My stint in Latin America has ended. I flew back to the U.S. on Saturday with a mixture of emotions. It is overwhelming to be back. I loved my time in Nicaragua and Costa Rica, but I am also ready to live closer to friends and family for a while. Still, as I adjust to being in the United States again – and having every imaginable convenience at my finger tips – I desperately miss the simplicity and sense of purpose that was ever present while I was volunteering in Central America.
I hope that over time, I can blend some of the lifestyle traits I saw in Central America into my life in California. I want to keep eating gallo pinto (a delicious mixture of rice and beans) for breakfast. I want to maintain the healthy balance between work time and social time that seems to be the norm in Costa Rica. I want to remember that I lived for three months using just two suitcases worth of stuff and I really didn’t miss all the miscellaneous junk that is currently in boxes.
Despite being a bit overwhelmed and confused right now, the one thing I’m sure of is that I’m glad I went. Volunteering abroad was an amazing experience for so many reasons. And if you’re on the fence, I would wholeheartedly push you towards going.
Meg Gray just finished three months as a Kiva Fellow with Fundación Mujer in San José, Costa Rica. Follow her or La Vida Idealist on Twitter for more updates.
Latest posts by mgray2noti
- That is Not the Costa Rica I Know - April 14th, 2010
- Reading List - April 8th, 2010
- Volunteering Does Not Equal Vacation - March 31st, 2010
- Things I Never Thought I Would Do At Work - March 24th, 2010
- La Lucha Para Ejercicio - March 18th, 2010
- When Body Language Goes Too Far - March 10th, 2010
- My Hips Just Don't Move Like That - March 3rd, 2010
- Life Without a Cell Phone - February 24th, 2010
- Safety Versus Freedom - February 17th, 2010
- Day in the Life: Elections in a Foreign Land - February 10th, 2010
