Hola! My name is Avery and I’m a new intern for Green Life Volunteers! This is only my second day in Puerto Jimenez, yet I already feel extremely comfortable in this charming town. Coming from a big city in the United States (Chicago) I was excited to experience the tranquility and the ‘pura vida’ lifestyle of Costa Rica. The proximity of the beach didn’t hurt either! To be honest, I was pretty nervous about going to a completely new country where everyone spoke a different language. Throughout my school years I have taken Spanish classes, but never before have I truly immersed myself in the language and culture. This experience will be invaluable in my Spanish education.
As an eighteen year old from the states, this is my first time traveling abroad by myself. Growing up, my family and I have been to numerous countries across the world and I can safely call traveling one of my favorite things to do. However I haven’t had the chance to explore and get to know a culture different form my own.
I just finished my first year of school at Dartmouth College and I was looking for something unique and fun to do with my summer. I had been saving up some money to take a trip somewhere, and then I thought, why not do something beneficial with my time and my money? After countless hours of searching the internet for an affordable opportunity that involved hands-on volunteering, Green Life Volunteers came up. Honestly, this is everything I was hoping to find. GLV is affordable, I will actually be making a difference, and I can practice my spanish!
While I’m here in Puerto Jimenez, I’ll be helping out Janina (GLV Program Manager) with both daily work as well as planning for the long term of Green Life Volunteers. I will assist in fundraising for GLV and its volunteer projects, getting the word out about the work we’ve been doing and plan to do in the future, and local projects in Puerto Jimenez (dog and cat rescue as well as the local schools). I absolutely love animals and cannot wait to meet all of the dogs and cats around Puerto Jimenez.
I’m really excited for the next month and a half here in Puerto Jimenez and can’t wait to really dive into Green Life Volunteers.
Chao! ~Avery
