Toughest and most rewarding year of my life.

The TEFL orientation was extremely well done. It was held in Bogota, where I suffered from sever altitude sickness. I would highly recommend that volunteers arrive a couple of days early to rest and get ready for an intensive study program. The recruiter that I had in Boston was very helpful to me. This person had originally accepted me for the year in Tanzania, and let me change to Colombia when I learned about bucket showers!
Somehow, I missed the part about doing the full training and orientation. I wanted the orientation, but was already certified in TESL. I was not happy at first that I had to do it 'again', but am very glad that I did! It had a completely different orientation than my first TESL program.
The study program throughout the year was amazing for me. It was a truly supportive continuing education program.
I had been assured that not speaking Spanish would be no problem for me when I signed up. So, I went speaking no Spanish, and this created many difficulties and misunderstandings for me. Added to a new work culture, this was a very painful time for me. I learned Spanish in a hurry, as it was for survival! I think that no Spanish would be fine if you are posted in a touristy spot, as some locals would have some basic English.
I reminded myself repeatedly that I was living in Latin America, which I have done a lot in my life. The disorganization at school at first drove me crazy! I had to reach deep into myself to organize things away from the happy chaos of the school. I ended the year feeling on top of everything, but have taken a lot away from this very loving culture. I loved my students, once I could talk with them, and know more about their lives. It was very hard to say good-bye.
I will also share that I turned 60 over this year. I was the only older person in a group of 20 year-olds. It could have been very hard, but I never once felt excluded or discriminated against by my fellow volunteers. I am truly impressed by this.
I will end by reminding people about the rule: peel it, cook it, or don't eat it. I got very sick from the food at my home stay. I am well now.