sipelhmagellan2017-blog

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july 25th, 2017- here, at the end of all things (hasta luego)

ALRIGHT, SO MAYBE a little bit dramatic with the title there. But just as I return today to my life in the United States, I leave a developing life behind. Not a full one with all parts functioning, but I do leave behind dear friends and an association that I am passionate about.

finally stopped to appreciate the flowers- but did not smell them

Right at the end in these last two weeks, I made big steps in my personal project. I sat in on a meeting on the financing of solar systems in the country. As with many issues of the growth of renewables, the major roadblock in the way of the further development of solar energy is the lack of understanding of the mechanics and technology behind it. This particularly affects the banks, who really only see the renewable energy as a high cost risk and not as a guarantee, such as with buying a home or a car, and thus the majority are reluctant to finance such endeavors. And in a country such as Costa Rica with the yearly earnings much lower than they are in the US, this really has the potential to affect the growth.

I also met with a professor at the University of Costa Rica who has developed the only system with the capabilities to view the capacity of electrical grids, and their potential to install new local producers of electricity. This particularly is important for generated distribution, where it is crucial for the individual to have a high comprehension in order to operate their own localized system. The meeting was one of the best ones I have had, and very informative without some of the biases of more commercial perspectives.

My last full day in San José started with a so-official meeting in the United States Embassy, as I had managed to finally track down a contact there for energy advising in Costa Rica. We had coffee in the cafeteria in the basement. I confess to being a bit underwhelmed by the experience, focusing more on the meeting than on the fact I had a meeting in the US Embassy. But I think my experience truly gives a good perspective of what the capacity of the Magellan Project enables a scholar to do- access to contacts and experiences that would be impossible otherwise. It creates an environment of such focus that you are really able to be successful in your endeavor- on entirely your own motivation.

I have decided to focus my project entirely on generated distribution. I plan to write everything up here within the next few weeks before classes start again, and hope to publish in both English and Spanish. I honestly don’t know what the publishing process looks like, but am following my nose on this one.

ACESOLAR finishes with several official documents created and designed by me, really getting into content marketing and the further education of our target infographic. The one on generated distribution will be published shortly on the Facebook page, an apt way to market within Costa Rica, and then relevant statistics sent to our empresarial members. Also were several documents on the benefits of membership in the association, including a trifold brochure laying out all the deets. I never before realized how much marketing could dip into my creative side, and I honestly love doing content marketing and the strategy and marketplace awareness it requires.

The last two weeks were also spent in preparations for two events that ACESOLAR has tomorrow on the 26th, a seminar on step by step implementation of generated distribution, as well as a meeting for members to be more involved in the various aspects of solar energy promotion ACESOLAR is involved in: including the legal and educational aspects as well as a committee for EXPOSOLAR. It not only allows for more member participation, but also introduction of fresh and new ideas to comba roadblocks in the way of the growth of the industry. To finish things off, I wrote manuals for the applications and systems I implemented during the internship for the operational efficiency of the association.

My last days in CR were spent on the beautiful beaches of Guanacaste, whose day of annexation to Costa Rica is celebrated today. Thank goodness, for these are some of the beaches Costa Rica is famous for. Karen, the rest of my Tican family, and I beach hopped, as all of them were gorgeous, and we even climbed a little cliff on one side to discover a hidden cove of equivalent quality on the other side. My only regret is not snorkeling during my time on the beach, but there just wasn’t the time. I stayed with them one night in el hotel Riu, a very nice resort. It will be hard to be separate from them, but it was a wonderful culmination to the relationships I have built. Now is the question of when I visit them again.

pájaros fishing in the harbor

a Costa Rican rodeo- with running of the bulls

There were many Snapchat photos exchanged to my friends updating them of my latest predicament, featuring a slightly stressed expression. And the truth is that I was, more stressed than the photos show.

But if this experience has taught me just to smile bigger, to appreciate the support of my family more, to have more pride of being a United States citizen, it would have been worth it.

But it wasn’t just that I learned.

un gorro icónico- voy a asegurar que es así

I learned resilience. I learned to value the friendships I had in the States. I learned to treasure each Costa Rican friend. I learned that life is a marathon, so I may as well run one (after running a lot to relieve stress in the mornings, I’ve finally decided to dedicate myself to running the half marathon). I learned insane amounts about marketing and renewable energy- entirely in Spanish. My Spanish improved by leaps and bounds. I learned to smile bigger, to read people better, and when to trust someone completely. I learned that my faith was always going to be my anchor point, no matter the circumstances.

