you made me laugh, why you made me confused, why you made my cry, why you made me feel so challenged?

It took awhile for me to get used to you. You were so foreign and I barely understood you, let alone could communicate with you. It's the reason we took sometime to get used to each other. And most of what you previously knew of my kind were different, perhaps somewhat superficial? I can only hope I gave you more. And most of what I knew of you previously was superficial. You definitely gave me more.

I'm going to be honest Costa Rica, there were times when I loathed you. I wanted nothing more than to fly away from your vast mountainous earth never to look back. You made me feel so isolated, so alone, so bored, so numb, so frustrated. I lost part of myself, my personality, my zest. I thought about leaving you early, many times, before our time together could play out, prematurely. But I persisted. Something about your subtle whisperings told me it was worth it to do so. I heard them in the wind that danced through my village, in the leaves falling softly from my trees, in the voices of your people.

Your people. It was your people that changed me. Did you know how influential your people are? How they can affect someone so foreign so strongly? Well they can. They did! Your people will be hard to leave behind. Your people shared so much. They taught me so much. They touched me so deeply. Your people gave birth, your people grew, your people collaborated with me, your people shared, your people danced, your people welcomed me, your people supported me, your people died, your people taught me, your people questioned me, your people challenged me. I felt it all from your people.

Most people won't understand what we had, Costa Rica. They won't know how you shaped me. Only I can know. Only I can see how we grew together. Only I was there with you. I wish people could understand but they can't. They can only try. And I really hope they try.

Costa Rica, yes, you will always be here. But what we have will not. It won't be the same when I come back to visit you. It will be different. But do know, that yes, I will come back to visit you.

I will never know another like you, Costa Rica. Your "pura vida". Your "si Dios quiere". Your "tuanis". Your "diay". Your cafectio. Your lluvia. Your biscocho. Your gallo pinto. Your baile tipico. Your topes. Your escuelas públicas. Your pulperias. Your misa. Your everything. You. Are. Unique. And I couldn't be more grateful for that.

We still have some time Costa Rica, another month and a half or so. It's not over yet. So let's savor every last bit.

To my once foreign country I now know so well, much love,

Rebecca

Into the Coffee Fields...

Recently I went out into the coffee fields....not with my pickin' hands, but with my snappin' hands (i.e. my camera). Here're just a few images I have at hand, but more to come, as I of course went nuts with my camera....not to mention, met some amazingly wonderful people from Panama.

Hasta muy pronto, readers!

Könnten sie das bitte wiederholen?

Don't be confused. I AM still in Costa Rica.........still.

But in my heaps and loads of free time during school vacation I have taken to learning German. Mainly because, well, it's the language of the motherland! And also, I will be traveling to various places in Europe this summer where it could come in handy. Especially the phrase above which means, 'could you repeat that, please?"

I have also taken to learning some esoteric vocabulary with intense alacrity that I will most likely use, only to appear affected by my abysmal attempt to use naturally. But all these attempts at increasing my knowledge is allaying the daily juxtaposition between my day to day boredom and my general angst for what to do next (i.e. post Peace Corps). But little by little these attempts will abate my angst and boredom. Until then, I will continue living my abstemious lifestyle, appreciating all things aesthetic, absconding from overly-long Costa Rican meetings, and abdicating my responsibilities as a Peace Corps volunteer here in the upcoming months. It will be good. I feel as though many things in my life are currently in abeyance. (I'm clearly still in the A section of the vocab book).

In other news, I got a dog. Or rather, a dog got me. I'm lucky. I decided to call her Riley and decided that she will learn English. In the past three weeks I have had her, she has basically become fluent in the English [dog] language. In other words, she's well trained for when I take her home and show up unexpectedly with a Costa Rican dog at my parents' house for a few months. She's a great hiking companion every morning and a fabulous evening companion when all I can hear is the loud roar of the river and see nothing but bright, bright stars way up here in my isolated cabin.

Ich freue mich, Sie wiederzusehen, und bis später, readers.