A week from today, I will be finishing my first full day in Costa Rica. Lots of emotions are ricocheting inside me as I finalize details and day-dream about what it's going to be like and who I'm going to meet. Now that the countdown is less than a week long, the reality that this is actually going to happen is setting in. The enormous amount of unknowns is overwhelming to me if I dwell on that thought for too long. And while I am super excited at the thought of this adventure I am about to experience, there is an annoying voice inside me that says, "Why on earth would you go so far away to a country that speaks another language and be with people you've never met before for three whole weeks and encounter who knows what when you could stay at home and relax with your friends and family and be comfortable!" And if I listen long enough, I start to fear and worry that I'm going to get lost in the airport or take the wrong bus and get lost in a massive foreign city and forget all my Spanish, or that I'll be sick and miserable and have to go to the hospital, or that all my luggage, money, phone, iPod, and ID will be stolen and I'll be stranded on another continent having never learned the vocabulary to explain my situation and will be unable to look it up because my dictionary was in my bag that was stolen.
But eventually I stop myself from listening to that voice of fear. I know that no matter where I go, I am never alone...even in stressful airports, in foreign countries, and when I am surrounded by a sea of Spanish-speaking strangers. God is with me, and will guide me and protect me. It is my choice to fear or to trust, so God, help me to trust.
Monday, June 28, 2010
How this happened...
Four weeks ago, some friends asked me what my plans were for the summer. I thought about it and realized I didn't really have anything planned - I'd hang out with friends and probably read a few books, but nothing exciting. My friends suggested that while I have the time and freedom, that I go have an experience and do something that I wouldn't likely be able to do later in life. The three of us tossed around a few ideas, including volunteering someplace or traveling, and as I drove home in the late hours of the night, I decided this was definitely something I wanted to look into.
I woke up the next morning and immediately opened my laptop. I began googling away to see what I could find. I typed in "volunteer abroad", chose a link to click, and the search was on. Who knew you could do just about anything, just about anywhere in the world? I'm not exactly medically trained or skilled in construction, but teaching English sounded like a good option for me. Teaching English as a foreign/second language has interested me ever since college, so I thought it would be great to get a small taste to see if it's something I would be interested in pursing in the future. As I read and clicked and read and clicked, I saw a range of prices and programs, but eventually settled on International Volunteer Headquarters. Though a relatively new organization, I liked what I read on their website - who they are, why the exist, and how they operate. I searched around to find out more about them. There was a lot of good feedback and I could see that they desire to maintain a solid reputation.
That night, I decided to apply - after all, there wasn't any harm in at least starting the process. The next day, I received an email from them saying I had been accepted and giving me instructions for what was next for me if I did indeed want to go through with this rather hasty decision I had made (my thoughts, not theirs). That week, I prayed about it, talked it over with my parents and friends, emailed IVHQ a few questions I had, and eventually made the decision to officially register. I would be teaching English in San Jose, Costa Rica for the first three weeks of July!
Up until now it has felt somewhat surreal. I have spent the last few weeks reading up on what I need to know before I go, making to-do lists and packing lists, and thinking and day-dreaming about what this experience is going to be like. All of my family and friends have been so excited and supportive, which has been very encouraging for me. I am very excited and still a little bit in shock that I signed myself up to go do something so outside of myself all by myself, but I think that this is going to be at the very least an incredibly growing experience for me.
So that's how this started...a late-night conversation with good friends and a sentence that began, "If I were you..."
I woke up the next morning and immediately opened my laptop. I began googling away to see what I could find. I typed in "volunteer abroad", chose a link to click, and the search was on. Who knew you could do just about anything, just about anywhere in the world? I'm not exactly medically trained or skilled in construction, but teaching English sounded like a good option for me. Teaching English as a foreign/second language has interested me ever since college, so I thought it would be great to get a small taste to see if it's something I would be interested in pursing in the future. As I read and clicked and read and clicked, I saw a range of prices and programs, but eventually settled on International Volunteer Headquarters. Though a relatively new organization, I liked what I read on their website - who they are, why the exist, and how they operate. I searched around to find out more about them. There was a lot of good feedback and I could see that they desire to maintain a solid reputation.
That night, I decided to apply - after all, there wasn't any harm in at least starting the process. The next day, I received an email from them saying I had been accepted and giving me instructions for what was next for me if I did indeed want to go through with this rather hasty decision I had made (my thoughts, not theirs). That week, I prayed about it, talked it over with my parents and friends, emailed IVHQ a few questions I had, and eventually made the decision to officially register. I would be teaching English in San Jose, Costa Rica for the first three weeks of July!
Up until now it has felt somewhat surreal. I have spent the last few weeks reading up on what I need to know before I go, making to-do lists and packing lists, and thinking and day-dreaming about what this experience is going to be like. All of my family and friends have been so excited and supportive, which has been very encouraging for me. I am very excited and still a little bit in shock that I signed myself up to go do something so outside of myself all by myself, but I think that this is going to be at the very least an incredibly growing experience for me.
So that's how this started...a late-night conversation with good friends and a sentence that began, "If I were you..."
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