Two days left here in Costa Rica, and I have learned so much more than books can teach you. Moving to a different host family's house was the best decision I made here. If you ever think about moving, you SHOULD. I've learned there is a REASON we pay so much to be here, and it should be worth it! Living with the girls who had a pact to only speak Spanish was also a definite advantage.
Things I Have Learned
1) The Pura Vida Lifestyle- the phrase pura vida literally means pure life, and that is how the Ticos try to live. This pace of life here is much slower (except in traffic related situations, where everyone seems to be in a hurry) and much more relaxed. Before coming here, I stressed way too much for my own good. I've learned there is value in kicking back and relaxing, and that having fun is not something to feel guilty for. Taking life slow is a good thing! We only get to live once, our time here is not guarenteed. Chill out, mae!
2) Making new friends is awesome- but so hard to leave. I was really looking forward to going home and seeing everyone, but I quickly realized I'm also REALLY going to miss my new friends from here. The relationships you can build while studying abroad are both powerful and valuable.
3) Appreciation for BOTH other cultures AND my own- It is easy to think we appreciate other cultures without ever experiencing them, but it really is not the same. Being immersed in the culture teaches you so much that you can't believe, or feel, without seeing it, being there. Before, I also resented being an American- I felt like we had no culture, just a big blend of cultures that no longer celebrate their traditions- but this is NOT true. We do have a culture, we are unique, and it is something to celebrate.
4) Appreciation from a unique perspective- As a study abroad student, you can experience the world from a unique perspective. You are not merely a traveler, tourist, or visitor. You are actually LIVING here for a time, with the perspective of someone who lives here, but at the end of the night, you know you get to go back home to your comfort zone.
5) Try things out of your comfort zone!- That is the point of this trip! We don't go to foreign countries to do the same things we can do at home. Why would we spend so much money to do that? You need to EXPERIENCE the culture, the life, the people, all of it. And this can be expensive, but it is worth it to come back with the knowledge you gain.
I've learned so much more than that in my time here, but those are key point that I wanted to share. It is DEFINITELY an experience worth having.
I'M COMING HOME IN TWO DAYS!!!!!!!!!! :)
Thursday, March 25, 2010
Friday, March 19, 2010
A Little Bit About Life and Culture
Today, when I was taking the bus, I was thinking about just how different things are down here. First of all, the people don't make nearly as much money as we do. For this reason, everything seems cheap to us, when the reality is that some of it is expensive to the people who live here! I was also thinking about the streets- they do NOT have construction down here like we do back home, and I think I've developed a new appreciation for it- the roads here are horrible! And the driving is a totally different situation. Traffic lights and stop signs are more of a suggestion than anything. Traffic jams and slow moving traffic are very common, especially at rush hour, but it is not limited to just that. I had all these thoughts while riding standing on a crowded bus full of people around our rush hour time. As I was thinking all of this, we passed two buses in a row overfull with people going to the same place less than a half an hour away. These buses are also practically free- less than 50 cents a ride- but they can afford to that because SO many people rely on public transportation.
And these are just some of the things I've noticed over time. Sometimes, it seems like home, only in a different language. However, other times, one can really notice that we are living in a third world country. Rivers are full of garbage, people sleep in garbage, people with no shoes sell whatever they can on the street...there are places with houses made of tin- the same tin the 'poor' houses use as roofs. I cannot even begin to imagine living in a rusted, leaking tin house.
However, by the same token, the government actually tries to help the situation. In one particularly poor part of the country, all the people who live there are working on building subsidized, sustainable housing.
Everything from the sounds to the smells are different here, but its a one chance opportunity to live here for a time, and I wouldn't change it.
And these are just some of the things I've noticed over time. Sometimes, it seems like home, only in a different language. However, other times, one can really notice that we are living in a third world country. Rivers are full of garbage, people sleep in garbage, people with no shoes sell whatever they can on the street...there are places with houses made of tin- the same tin the 'poor' houses use as roofs. I cannot even begin to imagine living in a rusted, leaking tin house.
However, by the same token, the government actually tries to help the situation. In one particularly poor part of the country, all the people who live there are working on building subsidized, sustainable housing.
Everything from the sounds to the smells are different here, but its a one chance opportunity to live here for a time, and I wouldn't change it.
Tuesday, March 9, 2010
Rashes, Splashes, Mixmashes.
SO here I sit on an 80 degree Costa Rican day outside enjoying the heat (or at least trying to) and writing in my blog. The last two days barely reached 70 and I felt so cold! I was wearing TWO sweatshirts the one day! Just goes to show you how easy it is to get used to it being hot all the time.
Since I last wrote, I've visited two volcanoes, a basilica, a coral reef near Nicaragua, and Automercado.
Two weeks ago was our photography trip to the volcanoes- one each day. Saturday we went to Poas, the biggest and most well-known volcano in Costa Rica. THis volcano boasts a lagoon on its top surface that steams and threatens to blow- it was gorgeous. And the altitute was a nice change of pace, offering 0% humidity at about 70 or 70%. We took lots of pictures, more of the nature than just the volcano because in my professor's words- "everybody has pictures of volcanos"- not us silly!
