June 30 - July 6: July Break and Trip to Monteverde

The Costa Rican academic calendar is quite different from the American one: classes start in February here and end right before Christmas in mid-December. Because of that, July marks the halfway mark of the academic year for Costa Rican students and teachers. This was the last week of school before a much-needed two week break for everyone two separate the two semesters. 

Before classes let out, I still had time with students, and I was able to sneak in some more learning content prior to the break. At the colegio, I helped in English classes as a teacher's assistant of sorts. English teachers at my school have a language exam soon, so I'll be prioritizing spending time with them in the upcoming weeks and months to help them practice their English. At the escuela, I facilitated several PE classes and hosted my second session of the International Club, Amigos Sin Fronteras. This was an additional day spent learning about the US (since they have a biased American volunteer at their school) and included bilingual editions of bingo, "Simon Says", and karaoke. We wrapped up the club meeting with a mock "Thanksgiving", except they ate hot dogs instead of turkey. Immediately after the club, I had to take off to the Peace Corps office outside of San Jose to help with language training. Despite being at an urban site, the PC office is located on the other side of town from me, so I hadn't been there in almost 9 months. It was great to catch up with staff I hadn't seen in awhile. Although I was busy with my duties at site, and my parents were hard at work studying Spanish in Heredia, it was great to connect with them a couple times during the week for dinner in San Jose. 

Over the weekend, I traveled to Monteverde. Monteverde, located in Costa Rica's Northern Zone in Puntarenas province, is known for being one of the country's most famous ecotourism sites. It's a cloud forest, which brings unique weather and biodiversity compared to the rest of the country. Costa Rica is truly a world class destination for ecotourism, and the trip to Monteverde was a masterclass in appreciating that aspect of here. The weekend in Monteverde included traversing hanging bridges, (a popular excursion at many sites in Costa Rica) a tour of a coffee finca (another critical part of Costa Rica's economy), and Monteverde's signature activity - a night hike in the jungle. I couldn't discern a lot of the flora and fauna on my own, but fortunately, an astute guide pointed out a Quetzal - Monteverde's most unique creature - amongst other really neat wildlife. One of my favorite parts of serving as a Peace Corps volunteer has been having the ability to travel around the Costa Rica. A relaxing and revitalizing weekend spent in the Cloud Forest was another reminder just how beautiful my host country is and how lucky I am to live and work in Costa Rica for two years.









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