And for that, I am incredibly grateful. This experience has been a challenge, but I come home braver and aware of my limits and how blessed I am to be where I am today.

I conclude this chapter with a smile and the weight of the future of possibilities opened up to me. I made it, as much as it hasn't sunk in yet.

Now the question is, where to next?

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july 11th, 2017- dos semanas que quedan

YOU MAY HAVE noticed that my last post did not relate my Fourth of July experience. Due to the tardiness of my last post, I thus posted the afternoon of the Fourth without recounting the day’s events. I now recall the rocket’s red glare of the past to relate my Fourth adventures.

A few weeks before, Karen and I received an invite to a parade thrown by the embassy. I excitedly convinced her to go, promising that although Costa Ricans know how to put on a party, the United Statesians know their fireworks. And thus, in subdued-for-the-office patriotic gear, we were off to the other side of the city. Unfortunately, after a bus, two Ubers, and a taxi later, we arrived to Avenida Escazú with not a single one of my people to be seen as the ride over had taken too long. We then went to go eat, and I celebrated the Fourth by getting sixteen sushi rolls for the price of eight. I promise you I walk away from this experience with more appreciation for my own culture.

essential Costa Tica

Fast forward to the weekend. I went to a cafetal! Karen's husband, Stephen, grew up in San Isidro de León Cortés, which is surprisingly still in the province of San José (the majority of San José is not actually in the province). Even as the times change, this town remains solely dedicated to coffee, although recently they have branched out into selling avocados.

actually went to a different location this weekend

In the interest of my future LINK career, I got a special tour from Javier, Stephen’s cousin, on the entire process of coffee. He has worked on the cafetal for eight years, and is now attending the Universidad de Costa Rica for the economy and science of agriculture. The plantation sells 25% of their coffee to foreign companies -including Starbucks. This precious commodity was given to me in undried form in a bag to show-n-tell.

all that work for one little bean?

Also among my adventures was a run Sunday morning, when I decided to see where my feet would take me. I ended up quite literally running up the mountain on some of the steepest verticals of my life for twenty minutes before throwing in the proverbial towel and turning back. I also was chased by two vicious tiny fluffs of dogs for a good stretch to add extra spring to my step.

don’t be fooled by the cuteness

Sometimes, someone will speak to me in English, and I freeze, and I think I am more likely to respond more adeptly in German. Perhaps it is all the time spent denying myself to speak in English that is getting to me, but please don't look at my autocorrections for spelling in my phone of late.

As for work, I do believe there will be no such thing as a winding down process. I am working on some official documents of ACESOLAR for our businesses to educate their clients on important subjects of renewable energy and to add new members, as well as writing manuals for the software I have implemented. Also, I finally figured out how to work Word Press, so go to ACESOLAR's web page and see all of the articles we have posted desde el 26 de febrero de 2016. Proud stuff.

my equivalent of a stock photo

11/7/2017 -note international date format- was a historic day. I was asked to participate in a meeting (!!) in the morning, and then had another one in the early afternoon. After, Karen and I went to lunch and then a famous telenovela actor from Mexico sat right next to us, Manuel Lendita. We made a fuss about it to the staff. Then, after returning to work, I was caught in the background of a interview getting a glass of water, as the company that shares our office brought in the entirety of the television networks for an event commemorating scholarships for students to study in the US. Look for me on the 7 o’clock news tomorrow morning.

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july 4th, 2017- small victories

This week, my adventures included figuring out the medical system in Costa Rica. The first of these series of events was when I, in my euphoria of the new release of the third Imagine Dragons album, forgot that the sidewalks here are less than desirable. I faceplanted on a grand scale and looked down to find several areas of skin missing from my palms and knee, accompanied by all around bruising. Thus began my hunt for large bandaids, as my first aid kit, while well equipped, only had a few. After three farmacias, I came up dry with no large bandaids. I finally had luck within the supermarket in the mall - you read that right- which proceeded to sell me just four cuadrados. Not in the box, either, but I paid per bandaid which were then handed to me without a box or anyrhing else of the sort. Two days later, they hadn't added to their stock of cuadrados. And thus I've been testing my lifeguard skills with gauze and medical tape with my nondominant hand.

still had enough coordination to consume this deliciousness, though

Shortly after beginning to regenerate my skin, my eye started getting irritated. Two days later and no improvement, and I figured it was time for an antibiotic. My Costa Rican sources informed me that there was always a doctor in the farmacia, and so I headed back to greet my old friends. After a brief conversation of explaining to her that I thought I had an eye infection, she went back in the shelves and dropped in front of me a box of antibiotic eyedrops. Surprised, I commented, "This is an antibiotic!" To which she responded, "Yeah, you told me you have an eye infection." Apparently prescriptions are not always required here. Costa Rica has an interesting health care system, ranking 36th on the world scale (the US ranks 37th) and the highest out of any Latin American country. A majority of the surgeries done here are a third of the cost of what they would be in the United States, and the life expectancy was actually higher than the US in the year 2014.

