Just keep swimming

(I'm writing a post a day of all the things I'm thankful for during this month of Thanksgiving)

Today marks the year and a half of being in my community. More importantly, it reminds me (well actually screams) that I have exactly 6 months left of service with Peace Corps. Wow. I'm a little unsure how we got to this point so quickly. I have very mixed emotions when I think of being in the final quarter of my service, which I guess is a good thing. To mark this 'anniversary' I am going to dedicate this post to perseverance. I am so thankful for the way that my time here and the people around me have taught me what perseverance means.

Perseverance: commitment, hard work, patience, endurance. (online dictionary)

(sorry for my lack of pictures today. Couldn't come up with too many on perseverance. This is me at the top of Chirripó the highest peak in Costa Rica)

Frustrating. Along with a lot of other adjectives that is one that can be applied to many instances of my life here. Things can take 10 times longer than you think they should or projects that you dreamed of and invested a lot of time and effort simply go up in smoke. But frustration has taught me soooo much about life and even more about myself.

An example is my library project. As you all know (and I've posted) I love reading and I think it adds so much to a person. I wanted the opportunity to read good books to be given to the people in my community. After a lot of work, I was granted a space to open a small (couple bookshelves) library and started small fundraising events to raise money for this purpose. I was so excited. But then due to many different factors: the women's group who owned the space decided they liked the idea of possibly opening a fruit store better and the ADI (local town council type group) wanted to rent the space for an internet 'cafe'. Though neither idea has materialized that meant our library was out of the picture. I would like to say that I was able to find a different solution but I've learned that sometimes the best thing you can do is know when to let go.

But on the flip side, I've seen things come forth that I never imagined they would. The Scouts group is such a project. From the start I recognized (and everyone else does too) that there needs to be some healthy alternatives for children and youth in my community. But no one had any realistic solutions until my close friend in town suggested we look into Scouts. We did that in January and reached out to the regional office for support. We received only vague answers and promises for help that were never materialized. I admit I nearly gave up on this project. But 5 months later a boy casually mentions this guy from another town who is a leader for Scouts as he is telling me a story. I am able to get the guys email and 5 days later he and the regional leader are sitting across from me helping us start the group. Though it would still take 3 more months to have our first meeting with the kids, the Guías and Scouts group in Bijagual is wonderful! I'm constantly being asked about our meetings and everyone is excited.

There is this really cool article going around Peace Corps circles that talks about learning to fail. I think that is very true and for me it has allowed to realize that I have limits, that I fail, that I need others (I am not capable on my own), it can still be good to try things I am not good at, and that it is worth persevering for things you care about.