When I travel, I feel like I always have a moment (often just after baggage claim) where I pause and think to myself, now what? Usually the next step is clear- look for my dad/friend/brother on the curb or go to the hotel- but it is usually still overwhelming.
Yesterday I had another “now what?” moment as I walked through customs in the San Jose, Costa Rica airport. I am spending the next three months in Costa Rica working for Kiva.org. I will be helping a new field partner, the San Jose-based microfinance institution Fundación Mujer, learn Kiva policies and get set up to use the Kiva website.
The dreaded baggage claim. What's next... (From Flickr User MarkHillary via Creative Commons)
In this example, my next step was clear: I needed to find a cab to take me to the house I’ll be staying at for at least the next few weeks. Though getting a cab proved to be easy (if overpriced), my moment being overwhelmed unfortunately lasted well into the evening as I contemplated what exactly I am trying to get out of my time in Costa Rica.
Having just spent three months doing the same work for Kiva.org in Nicaragua this question wasn’t new to me, but moving to a new location gave me new license to contemplate. In a nutshell, I’m working abroad to try to figure out what I want to do with my life. With a little more time to elaborate, I’d explain that I have always had a travel bug and a desire to learn about other cultures. If you combine this with my interests in sustainable development and poverty alleviation, working abroad feels like a natural fit. Or is it? That is what I am trying to figure out.
So besides helping Fundación Mujer learn the Kiva model and perfecting my Spanish, the other goal I have as I think about “now what” is more broad: Do I want a career that keeps me abroad or not?
Latest posts by mgray2noti
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- Things I Never Thought I Would Do At Work - March 24th, 2010
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- When Body Language Goes Too Far - March 10th, 2010
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It’s great whenever someone asks me about Costa Rica, best vacation hotels, the real estate investment outlook, or the wellness aspects. I enjoy sharing my experiences in making choices when visiting Costa Rica’s southern Pacific Coast. For more information visit here: http://www.costaricaviews.com/my-favorite-hotels-in-costa-rica%E2%80%99s-southern-pacific-osa-peninsula/