Week nine.

Sunburnt, sick, and sandy.
I have a cold. And I went to the beach this weekend and ended up
getting burnt.

Friday, they told us where we're going. It was a nervous week for
everyone, and I guess most people got something they wanted. A big
round of applause for the people who decided where 50 volunteers would
go. That's hard work.

We spent the day at a country club. We ate breakfast there, and then
we all sat in front of a huge map of the country and slowly added pins
one by one. It was a fun ceremony. I don't know if we were all just
nervous or if we were really happy for each other. I think we were
just happy to know. Before I tell you where I'm going I should give
this example: our boss told me that she read my lips from across the
room after I found out and placed my pin. A friend asked me where I
was going and I answered, "I have no idea." it was just emotional chaos.

So it turns out that I got sent to a rural indigenous reserve outside of the capital. If you look on page 126 of
Lonely Planet, you might find it on the map. But, although im only an
hour and a half from San Jose, you won't find it mentioned anywhere
else in that Lonely Planet book. So there's that. Some other people's
sites have three pages dedicated to them, their own map, and a
Wikipedia page, and they're 7 hours from SJ. I really can't find much
about my site. I'm stoked.

Supposedly, while I'm living there, I will be working with the local
PANI office, setting up youth programs with the elementary school, and
helping with reforestation. I'm thrilled about that. Seriously.

I leave this Saturday to go check it out for a few days. I guess I'll
tell you all more about that then.

Talk to you soon.