Back to School (Pre-Service Training: PST)

We departed Philly at the crack of dawn to bus to the Newark Airport for our direct flight to 

Juan Santamaria International Airport in Costa Rica. Upon landing, we were met by several Peace Corps staff who helped us load our luggage before heading to a beautiful Doubletree hotel in Cariari. This hotel, - luxe by Peace Corps standards, was where we’d spend our first four nights in Costa Rica training and bonding together as a cohort. This experience was a great way to get to know the program in Costa Rica as well as our fellow volunteers and staff.


As bliss as life was at the hotel, that is ultimately not what any of us in the cohort came to Costa Rica to do. At the end of our first week, we moved across Costa Rica’s Central Valley - from our relaxing respite in Cariari into the homes of host families in Escazu. There were 4 primary members of my host family - A grandma, grandpa, their daughter, and their grandson. They took great care of me, fed me well and included me in family events. Most importantly, the support of Alajuelense (Liga) in the Primera Division led me to adopt Liga as my team too. Many of y’all reading this know just how important sports are to me, so they have been, and will continue to be a significant part of my integration into Costa Rican society. 


I thrive on structure, and PST provides quite a lot of structure. The best way I can describe it is as a restrained study abroad experience. The day-to-day living resembles the high school schedule more than any other academic or professional experience I’ve had more recently. Each day, we rendezvoused at Escazu’s Civic Center where we trained from 8:00 to 4:30. These were LONG days, but we received really great information. Our classes and training each day consisted of some combination of Spanish language, technical training (youth development for me), and admin sessions (medical, security, or other Peace Corps policies). Completing PST is also not a given. For example, to matriculate as a Youth Development volunteer in Costa Rica, you must pass a written exam, a successfully complete a practice facilitation in a Costa Rican classroom, and must achieve an "Intermediate High" mark in Spanish. Something great about PST is that the group was super active. Almost every day culminated with a game of soccer, ultimate frisbee, or basketball on the “cancha” at the Civic Center. Escazu and the Civic Center were our bases for the first 3 months of PST and will always be our first home in Costa Rica.



 

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