50 Days In....

When I arrived in Costa Rica about a month and a half ago, I have to say that my first thought was “What have I done?” I was overwhelmed by the noise and the crowds and the traffic of San Jose, such a change from the tiny farm town I had last been in, and completely exhausted from my trip – and it was only halfway done. I grabbed a taxi from the airport to the bus terminal and wearily tried to force my brain to convert to Spanish as I attempted to convince the bus driver that no, I did not want to pay $100+ to go directly to Sarapiqui. When we got to the terminal I dragged all of my luggage inside and tried desperately to figure out which ticket window was the one I needed. I managed to obtain a ticket for a bus that I desperately hoped was the right one, double- and triple-checking the directions that Kaity, the Volunteer Coordinator, had sent me. I went outside and there was a whole line of buses – and I had no idea which was mine. I knew that my bus wasn’t going to leave for an hour, so I plopped on one of the benches and tried to surreptitiously figure out which one I should get on. As I was sitting there, a woman came up to me and started talking to me in Spanish. At that point my brain wasn’t working in any language and the only thing I could make out was something about how a woman such as myself shouldn’t be traveling alone her. Great. The clock ticked closer to when my bus had to leave and I finally worked up the courage to ask one of the drivers which bus I needed. He pointed me on to his own bus and threw my luggage in the compartment at the bottom. I climbed up and grabbed a window seat and about a half hour later, we headed out. Once we got out of San Jose, something wonderful happened. I started to see the true beauty of Costa Rica as forests, waterfalls, and animal life flickered by my window. Some of the views were absolutely breathtaking, especially the ones off the edges of cliffs that we passed. Those were also breathtaking in a different way, as I tried to focus on the scenery in the distance and not the mere inches between the tires of the bus and the terrifying absence of land.
When I got to Puerto Viejo, Kaity and her friend met me at the stop and informed me that I still had one more leg of public transportation on my trip. They very kindly helped carry my bags onto another bus. Since this one had no compartment underneath, my first contact with the people that I was perhaps going to be teaching was comprised mostly of excuses as I knocked into them with what by then definitely felt like the biggest piece of luggage that anyone has ever traveled with. As I completed the last step of the beginning of my journey I started out the window once again, this time at the community that would be my home for the next six months. It was nothing like how I had pictured the rainforest to be but enchanting in an entirely different way. After one last muddy walk, for it had been drizzling all day, we reached my host family’s house and after quick introductions Kaity and Daniela left and I sank onto my bed, staring around me while processing the events of the day.
The next morning dawned bright and beautiful and I headed out with Joanna, another volunteer who also was living with the same host family, for my first walk to the Center. As we walked we skirted around pipas, a type of coconut, that littered the ground and tried to talk over the blare of trucks and tractor trailers barreling down what we now affectionately call the “Death Highway”. After about 15 minutes, the Center came into sight and I fell in love immediately. It is located back from the road in the cool and shady jungle with a breathtaking view of the river, an outdoor kitchen, gorgeous balcony, and howler monkeys and lizards galore. Everyone I met was super-friendly and welcoming and the stresses and frustrations of my previous day traveling started to melt away.
The first few weeks here I organized all of the ESL supplies and information both in the office and on the network and began creating the syllabus and curriculum for each level of English that we offer here at the Center. I also was here to greet the other ESL teacher and the Scholarship Coordinator when she arrived a few days after me. I had been a little nervous about meeting Leah since I was going to working so closely with her for so long but once we started talking we clicked almost right away. We have now been teaching classes for about three weeks and it’s been a great, if challenging, experience. The levels of the students weren’t quite what we expected and we had to scrap all the lesson plans that we had spent the previous weeks creating, learning a valuable lesson ourselves in the process; there is only so far ahead you can plan if you want to be a truly good and flexible teacher. The Center also experienced a huge increase in students after the first couple days of classes which was a great feeling, knowing that word was really getting out about the Center, but also another challenge to undertake. The students themselves are great and really want to learn. For a lot of them, their livelihood depends on it. Most work full-time jobs and care for their families in addition to making time to attend our night classes here. I can’t even begin to say the respect and admiration I have for them and I use their example to inspire me as a teacher and make sure I provide them with the best education that I can.
The end of the day so far usually finds at least Leah and I fairly exhausted from a day of planning lessons and a night of teaching, as we have not yet been able to get too far ahead in our planning what with enrollment only just recently ending, but we get to nurse our exhaustion in some fairly fantastic ways. Some nights we take off to Selva Verde Lodge next door for a drink or two on their beautiful ledge overlooking the river as we talk about our day and our classes while listening to the sounds of the jungle that surround us and the rushing of the river. Other nights we might meet friends at Portones or Chilamate Jungle to hang out, or stay in and have a Movie Night with whatever movies or shows that someone was able to get their hands on. With working at the Center, classes, talking to my host family, and hanging out with my friends at night my Spanish has started to improve a lot. There always seems to be a mix of native Spanish and native English speakers so everyone is constantly switching languages, asking vocabulary questions, and generally having a good time.
The weekends since I have been here have pretty much all been amazing. Whitewater rafting literally in my own backyard, ziplining, hiking, swimming at some gorgeous local waterfalls, visiting the old cocoa plantations and the unbelievable biological reserve, and to top it off, celebrating my 24th birthday with jumping off a bridge into the Sarapiqui River, a delicious meal and drinks at a restaurant over in La Virgen, and a bonfire, fire twirling, and delicious homemade cake at Chilamate Jungle. At times I have to stop and remind myself to sit back, look around, and appreciate where I am.
However, there have also been miscommunications, language barriers, cultural differences, homesickness, and immeasurable adjustments to be dealt with on a daily basis. Coming from the United States to a third world country that has a different language, culture, and norms has not been easy by any means. Not to mention how intimately I have come to know the insect world – we have even shared the same clothes! Sometimes even simple tasks, such as going to the bank, getting mail, or even taking a shower in the morning can become huge ordeals. Yet I try to look at a lot of these events from the viewpoints of students I have had, or will have, who are immigrants to the United States. I know that having the experience of trying to adjust to a completely alien world far from my loved ones will help me identify with my students, even though my experience is still next to nothing compared to theirs. However, even these daily frustrations pale in comparison next to what I dream to take out of this – a second language, amazing friends, wonderful adventures, and perhaps most importantly another step on my way to becoming a great teacher and having a better understanding of the world and the people in it. Hopefully, I will be able to give something even half as valuable back while I am here.

-Heidi Gramlich-