Day two was Volcan Irazu- this was TOTALY not what I was expecting from a trip to a volcano. We got up to the high altitude of the mountains to the point where we were above the clouds we see every day and in thenext layer of clouds! These clouds were thicker and our prof had failed to mention how COLD it would be- we could see our breath here!!!!!! It was about 50 degress, more or less, and very foggy, which gave us a very interesting and different take on pictures- with no actual volcano mouth to be seen. All in all, the trip was fun and I took over 600 pictures! They aren't all good, as they were experimental and for class, but they are all up on my shutterfly if you would like to take a look.
The next weekend, last weekend, was my trip for biology- snorkeling once again, this time very near Nicaragua. We actually got to see coral this time, in addition to some very strange fish including pufferfish and jellyfish. These jellyfish were small, and a number of us got stung. Three of us, including lucky me, had allergic reactions to it. One girl's was immediate, and she puffed up like a balloon. Another girl had a rash that spread, and I was fortunately enough to only get a small rash that isn't quite gone yet. All in all, it was another Costa Rican experience :) Ps, I hear me in a wetsuit is quite a sight to behold.
In addition, theres a posibility that I'm allergic to something not yet identified that gives me small bumps on my skin that seem harmless. Something a little more harmful is the second intestinal infection I've gotten- it makes me about ready to come home where I don't have to guard what I eat so carefully. On the bright side of the situation, since every cloud has a silver lining, I finally went to Automercado. I had heard about it, but no one had really filled me in- this place is like an AMerican grocery store, complete with American foods! I think if I had known sooner, I would be broke now XD As it is, they will receive a lot of my money over the next two weeks. Can't believe I come home in less than three weeks!
In other news, my new host family is still totally awesome- I will be making banana bread some time in the next week with my host mom, and I will also have the opportunity this Friday to cook for my host family. I am VERY excited to make them a nice American meal that isn't too far out of their comfort zone, since it includes rice and chicken.
Another new experience I had was FINALLY getting the chance to do some volunteer work. I went to Heredia, and we visited a poorer part of town where they have a school for small children. We helped with the lesson and clean up, and then helped to serve lunch, which they also provided for us. It was a pretty awesome eye-opening experience, especially to see houses made of just tin- the aluminum pieces some of the poorer neighborhoods use as roofing. It was sad, but government funded projects ae making it possible for them to build real houses, which you can see all around the area on the dirt roads.
This coming weekend I will be going to Montezuma, and the following will be a revisit to Monteverde's rain forest. After that I come home!!
Since I last wrote, I've visited two volcanoes, a basilica, a coral reef near Nicaragua, and Automercado.
Two weeks ago was our photography trip to the volcanoes- one each day. Saturday we went to Poas, the biggest and most well-known volcano in Costa Rica. THis volcano boasts a lagoon on its top surface that steams and threatens to blow- it was gorgeous. And the altitute was a nice change of pace, offering 0% humidity at about 70 or 70%. We took lots of pictures, more of the nature than just the volcano because in my professor's words- "everybody has pictures of volcanos"- not us silly!
Day two was Volcan Irazu- this was TOTALY not what I was expecting from a trip to a volcano. We got up to the high altitude of the mountains to the point where we were above the clouds we see every day and in thenext layer of clouds! These clouds were thicker and our prof had failed to mention how COLD it would be- we could see our breath here!!!!!! It was about 50 degress, more or less, and very foggy, which gave us a very interesting and different take on pictures- with no actual volcano mouth to be seen. All in all, the trip was fun and I took over 600 pictures! They aren't all good, as they were experimental and for class, but they are all up on my shutterfly if you would like to take a look.
The next weekend, last weekend, was my trip for biology- snorkeling once again, this time very near Nicaragua. We actually got to see coral this time, in addition to some very strange fish including pufferfish and jellyfish. These jellyfish were small, and a number of us got stung. Three of us, including lucky me, had allergic reactions to it. One girl's was immediate, and she puffed up like a balloon. Another girl had a rash that spread, and I was fortunately enough to only get a small rash that isn't quite gone yet. All in all, it was another Costa Rican experience :) Ps, I hear me in a wetsuit is quite a sight to behold.
In addition, theres a posibility that I'm allergic to something not yet identified that gives me small bumps on my skin that seem harmless. Something a little more harmful is the second intestinal infection I've gotten- it makes me about ready to come home where I don't have to guard what I eat so carefully. On the bright side of the situation, since every cloud has a silver lining, I finally went to Automercado. I had heard about it, but no one had really filled me in- this place is like an AMerican grocery store, complete with American foods! I think if I had known sooner, I would be broke now XD As it is, they will receive a lot of my money over the next two weeks. Can't believe I come home in less than three weeks!
In other news, my new host family is still totally awesome- I will be making banana bread some time in the next week with my host mom, and I will also have the opportunity this Friday to cook for my host family. I am VERY excited to make them a nice American meal that isn't too far out of their comfort zone, since it includes rice and chicken.
Another new experience I had was FINALLY getting the chance to do some volunteer work. I went to Heredia, and we visited a poorer part of town where they have a school for small children. We helped with the lesson and clean up, and then helped to serve lunch, which they also provided for us. It was a pretty awesome eye-opening experience, especially to see houses made of just tin- the aluminum pieces some of the poorer neighborhoods use as roofing. It was sad, but government funded projects ae making it possible for them to build real houses, which you can see all around the area on the dirt roads.
This coming weekend I will be going to Montezuma, and the following will be a revisit to Monteverde's rain forest. After that I come home!!
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