What an Amazing Adventure!

The information that IVHQ provided allowed me to make informed decisions. The organization that they used in Costa Rica was our on the ground connection. Everything went very smoothly. From arrival to departure, I felt comfortable.

I was met at the airport by a huge, yellow smiley face. From there I was taken to my host house. The owner of my host house was so gracious, kind, funny, and what a great cook! She made the best meals for breakfast and dinner. She was so accommodating. There were about 8 other people staying during my stay and our host coordinated everyone's meals, making sure everyone was well fed. Her home was very comfortable. The home was across the street from the last stop for the bus, and the bus stop to get to town was about 1/2 block away. Uber was always available as well. The only thing I'll say about the host house is this: we were in close quarters with others and we shared a bathroom. With different schedules sometimes people would be up earlier or later chatting or playing music. I would prefer something a little more private and my own bathroom. Also, this is the second country that I've visited where you throw your toilet paper in the trash. I would be ok with that if I wasn't sharing a bathroom with others. At least, I would be more ok with it, never totally ok with it.

My host, took my co-volunteer and I to our first day of service. We took a bus which was about 1/2 hour. There we were met by our guide, who took us to our first day at the childcare. The childcare location was about 1/2 hour to 45 minutes away. (The remainder of the we took an Uber to and from the childcare.) At this childcare location we volunteered from 8-12. It was non-stop. The children would begin the day with formal lessons followed by movement, lunch, and lastly free playtime. One day we walked to a park. The children were a lot of fun. It was less difficult than I thought it would be considering I did not speak a lot of spanish. We were able to communicate with the children and the staff well enough to make a contribution and be of help. Two days into the childcare I developed a terrible cough and lost my voice. I decided it would be best if I wasn't around the children, so I switched to the construction program. Everyone was so helpful. I must have bugged the front desk at least once a day. Everyone, was very helpful and always made things work out.

The ground connection was great. They have a building with a small snack stand, a computer room, a meeting room and meeting space, a travel agent to assist with all of your travel/transportation/activity planning. You can go to the front desk and get all of your questions answered there. I also took Spanish lessions there (which I think is their main business). One night a week they had salsa dance lessons and one night they had cooking class. I attended both cooking classes. The chef was a man of many hats, tour guide, driver, and much more I'm sure. The only thing I would like to have seen is a way to reach the company after hours. They had an emergency number, but I did not have my service. Whatsapp would have been nice. Luckily, I did not need after hours service, but a couple other people did and the response was a little slow. During the day it was great!

So I switched to the construction program. I cannot say enough about this place. The property sits on 2 1/2 acres and provides housing, medical care, child care, education, and much more to single mothers. You can google search to find out more.
My partner and I were given the assignment of painting the laundry room the first day. My partner supplied the music. We were accompanied to the project the first couple days, but then we took an uber. I think I could be a painter. This is the first time since my husband died in March of 2021 that I have been able to quiet my mind and really reflect on this burning questions of "who am I now?" We painted, scraped paint off the floor, and did a fine job. Wish I could attach a before and after photo. We were part of a group of 6 or so. The men were moving huge bricks and working on a two story building that was under construction. On the last two days we painted a cement mixer (to keep it from rusting). The laundry room painting was my favorite. There was a nice breeze and we were out of the sun, but even painting the mixer we were somewhat shielded from the sun.

My host friend invited me out to dinner on my last night there. She and her family took me to a restaurant, not sure where. Then they drove me to a surprise. The overpass overlooked the town of San Jose! Simply breathtaking!!