Feb 16-22: Final Week of Summer Break & Trip to Uvita

Tomorrow begins my final school year here in Costa Rica! This “Summer Break” was the last extended time off I’ll have during my Peace Corps service, so I tried to take advantage of that free time as much as I could by spending time with my girlfriend Keily, traveling, applying to jobs, hosting a PE camp, and completing miscellaneous Peace Corps tasks. I feel good about having a productive summer. There weren’t many times that I felt bored or that I wasn’t doing much; however, I’m here to work in the schools, so I’m ready to get back on the job full-time starting tomorrow. 

I began the first couple days of the week studying for the Foreign Service Exam and working on some other administrative tasks while I still had some extra flexibility in my schedule. Then, on Wednesday, I traveled south to the beach town of Uvita on the Osa Peninsula. I’d previously gone to that area with my parents over the summer, but this time, I went there to meet up with a good friend and former cross country teammate of mine who was traveling around Costa Rica with his girlfriend. I hadn’t used my domestic travel days for February yet, so the timing was perfect to spend a couple nights in Uvita just before the school year starts. It was great catching up with them, and we enjoyed soaking up the sun and checking out Marino Ballena National Park while there. After a couple nights, I returned to San Jose where I had a double date with them and Keily at a food hall in Barrio Escalante. I’ve been fortunate to have several visitors in Costa Rica, and I had a blast hanging out with friends for a few days. The last two days of the weekend, I spent some more time with Keily and prepared to start the new school year tomorrow.



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