Esta Cali-ente: Stranded

20 June 2016

Before coming here I was a little worried about the lack of communication and details that I was able to get from the program coordinator. But I told myself this was not a big deal – that there was no need for me to worry; I’m sure they’ve organized tons of volunteers over the years; other cultures aren’t as concerned with instant responses like the U.S. is; and I just needed to relax and realize others aren’t as uber organized as I am. It’s okay if things move at a slower pace than I’m used to and no big deal – it’ll work itself out. Some of that may be true but I should pay attention to red flags.

Having arrived on a Sunday, I was told I would be picked up and taken to the national park on Monday. Then the date changed to Tuesday or Wednesday (they weren’t sure yet) and I quickly extended my hostel reservations before my flight out. Then, once I got here, I am unable to communicate with anyone in the program because they all seem to be in the field, so I have no idea what day or time I will be picked up. It’s now Tuesday afternoon and I have been told that I should expect someone to come get me NEXT Monday. Are you fucking kidding me?! I realize there’s no point in stressing out about this or getting angry – there’s very little I can do about it & it’s not like there’s some customer service manager I can chew out over the phone here (privileged American problems). So I make as many Skype calls and leave voice messages and emails with whatever contact info I have and we’ll see if I can get out there any earlier. I’d hate to waste a week roaming around Cali. It’s a small town. Half of its 4 museums are closed for renovations and after spending about 4 hours each day walking around town, I think I’ve seen a pretty good portion of it. So I wait. And hope to hear back from all the messages I left.