As for work this week, I am really starting to hit hard on the marketing campaigns of ACESOLAR. I made a lot of infographics last week, and finished up a market research survey that we will release next week. I also worked on the website a fair share, and at the beginning of the week, finished preparations and all the followup related to the assembly of members. All that aside, after that rather exciting week, I went to go visit Stefanny, the coordinator of my internship and host family, in Ciudad Quesada, Alajuela, a mountainous region of the country featuring thermal waters heated by the (non-active) volcanoes and beautiful waterfalls. It was a much needed rest from the bustle of San Jose, and I made myself leave my computer in Moravia, so I got two books read, ran a lot, and napped to the sound of rain falling outside.

this was taken before I realized I had company in the background

Part of the reason for reading of two entire books was the nationwide electricity black out on Saturday. At about 11:00 in the morning, the lights went out, and then the news started coming out that over 100,000 people were without electricity, to the south and east of San José. 10% of the country and parts of Nicaragua, Panama, El Salvador, and Honduras were left without electricity. Stefanny, her husband Andrés, and I began to make survival plans, as even the gas station down the street was inoperable without electricity. After five and a half hours, the electricity came back on, to the pride of the previously mentioned electricity monopoly ICE.   These events followed an earlier-in-the-week explosion to a power distributor in San José that left half the city without electricity. Then on Sunday, we went to visit one of the most famous locations in Costa Rica, the town of La Fortuna. There we walked among the wildlife in the puentes colgantes, seeing some monkeys, colorful birds, and truly just enjoying being out in the sendero of Costa Rica. And then, of course, the waterfalls.

puentes colgantes

volcán Arenal at just the right moment- note perfectly positioned clouds

Stefanny y yo

also please note stylish rain jacket around the waist and long sleeved shirt for extra mosquito protection

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june 22nd, 2017- roots

I AM QUICKLY discovering that I hate logistics. An unfortunate fact, as it is included in my official job title, Mercadeo y Logística, but better now than ten years down the road having already picked out a career path. I am reminded of the rationale for not going into the sciences -sorry Dad- I never was one for the excessive details. This is so closely related to what I think I want to do, and I am incredibly grateful to the Magellan Project for allowing me to do along those lines- and refine that even more. I have learned so much already, my Spanish is vastly improved (although there still remains a large dearth of vocabulary and perfect grammar for improvement), and I feel myself adjusting and changing in my environment. It’s really neat.

What brought on this sudden introspection of this, you ask? The logistics of the assembly I mentioned in my last post, of course! ACESOLAR is at the interesting threshold of hitting a large amount of growth, but still is in the small business stages. Karen and I do a lot of things ourselves, and I continue to look for more ways to automate the tasks for higher efficiency all around.

As for personal project news, I had my meeting with the German-Costa Rican business owner. It was very helpful, and entirely in Spanish! Progress continues in research, and I am beginning to wonder how, exactly, I am going to compile my notes into a paper.

but never have to think twice about another fruit stand pic

Over the weekend, Karen and fam took me to see volcanoes. We all survived underneath the shadow of currently-active volcano Poás, and then also visited Volcán Irazu. It was such a cool day, and I have a ridiculous amount of good photos.

now the kind of person who survives volcanoes and wears elephant pants. correlation? causality.

stumbled across the CR equivalent of Walden Pond

didn’t even edit the colors of this picture- just looked like a Monet painting as is 

My roots are really beginning to set in here, in relationships and in habits. I am starting to really love it here, to appreciate it, and to relax and embrace my uncertainty.

I’d be lying if I said my heart wasn’t stolen

Also, we got locked in our own office this week. Now you’re up to date.

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june 16th, 2017- sticking to the grind

This week brought on the projects! I have finally started a marketing campaign for ACESOLAR. I am currently writing an infographic on the distributed generation -a nondescript term- in Costa Rica. Distributed generation is whenever a consumer (commercial or residencial) generates their own energy to satisfy their electrical needs through renewable means. In Costa Rica, being part of this group means that you have a right to storage of the energy whenever you don’t consume it -such as when you’re at work and not in the house. You then can get up to 49% of this energy stored back for a drastically reduced price of regular energy. My infographic involves all this and more, including an A+ color scheme. I hope to get a link to it on here, but we’ll see.

