I was about to enter my third year of college and felt entirely clueless. I had just turned 21 years old. A four year old relationship had crumbled and promptly ended right before my very eyes. I made the decision to study abroad nine months earlier, not knowing exactly what I was getting into. I knew I wanted to study Spanish, and I wanted to travel very badly. But I couldn’t have better timed something I needed so much. This was a cultural and personal learning experience I will never forget.
I knew as soon as I stepped onto the bus at the San Jose, Costa Rica airport, that I was in for a huge experience. I would only be gone for five weeks, but on our way to the city, I knew I was in for an eye opener. The landscape was incredibly beautiful, but on the side of the road were shacks and makeshift houses. They looked abandoned, but clothes were on lines just outside. I met my house parents whom I would be living with, and was a little overwhelmed that neither of them understood English.
My advanced Spanish classes began, which were entirely in Spanish, and I was scrambling to keep up. I could barely tell my house family to come pick me up after my first day of classes ended. I was completely immersed in a foreign land with a foreign language. Little by little I started understanding more. Before I knew it, I didn’t even have to think and translate what I wanted to say before I said it in Spanish. There was one instance where I overslept and missed my bus to a weekend outing. I was able to get myself to the bus stations, repurchase a ticket by myself, and find my friends on the beach we had intended to visit. This was a huge accomplishment for me. I was amazed with myself, and very proud.
I would love to tell you that I experienced a cultural influx, but the culture of Costa Rica is very similar to Mexican culture. There are some distinct differences of course, but to me, I felt right at home with the people, since my mother’s family is Mexican Hispanic. Some differences I did enjoy from the United States were the timeliness, the food, and the landscape. Everything in Costa Rica is so much slower than the U.S. No one breaks their neck to be on time. If you were 20 minutes late for an appointment, you were on time. The food in Costa Rica is so fresh and inexpensive. Their meals are plain, but extremely delicious. And finally, there is no way to verbally describe how beautiful a Costa Rican sunrise in the mountains can be.
I know this may not be a typical education experience, but it holds a special place in my heart. It showed me the world is a bigger place than the United States. I reflected on the important things, both large and small, and learned so much about myself. I learned a language more fluently than I possibly could if I had not lived in another country. I wouldn’t have such a consideration for my experiences had I not experienced the world this way. And I would do it again in a heartbeat.