San José, Costa Rica: Victor: Reflection

It has been an amazing experience to study abroad in Costa Rica. The time and effort it took to study abroad was totally worth it. I have learned so many valuable lessons from my experience. Here are the top 5 things which made my experience amazing and contributed to my personal growth.

Top 5

1. Living with my host family

Living with a Costa Rican family was such an unforgettable experience. I remember when I first arrived and the mother in the house only spoke Spanish. It was very difficult for me to speak only Spanish, and I felt a little overwhelmed. But through speaking Spanish with the family day by day, my conversation skills drastically improved. I was able to learn about the Costa Rican culture through the many conversations we had. During the two months I lived there, I was able to build a great relationship with my host family. For this reason, I consider this experience one of the most important things that helped me to grow and learn more about the culture and language of Costa Rica.

2. The Classes

The Spanish classes that I took helped me to grow in so many ways. I learned how to critically think about our world, and properly express myself in Spanish. Before coming to the classes, I had a limited knowledge about what was happening in the world, especially when it comes to the environment. Many of the topics that were covered had to do with the environment, the life in Costa Rica and Latin America, and the problems/issues with the United States. Now I see it is very important for me to be in touch with what is happening in my world.

Also, the classes were very small, and this helped me to receive extra help with my Spanish. The professors helped me to work on the things which I had problems with, such as my pronunciation, my grammar, and sentence structure. Through all the exercises, homework, and presentations, I was able to drastically improve in my grammar, convsersation, reading, and writing skills.

3. The Nature and Beauty of Costa Rica

I had the opportunity to go on excursions to various places through Costa Rica. It was amazing to see all the different types of animals, such as monkeys, sloths, snakes, and toucans. I also was able to see the beautiful waterfalls of La Paz, as well as the Pacific and Atlantic Ocean waves. This helped me to better appreciate the enviorment and beautiful scenery of Costa Rica. Now, I hope to explore more places in Costa Rica and Latin America in the future.

4. Living Independently

During my time in Costa Rica, I learned to live independently and really grow as a person. I didn't have my family and close friends there with me. But I was forced to make decisions on my own, manage money, and find directions within a foreign country. This helped me to develop and mature as a young adult, and to be better prepared for the real world after college. Truly, without this experience I would have never developed valuable skills which are needed for the professional world, such as responsibility, time management, decision making, etc.

5. Culture Immersion

Within two months, I was totally immersed into the culture of Costa Rica and Latin America. One part of the cultural immersion was through the relationships with the locals. I had the opportunity to build great relationships with many Costa Ricans. Through the many conversations I had, I was able to better understand the culture and world which they live in. Also, I really enjoyed learning about all the types of food, vegetables, and fruits of Costa Rica. I was able to enjoy and taste so many different types of fruits and vegetable that I've never had before.

Now if someone asks me, what do you know about Costa Rica, I can tell them so much about the culture. I've learned about the history, celebrations, dances, and music of Costa Rica. Yet there is so much more that I need to learn. Truly, I am so grateful for the chance to come to Costa Rica and be immersed in the culture.