ACESOLAR has coming up in a few weeks a very big meeting of all the members to update on the expo and also to vote for a new vice president. Karen and I spent some time at the beginning of the week touring venues to have the event at, and have started processing the logistics of the event.

arched eyebrow

As far as my personal project, after not receiving any word from the emails I sent out, I decided to personally call them today. With my scripts written out for the Spanish calls, I managed to schedule a really important meeting with a contact who established a Costa Rican and German association of renewable energy for next week, and expect to hear back from the others soon. All I needed was that personal touch to really get people on board with me, and that was part of the “learning to navigate an international business environment” that I anticipated in writing my proposals for coming down here. Break out the blazer!

Karen and my two amigas mejores, her daughters Alina and Mariana, went to an arts and crafts fair in central San José. It was rather a small affair, but I did get a henna tattoo and, of course, earrings.

the true rebel side of Laurel

Crazy things happened in public transportation this week. The buses of Barrio Escalante went on strike for higher bus fares coincidentally the same day as the last home soccer game for the Costa Rican team. San José definitely livens up for soccer games. The resulting traffic was the actual worst.

it may seem calm, but don’t be fooled

Coming here to Costa Rica, I was shocked to learn that they had Uber. I was even more shocked to learn from my Uber driver this week that the service, despite being fully operational since August of 2015, isn’t legal yet. Uber has made it into the regular vernacular of transportation around San José. It kind of floored me a bit to be so close to a situation of (needed) corporate redemption. Ride sharing, like the renewable energy industry, has and will continue to be a transformative industry. It calls again the responsibility of being an informed and ethical consumer, because businesses are only as responsible and ethical as their customers require them to be.

A cool thing that I learned about this week was the fact, following the Objectives of Sustainable Development from the United Nations, is the great impact that switching to renewable energy can have on the poor. With access to energy, considered a basic human need, development can occur. If you think about it, pretty much all of our development today is a product of energy. It then introduces an additional argument of responsibility to switch to renewable energy, to provide energy to areas that would be otherwise be unreachable by the power grid, as is so often the case here in Costa Rica.

research brought to you by the rico café de Costa Rica

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june 6th, 2017- refreshed and renewed

I don't think I could've come at a better time for my project. This past weekend was filled with celebrations for Global Day for the Environment, (which might be different in English because I just translated Día Mundial del Ambiente directly), and there were activities all weekend to this effect. On Sunday, Karen and I took a bike tour all throughout San José -an excellent way to see the city, but a tad harrowing as we were all squeezed into one lane and life didn't stop just because there were 300 bicyclists going around the rotunda. I experienced high amounts of photographer's frustration, but was unwilling to stop to take pictures.

There exists a photo of me on a professional camera pushing off a car to evade collision with another bicyclist -perfectly timed. I was unable to find it online, but rest assured, I look relatively surprised.

after dismounting the bike, was finally able to take the photos that my photographer’s eye desired in Barrio Escalante

Afterwards, I went with Karen's family to the only attraction park in Costa Rica, Parque de Diversiones. I was then tricked by her younger of two daughters, Mariana, to stay in one place long enough to be positively soaked by a descending toboggan on a water slide. Her daughters bounded with me quickly, and have taken to correcting my Spanish relentlessly, which is cute and good for my grammar.

from Pueblo Antiguo inside the park -see hint of roller coaster

The next day was the actual holiday, and I went on a special mission to several convenience stores to find the day’s La Nación, which excitingly discussed solar energy's potential within the renewable energy sector as the main article of the paper. Costa Rica has not even reached a third of the capacity of the current renewable sources running. However, the largest electricity company and essentially the governing body of the industry, ICE, wants to maintain the monopoly over the power grid, and an increased focus on solar means more localized power grids. Instead, the company is pushing for more hydroelectricity, trying to relaunch a dam project that has in the works for over 20 years now, after $129 million already invested. The dam would produce 650 MW per year, but this is highly impractical because Costa Rica already has not fully reached capacity of existing renewable sources.

I continue to get deeper into my project, and have had some trouble with people responding to my emails. Perhaps my strategy can include the promise of lunch to sweeten the deal.��

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may 30th, 2017- many updates

A truly busy week! Last week at work we did a lot of the follow-up for the expo, assimilating and organizing all the information. I was able to get in touch with several people on Friday, and received a lengthy email with fantastic documents in Spanish from a solar panel company on the state of the energy market in Costa Rica.

