zacincr

[zacincr]

Final Blog

Hey Y'all! This is my final summative blog for my internship in Costa Rica!

It was a pretty amazing experience. Last FWT, I was working in Boston dealing with all the inconveniences of working in winter and realized I didn't work very well like that. This FWT my goal was to find somewhere warm to work, which I definitely did. I really enjoyed getting to to work outside in the sun in such a beautiful place. I'm not sure how much my childhood in equatorial places influence me but I'm definitely able to be a more productive and healthy person when the sun is shining and it's warm out.

I've also been thinking a lot about the self-chosen isolation that I was in. The farm was an isolated piece of coastal Costa Rica and often the only person I interacted with was Tom or one of the other workers in the broken spanish I knew. Bennington can be an intense place to learn; FWT (and I'm sure other factors) means we have to learn as much as other colleges do in less time which makes our classes move quick. Combined with all the other stuff that happens on campus like lectures, yoga classes, and making time for myself, I was feeling exhausted at the end of last term. FWT was a complete reversal. I finished my work by 11 or 12 every morning and was given all afternoon to myself. It was lovely to get so much time to refocus on myself and the things that I wanted to do that got lost last term. Moving forward, I'd really like to carve more time for myself to enjoy the things I've liked but haven't always had time for.

On the other hand, it wasn't a very balanced existence. While last term left me with too little time to myself, over FWT I didn't interact with enough people. There's a growing body of research that shows that one of the best predictors of longevity is how many people you interact with daily. I was definitely isolated and even though there were many parts I enjoyed, I want to find a more balanced lifestyle this term at Bennington. One of the most relaxing experiences since I've been back is taking 45 minutes with a cup of tea and a book; the other though was our mock coffee hour where all the people in my house got together for the first time after FWT. Finding ways to integrate both the more extroverted and more introverted parts of myself would help me be a more centered, and by extension healthy, person.

All that said, this work only deepened my interest in the incorporation of plants and green spaces into daily life. I already miss watering as the sun rose, with the surprisingly good smell of tomato leaves and basil around me. There's something so simple and almost rebellious about taking care of a plant. The act of caring for something else is a very direct way to bring more empathy into your life, a facet of our emotions that isn't always encouraged these days. I'm excited to continue to learn about how plants can improve our lives, both mentally and physically.

I've loved this chance to reflect weekly. While I'm not sure I can picture myself continuing to blog during the academic year, I would definitely like to give myself a time and space to collect my thoughts about the week. There's a sort of paradox- I think my academic term is too hectic to blog weekly but by blogging weekly, I'd likely feel less frenzied. 

Well I think that about wraps it up! Hope you've enjoyed it,

Zac

[zacincr]

Week 6

Well Folks!!! This was my last weekend here! 5 more days and then I'm back home to winter and school! A relatively uneventful week here at ECV - things have been getting drier and drier since I got here (it's Costa Rica's dry season) and Tom's been pointing out different ways that the dryness is affecting the region.

One of the coolest things I've been learning about is erosion and erosion control plants. There's a big depression on the farm that fills up with water in the rainy season into a medium sized pond; during the dry season, the land is used to grow crops (basil, beans that are being attacked by iguanas right now, and corn this year!). For a talk Tom was giving to a group, he pulled out a section of the land from this lake. The chunk, separated in layers of dried mud, clearly showed how much sediment builds in just one rainy season. Sediment buildup is the next step of erosion - all that soil that washes away has to go somewhere! It's a huge problem in Costa Rica as it can cause bodies of water to dry up and flooding. More seriously, it can reduce the effectiveness of hydropower which is a large portion of Costa Rica's energy generation.

In other news, Tom had a visitor this week interested in buying land with Pueblo Verde. His ideas on the type of home he'd like to build here, and his love of the land, were sweet. It's exciting for me to think about building a home and the kind of home I'd like to have. One of my favourite things about FWT is getting to experience different kinds of homes. Last year I was with some family in a suburban home outside too-cool Boston and this year I'm in a cabina in too-warm Paraiso. I'm still thinking about what kind of home I want someday, but luckily I still have a while to figure it out.

