Thanksgiving in Costa Rica, part II

I spent the day with my third graders and their parents at the children’s museum in down town San Jose. I tried, as I didn't want it to go by unnoticed, to remain especially grateful this day. Reminding myself every so often how grateful I was to be there, to be sharing this experience with these families, to get little hugs from the kids and have them sleep on me during the ride there. It was to be my second thanksgiving out of the country in a row… and the fact that no one else around me cared what day it was was a little sad and made it hard to remember it was even a holiday. However, I recounted to myself the various thanksgiving I have been a part of; at our houses growing up, at my brother’s house, in a call center, with my grandparents and last year with an Embassy family here in Costa Rica, attempting to keep in holiday spirit.

This year I had the great fortune to be welcomed by another embassy family, the Green’s. After our field trip had come to an end, I parted ways with everyone and set off with Jo to our thanksgiving destiny that would prove quite an adventure.  After two buses, two and a half hours of travel, a lot of " how bad would it be if we never got there", a crabby bus driver, and a “plan b” to go get chicken Philly cheese steaks, cupcakes and a commemorative tattoo of a sad turkey if it all didn't work out later, we got to the house we were meant to be at. When I say I almost cried with happiness ad gratefulness, I’m not exaggerating. I had to stop myself before it got bad. Luckily for me I was starving and had a plate of deliciousness to distract me.

We stuffed our faces and got to know our awesome hosts and their children. The littlest one reminded me of my little mad-face as she pranced around the house asking Patrick, our fellow volunteer, to copy whatever she did, which of course brought her sheer delight. There is one thing, which surprised me last year and snuck up on me again this year; although I miss my family more than they know, spending holidays with families is still a beautiful thing. To just be in the presence of love and togetherness is very special. Like contagious laughter, when you are around it you feel it, even if you didn't hear the joke, you still find yourself laughing.

The pies, yes multiple, ice cream and whipped cream topped off one of my more interesting thanksgivings. After eating until my body could hold no more and after Sarah gave us to go tins (whhhhaaaat I get to have it AGAIN tonight!), we all headed back to our respective beds for the ensuing food coma. I hope one day to be able to return the favor or at very least pass it forward; the space and time for people to feel at home miles away from their actual home, to share the love of good food and holiday spirit. It has been so important to me these past two years. Being away for thanksgiving has made me appreciate it more than ever and has made me more grateful for all the little moments with family and friends, new and old that keeps me going, keep me smiling. This time next year, I'll be home and I won't have to miss my family and I can be grateful to finally be home for the holidays.

We hopped over the physical and metaphoric mid way line.

I recently came back from our groups' mid service training, feeling reconnected to my fellow peace corps volunteers and a deep sense of pride for all we've been through together and separately. There was a sense of connectedness that nothing but time and similar experiences could provide, as well as a stellar collection of tired faces with expressions of learned acquiescence. The last time we were brought together in a formal training was in January of this year, when we thought we knew things.

Now 9 months later, we've all hit a bottom, we've all seen success and failure, and we've all adopted tico-isms for better or worse. There are few words that can express what it is like to hear that not only have your peers stared at walls for countless hours, been crushed by the weight of real life development work, and spent entire days in bed, binge watching whatever they had on their computers to cope, but that they have also done really great and wonderful things, integrating and making friends, doing cool projects in their sites and actually making a difference in the lives they've been a part of for a whole year. And, it gets even better when they are interested in the stuff you've done and say what a good job you’re doing! Imagine my surprise.

It may have happened apart, but we have gone through a lot together in just one year.  I can’t speak for others but I walk away from that training with a fuller heart, a sense of accomplishment and a returned sense of adventure. What is left of our small part here as pcvs ticks away faster and faster. Now that we've set up our routines and comfort zones in places once uncomfortable and new, we try to make the rest count as we count down the time left in this once in a lifetime adventure.