Amigos de las Americas - Costa Rica: Palmares

Why did you decide to volunteer abroad with Amigos de las Americas in Costa Rica?

Carolyn: I chose to travel abroad with Amigos de las Americas because of incredible reviews and references from friends and family who had prior done the projects that Amigos offers.

I chose Costa Rica as my top choice for the country that I wanted to go to because of the program offered there, as it is different than other Amigos projects, as well as the stark contrast between the lifestyle, culture, and food that volunteers would receive there, as compared to that from not only the United States but also the other projects.

Describe your day to day activities as a volunteer.

Carolyn: Each day, I would wake up around 6:30 in the morning, eat breakfast and chat with my host family, and then walk to my community partner's house to meet up and make our plans for the day.

After that, we would walk to where we ate lunch that day, talk, and then go off to do day camps with the community youth. Then we would head back to our houses and eat, then rest and repeat.

When we were in the forests, we would get up around 6AM, eat, and then work for about 5 hours with a 1/2 hour break. We would then have lunch and rest and relax with other US and Costa Rican volunteers, make plans for the next day, eat, and go to sleep.

What made this volunteer abroad experience unique and special?

Carolyn: Because I was able to not only do an incredible trip with Amigos, I learned how to be flexible in scheduling and plans and to enjoy peace and quiet. Also unique was the day-to-day chaos that comes with a language barrier, and also the amazing forests and communities that we visited.

Over the summer, I became more accustomed to change and a new environment, as well as speaking in Spanish all day every day. I worked harder than ever before in my life, not only through the physical labor while in the national forests, but also with children and in making my ideas clear in a foreign language. I consider myself lucky every day to have been a part of such a life-changing experience.

Tell me about one person you met.

Carolyn: My host mother, while more reserved initially than I had been prepared for, became an instrumental part of my experience. She was always there to help me in whatever way I needed, especially if it involved talking to the rest of the community.

She was so connected to everyone and such a wonderful, open person that I was so overjoyed to have had the opportunity to have lived with her, even just for 2 months.

She was always conscientious of the food that I liked and disliked, and was able to offer me knowledge in topics new to me that I would never have been able to obtain otherwise.

How has this experience impacted your future?

Carolyn: I feel that I have become more responsible, better able to speak in public, more open to change, and more culturally aware. My Costa Rican travels also gave me a chance to explore a part of the world that I most likely would never have been able to otherwise.

The fact that I was even given the opportunity to experience a new culture gave me a recognition of the fact that I can do so much and that the world is out there, just waiting to be ventured into.