I arrived at Room2Board as a new volunteer, excited to meet new people and anxious to discover what my life would look like here. I learned quickly that if I wanted to make the most of my time in Jaco, I was going need to listen closely to the tips and tricks of the people around me. Like most people, I learn best by doing. So, in order to educate myself to the max I decided I should shadow one of the very wisest veteran volunteers for a day, Jack.
Since graduating college three years ago, Jack has lived and worked in Australia, traveled throughout Southeast Asia and Europe, spent a short time in the “real world” at a desk job in Chicago (yuck!), jumped back on a plane to Central America and unexpectedly landed himself at Room2Board for 3 months living his best life. He may or may not have even gotten himself deported from one of the many countries he visited (I won’t say which, but I will say that we won’t be traveling to Australia together any time in the next 2 years).
Jack oh-so-kindly offered to take me around on my first free day here, and I had so much fun I followed him around basically every day thereafter. 
The morning of my Day One began. We headed downstairs to Room2Board’s very own in-house restaurant, Chiliguaros, for a nice wholesome breakfast of fresh fruit, yogurt, and granola. We chatted with the bartenders, said hello to a few familiar guests, and got right down to work on a daily crossword puzzle.
Feeling energized from breakfast, we grabbed another volunteer, Vincent, and walked around the corner to a local outdoor gym for a little fitness session. Vincent really whipped us into shape, so after working up a good sweat, pool time back at the hostel was a necessity.
After our daily dose of relaxation we headed back to our favorite restaurant Chiliguaros, and then hopped on some bikes to go into town for some post-lunch cinnamon rolls. Jack conducted extensive research during his time here to determine where to find the best cinnamon rolls in town. He concluded that the answer is tie between the melty buns that come with ice cream from Chiliguaros, and the massive rolls drizzled with chocolate from MasXMenos (only when heated up first, of course).
We got back from town just in time to watch the incredible sunset on the beach. And ended our day with a few drinks and dancing with friends at a local bar, Swell.
All in all, Jack did not disappoint when it came to helping me adjust to life here. Every day feels like a dream, with endless opportunities to try new things, meet new people, and explore what Jaco has to offer.
Want to join the fun? Email Susan to find out how you can become a volunteer at Room2Board.