Until next week,

Zac

[zacincr]

Week 5

Hey y'all! It's been a pretty quick week - realized next weekend will be my last here. I'm excited to finish up here and continue on to my next term! It's been more or less routine here but this week Tom decided he'd fill in this large sunken area with some soil he had. That means we've all been hard at work wheelbarrowing it all through his garden. 

This week, I was invited to visit one of the residents at Pueblo Verde, the organisation that our neighbourhood founded on their land. I went up to see a tour of their garden, where I met Casey. As we knelt cutting her spinach for me to take home, she explained that she'd met her husband, Craig, homesteading in Vermont. Later, the two began yearly trips driving down to camp all the way down Central America. After a lot of back and forth with their van, they saved up enough money to buy a second home here in Costa Rica. They still spend half the year in Vermont where their adult children live to reconnect with family and continue their work there. 

Afterwards, we ended up on a beautiful balcony with a bowl of her homemade strawberry ice cream. It let me imagine a slightly more put together vision of living here. Tom has done some wonderful things here, but isn't always the best at getting things done at his home. It's interesting to compare two similar styles of home-building that ended up with such different places. In a lighter note, I felt really well cared for that afternoon. 

Getting to know the community around here has been truly enjoyable. The easy trading of whatever they happen to be producing is a refreshing reminder that store bought isn't the only way of eating. Casey has spinach and tomatoes, another of Tom's neighbours has fresh eggs and honey, and Tom produces a lot of different fruits and vegetables throughout the year. There's rarely any governmental currency around but the next time they meet, they'll each bring some small piece of their farm to give to the other.

Anyways after that heavier tone, I'm going to sign off for the week! 🐝 happy and healthy! 

'Til next time,

Zac

[zacincr]

Week 4

Hey y'all! This week has been a pretty uneventful week. I did some watering, transplanted some basils, etc. I did have to watch a fire that we set to get rid of some wood and generate (a suprisingly small amount of) charcoal. Charcoal is a good medium for rooting pieces of woody plants, so Tom (my boss) makes sure to keep a stock of it on hand.

It was a bit of a rough week, but I was rewarded by my tomato plants. Since I've gotten here, I've been watering, pruning, and transplanting the tomatoes on the farm. In the last few days, they've been maturing into nice red tomatoes! It's been fulfilling to watch them grow over the past few weeks, and finally be able to eat a few today! I've been interested in urban farming, and besides decreasing effects of food deserts and increasing disaster resilience, there's something to be said about having a connection to nature. It's easy for people living in cities to forget how holistically important plants are to both to emotional and physical health. 

It's one of my favorite parts of being here - getting to be outside in the fresh air and greenery. I learned last FWT that I don't work well in very wintery places without sun, so it's nice to see the sun so much this FWT. Furthermore, working with plants, growing things, is energizing. At the risk of seeming a bit crazy, nurturing other living things helps me remember to grow too. I hope I can continue to work with plants and incorporate them into urban spaces.

Until next week y'all!

Zac

[zacincr]

Week 3

Well folks! This week marks the halfway point of my internship here. It's been pushing me in ways I would never have chosen to be pushed. If I was a therapist, I might say these are exactly the ways I need to be pushed. Fortunately for me, I'm not a therapist so I reserve the right to complain later.

This week's focus was on planting. As Costa Rica enters its dry season, it's a great time for new life to adapt to the harsh midday sun (with some help from myself and the hose of course). Another plant in fruit right now is carembola, or starfruit. An aptly named, star-shaped fruit, Tom and his team like to blend carembola with milk and a touch of sugar to make a modified milkshake/smoothie. After working one morning this week, Tom, Iliyana (one of the workers), and I sat on the porch to drink one of these frescos as they're called. Just about any cold drink can be a fresco though so that doesn't say much.

It was refreshing to sit on the porch and relax as the temperature peaked and the work day ended for me. Seeing my work laid out in front of me was nice. I think it's something I've been drawn to my whole life. Work where I can step back and see what I've done lets me appreciate where I've been and where I'm going. There's a certain shared satisfaction between writing the last step of math problem on a whiteboard, coding the last line of a program and running it, and planting and watering the last seed. 

