On to the Next One

I’m done with the Chepe life and the Schools for Fools campaign. I’m glad to have gotten some independence in San Jose, some privacy in renting a room, and a form of income for a little while. It’s good to know I can get a decent paying job in Costa Rica and speaking English puts me at a great advantage than most ticos who are unfortunately not as qualified. It was a great ego-booster to have gotten hired here, after fighting for some kind of employment in New York City for 2 months. After a while, I did begin to feel overqualified for a call center, but I also understand one must possess a certain don (skill) for those kind of sales position. I don’t know if it’s the tone of your voice, the gift of gab, or the tactful persuasiveness that some people naturally possess, but I definitely know that I wouldn’t last happily at that job for too long.

In honor of the campaign, here are a list of the top 8 most unique names I came across:

8. Vernelious (too close to venerial)

7. Chequlia

6. Gualberto

5. Vannara

4. Bienvenido (This name means welcome in Spanish, but thank God at least it was a man)

3. Latofia (Girl, get that laffy taffy)

2.  Langitoto

1. Idionna (this name sounds too close to ‘Idiot’)

Counting down my last month in Costa Rica, I am now moving on to the next part of my adventures here. Come Monday, I’ll be volunteering with a Learning Center in a rural part of Costa Rica. Volunteering is what I wanted to do from jump, so I’m glad to have found an organization who’s focus is conservation, educating tourists, and most importantly giving back to the community. When I tell people I’m going to volunteer, the conversations usually go like this:

Random Person: That’s cool, how much are they paying?

GT: Nothing, I’m going to be giving back for free.

RP: Are they offering room and board?

GT: No, some programs don’t have enough funding to house and feed their volunteers.

RP: So, you’re paying to work for free?

GT: Yup.

RP: Why?

GT: (Cheesy Answer) Because what I’m getting in return is priceless.

(Real Answer) Because that’s how I want to give back.

I believe that volunteering is such a meaningful experience, that I’m willing to pay to use my gifts. Now I know that there are some exorbitant fees tied with some programs, but it’s all about doing your research and making sure that there’s no 3^rd-party intercepting most of that money because the cost of living in some developing countries is really cheap. I found that trying to find a good program that was the best fit for me took me coming to Costa Rica and searching while here. Ideally, I would have liked to have everything set up before I left but it didn’t happen that way. Bottom line is I’m doing what I came here for before I bounce!

I’m excited about ‘unplugging’ from all the luxuries that city life brings like traffic jams, malls, high-speed internet and noise! Over the next 3 weeks I hoped to do more of the things I always get distracted from doing more of; things like reading, writing, thinking, and praying. The regularly scheduled program will be on pause for a minute, but I will be back in August with some new episodes!

Wish me the best as I try to make a difference in the world!

World-changer,

She Traces