Buenas tardes from Boruca, Costa Rica. Mi nombre es Victoria. Today is my second full day here for my program (Cultural & Heritage Tourism)’s field placement. Below is what I wrote on the plane for my first blog:
Flying with 3 other ladies was such a relief to not have to go it alone and the cancellation due to the weather in the States gave me a chance to rest without feeling rushed. It still doesn’t seem real that I will be living in an indigenous community for three months. So many of my dreams have become and are becoming reality all thanks to Centennial. I keep thinking what a great decision it was just a year and five months ago when I spontaneously applied on OCAS. Although the past year has been difficult with all the transitions and feeling overwhelmed/somewhat lost with all the new challenges, I can truly say that every experience has made me a better person. Everything happens for a reason and it has led me to this journey that I am destined to be on.
At the moment, I’m currently going through the excitement of travelling but I am also very realistic about the lows to come like homesickness and culture shock. For example, having the (extremely fast, might I add) Spanish language coming from all directions on the connecting flight from Miami to San Jose was already quite a difference from what I’m used to in my life in Scarborough. That is the reality of the next 90 days for me and hopefully, I will be able to cope with possible miscommunications in a somewhat secluded community (that is my assumption since I have to admit I’ve only ever visited major cities and never any of the First Nations communities in Ontario). Another major obstacle is the fact that this is my first time being away from home for this length of time. With that in mind, one thing for sure is how much I’m looking forward to meeting the woman who started the organization I will be working for and her family. So many wonderful once-in-a-lifetime opportunities and more to come…
THE GLOBAL EXPERIENCE BLOG 