It's something to look for as my work in architecture and modelling continues. Where can I get that step back place? When my plans are done? When the object itself is built? It's often a good idea with projects to reach a natural stopping point, take a break, and come back later. Keeping an eye out for these stopping points would improve both my work and my mental state. Nobody wants a burnt out architect designing their projects!

Until next week,

Zac

[zacincr]

Week 2

Hey y'all!

Sorry about the late post - there's been some heavy winds and they knocked internet/phone lines down for the whole town all day yesterday! 

It's been a whirlwind week with lots of visitors here at ECV! I was able to take an afternoon and see this gorgeous sunset over down at the beach though. 

This week's highlight has actually been the weekend! On Saturday, the organization Tom is a part of, Restoring Our Watershed (ROW), had a fundraising event at a local hotel. ROW works with local stakeholders to promote healthy water and soil practices to bring water back to the area. It was a blast seeing all that the organization had done in the area, such as planting trees free of charge, supporting local beekeepers by buying & selling honey, and hosting events at schools to teach younger generations about proper water conservation.

Aside from watching the sunset with a slice of watermelon in hand, my favorite part was seeing all the different kinds of people attending. Some were clearly long term supporters while others were new to ROW. It was exciting to see how many different kinds of people were important to the project: from the hotel owner for letting us use the space on a Saturday night; to local farmers who struggle to balance the need for pastureland for their cows with their need for water; and even foreigners (or gringos as they'd be called here) who have no direct stake in the area. As cliché as it sounds, it's an important reminder that change comes from all directions, and a good leader is one that gracefully coordinates them towards a central idea. 

'Til next week,

Zac

[zacincr]

Week 1: Blog

Well, despite a few hiccups (does losing my phone count as a hiccup? I'm unsure but it does mean no more photos, unfortunately), I've been settling in nicely here at ECV. 

As I finish off my first week, I'm struck by how quiet life is here. My days are spent working during the morning, and then as the sun hits its peak, everybody and everything stops to hunker down and avoid the heat. My afternoons have been pretty free, allowing me the luxury of rediscovering old hobbies and find new ones. The solitude is both terrifying and a welcome break from the rat race of life. 

Even with my work, it's unhurried. As we start up, we take a few minutes to sit down and chat about the day, life, etc. After a particular piece is finished, it's common to go sit on Tom's porch, enjoy a cup of coffee, and talk. It's an interesting juxtaposition to the fast paced world of the US. Despite this, I wouldn't call anything about it lazy. Rather I'd say, everything is done with the appropriate amount of effort to get it done in the right amount time. It's a vague statement, but there's this quote by Lao Tzu that I think is apt - "Nature does not hurry, yet everything is accomplished." 

It's prompted me to examine my own life. Am I rushing when I could be taking more time? Conversely, as a chronic procrastinator, what am I idling through when I should be moving a bit faster? I'd like to try to introduce more of a balance between these in my life. More of a, everything takes a measured and appropriate amount of time. 

Wishing you all a healthy and happy week. 'Til next time,

Zac

[zacincr]

Hi all! Today was my first day at El Centro Verde (ECV) in Paraìso de Santa Cruz, Guanacaste, Costa Rica. Everybody's been having a huge fiesta for the new year so nobody was really working today (including me!). As you can see, this is my place for the next 7 weeks. It's a small but nice cabina with screens, a gas stove, and lots of fans since it's nice and warm down here.

That said, I had plenty to do! I unpacked all my stuff and settled in for 7 weeks here. Then, Tom (my boss) drove me into town to buy some food for dinner-- don't worry, they had avocados!

I also got a taste of my job today by helping out a bit with the daily gardening. I watered some plants, met a few neighbours, and got to pick some basil and cilantro for my dinner. I grabbed a picture of these beautiful purple baby chiles that I'll eventually get to eat! My real job will include gardening pieces like transplanting, pruning, as well as being involved in the design process for several gardens around ECV.

Tomorrow's agenda includes a trip to Santa Cruz for some errands for ECV (and more groceries too), starting work, & most importantly, a break for beach time.

I'll be regularly updating this blog every Sunday so check back in for more!