FSV: Future Site Visit

I can now say I have successfully completed my first trip within Mexico…where did I go???  To visit my future site, Ciudad Guzman!  This is a fun and exciting time for all volunteers during the Pre-Service Training.

So what is a Future Site Visit (FSV)?

I visited the city and office where I will be working for the next 2 years!  As I write this I am realizing how bizarre it is that I accepted a ‘job’ without being able to meet with whom I would be working with or where I would be working…I didn’t even know what country I was going to be sent to.  I guess this is part of the allure of Peace Corps for me, not really knowing what to expect when you first sign up…

This was my first visit to Ciudad Guzman which is in the state of Jalisco…you know, the only place in the world where authentic tequila is made. I think a blog post about tequila is in my future considering this fact…  Anyways, Guzman is 2 hours southwest of Guadalajara, the closest big city. The city itself is in a valley with two volcanoes (one active and one inactive) overlooking the city.  Guzman is a mid-size city with around 100,000 people.  There is nothing flashy about the city, just your average place where people live.  I think this will make for a good home for 2 years as it seems like a very normal, comfortable place to be.  The weather is also quite nice…it doesn't get too hot and it doesn't get too cold!

View of the surrounding landscape, including one of the volcanoes, Nevado de Colima…the light post right in the middle really adds some character to this photo (sorry about that)

View of an average street in Ciudad Guzman

The site I will be working at is called CEFOFOR which is a part of CONAFOR (I'm learning a lot of acronyms in Mexico).  CONAFOR is Mexico's equivalent of the U.S. Forest Service and CEFOFOR is a training center they have for their employees.  They provide classes on a variety of topics such as ecotecnias (think solar ovens, water purification systems, composting toilets), they have buildings made using straw as insulation which  if made correctly will withstand the elements for 100 years, and they have a medicinal garden they use to inform people about the medicinal uses of plants.  I am unsure as of now exactly how I will fit into the puzzle that is CEFOFOR, I will just have to show up and figure out my place!  It's likely that I will be educating kids and people in the surrounding area about environmental issues, but we will see in the coming months.

View of some of the offices on the property of CEFOFOR

The 'Living Garden', This garden is used to show people what types of plants can be used for medicinal purposes

Pizza dinner at a volunteer's house in Ciudad Guzman.  In total, there will be 6 volunteers in Guzman in June when we arrive.

 On the final day of my visit the four current volunteers stationed in Guzman hosted a dinner for the two new incoming volunteers.  There is one other person in my group who will also be going to Guzman.  While we will be in the same city, we are going to be working at different sites.  There are quite a few volunteers stationed in Guzman considering its smaller size, but it will be nice to know some familiar faces come moving day!

So there's a (very) quick recap of my visit…it was a whirlwind 3 days as I got to know a little about what I will be up to for the next 2 years.