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..."
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