One of the perks of working in the education sector is being around young people. They keep me young at heart and hopeful for the future. We hosted Owen and his Peace Corps friends, giving them a short break from their daily routines at their sites and offering them a slice of the Americana lifestyle. Will, Jillian, and Marcelo are impressive volunteers. Kind, poised, articulate, and having a desire to do some good in the world. The media has been a bit pessimistic about the future of the USA and the world in general, but anyone who spends a bit of time with young adults like these can’t help but think the next generation is alright, and we should be optimistic about a brighter future. It is a huge change in lifestyle to serve in the US Peace Corps. Volunteers are dropped off at their site and expected to adapt to a much different culture, integrate themselves into the community, and play a part in improving the lives of people around them. That is not an easy thing to do! Owen and his friends dived right into their service and are doing just this. I am proud of them and the US government for keeping the Peace Corps.
Owen and I drove a loop through the Central Cordillera Mountains here in north central Costa Rica and collected the three volunteers. They are all about 1-3 hours away from each other, although public transport options make the travel time longer. We met Will and Marcelo in the plaza of their nearest towns. We drove out to Jillian’s village, which is about 4 miles from one of the main highways. It is a world away, a collection of buildings amidst dense tropical forest. It felt very rural, and Jillian showed us the community center project she is helping to develop. The change from her former life in downstate Michigan to this is profound. My son Owen’s post is in the picturesque mountain village of Zarcero, which is a bit more developed, but in many of the same ways, a big change from what he was used to growing up in cities around the world.
My Uncle Jack prepared a gourmet breakfast and dinner for us. It was a refreshing change for them from the typical Costa Rican cuisine they regularly dine on at their sites. We also went for a nice walk in the hills around Guadalupe, the village next to Zarcero where our AirBNB is located. We got to know them and had a lot of laughs. Nadia and I are thankful that they are good friends and take care of Owen and each other.
Last night, Owen’s host family treated us to a family dinner. Lorena, his host mother, and her sister, Aida, prepared a Tican feast for us, her two sons and their families, and two of their cousins and their girlfriends all came to dinner. It was a full house! Nadia and I feel much better after this trip knowing that Owen is living with such a loving family that has embraced him and thinks of him as one of their sons or grandchildren. Owen is fortunate to be with such a loving family and friends. We leave Costa Rica with peace of mind that the next 15 months will continue to be a positive formative experience for him.
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