On Saturday, I travelled to Jacó, which features fantastic surf. I stayed in a hostel there, and met so many interesting people, including a really cool couple that had just graduated from college and were traveling together for the next few months. I also met a German (more German practice!) who had given up being a doctor nine months ago to go and travel in search of the world’s best surfing. I never can quite understand that level of rootlessness; I always need some kind of constancy even while traveling. I did not get to surf, but I think I will return to do so soon.

not a log, but an alligator under the bridge

My good friend and housemate, Chris, who I have been running and exploring San José with for the past two weeks, left to return to Texas Sunday. Here's your nod on my blog, Chris, although unfortunately no photographic evidence exists of our friendship.

Karen, my boss, took me for a field trip yesterday to downtown San José to Banco Nacional, the tallest building in the city and in Costa Rica. While we were there, I turned on my essential tourist.

street shots upon street shots

On the third week here, I am beginning to feel more and more at home and like myself. I think the language barrier prevents you from really expressing yourself for a while, but the more time passes, the more that I feel myself. The culture is becoming more and more familiar, although occasionally someone will say “Buenos días” and I will respond with “bien.” My cultural integration is not yet complete, but we make progress slowly.

as big as San José is, beginning to see familiar faces among the crowds

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may 21st, 2017- EXPOSOLAR 2017

The expo took place in the Estadio Nacional, a stadium built by a Chinese company a few years ago. It opened on Thursday in the evening, and then Friday and Saturday for the full day. On Friday, there were about thirty experts to speak on what was happening within the solar energy industry, ranging from discussion of the smart grid to a panel with political candidates talking about the energy future of Costa Rica.

please excuse the unaesthetic folds in this paper, authentically from my dress pants pocket

For the first time in my life, I am realizing how German I look. Many people mistake me for being from Germany, as apparently I have a European accent whenever I speak Spanish. I was standing in the back of one of the information sessions, and one of our presenters started speaking to me in German! I responded, and then we went back and forth before switching into Spanish to clarify some confusion.

el Estadio Nacional

There was a lot of discussion on the cost of the systems and solutions- the main barrier with getting into renewable energy is the initial cost of the system. However, within a few years, the cost of the system is usually doubled in return on investment, and as the systems are built to last longer than twenty years.  I will be looking to follow up with my contacts that I met for additional information here. I also met the majority of the board of Acesolar. It was a wonderful introduction to the association and the state of renewable energy in Costa Rica.

please note the Acesolar button

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may 17th, 2017- on the kindness of strangers

The first few days in San José have taught me a lot already, and have been somewhat like drinking from a fire hose. Already I have gotten lost, gotten found, gotten soaked from torrential downpour, loved everything I have eaten (Costa Rican food is essentially a pescatarian’s dream), and never have believed in the kindness of strangers until now. I took the wrong bus and a very kind señora got off with me to show me the right one in a particularly torrential downpour (we are in the rainy season here, which means that it pours for three hours plus each day). My host mom greets my warmly with a cup of coffee each afternoon, and this essential gringa has been made welcome by many people.

taken on a 5AM run before the bustle of the day begins

There is the señor that always tells me “buen día” on my runs, and my coworkers who have informed me on Costa Rican culture and to never take a taxi (Uber is the preferred mode of transport, or the bus).

so many pictures of flowers currently occupy my cell phone memory

So far, San José is fast paced and enigmatic and brightly colored and I can’t get enough of it. This weekend is Acesolar’s expo, and there was a national television broadcast this morning about it at the all-coveted 7AM news spot! Absolutely filled with anticipation of all the adventures that I am going to have.

a house en route to work

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may 14th, 2017- the hour has come

Filled with apprehension, I walked into the PGH International airport with overstuffed backpack, two large suitcases, and all my fears in tow. My dad had just dropped me off for my 6AM flight, and I was alone to deal with my two large suitcases and traveling decisions for myself.

It wasn’t at all that I was unprepared for the experience- many thanks to my wonderfully supportive family. I had several copies of my passport, insurance, and debit card hidden on my person, a first aid kit with everything from bandaids to cures for any food borne illness, and several colones of Costa Rican currency. It just was that I was going to be in a foreign country working in an international environment for two and a half months completely independently.

I stepped onto the plane, chose a seat (always fly Southwest for great service and two free checked bags), and my fears hit me suddenly, no longer hiding under the next task. I realized I would miss the forested greenery of Pennsylvania.

But then we took off, and I couldn’t help the smile that came across my face. After months of planning and proposing, this was really happening. I was prepared, and now I was going. I had stepped off the cliff, and the ocean swelled beneath me with opportunity. So yes, there was still apprehension, but also anticipation of what this incredible experience would bring. 

a little bit of Spanish work between naps on the plane