Hello my home

It has been less than 12 hours since I was last in Costa Rica. What a strange transition! When I got to the Fort Lauderdale airport I ordered a coffee, and as I left the stand I said 'gracias' rather than 'thank you'. Every time that I encounter a new person I prepare myself to respond in Spanish, and it takes me a few seconds to realize once again that I no longer need to speak to everyone in a different language, that once again I am in the land of my native tongue.

This is both a good and bad thing, I suppose. It is wonderful to not have to think about how to conjugate verbs and remember vague vocabulary that I learned once upon a time. On the other hand, I worry that not practicing Spanish every day for hours will really diminish the skills I have learned in the last six weeks. I feel like I will begin to forget when to use usted vs. tú, or forget what mantequilla de maní is. I am especially worried that I will deplete my Spanish skills within this school year before I will be going to Chile, where I will be staying for a year.

I guess that this just means that I will have to keep up my skills until I study abroad once more! I have heard that there are several ways to do this. One method is to listen to Spanish podcasts in my free time (Coffee Break Spanish, news in Spanish, etc.) Another is to attend Spanish practice sessions on the NAU campus, like Tertulia and Teletandem. Most of all, I think I need to force myself to practice my language skills on my own- to think in Spanish.

After getting only a brief 6-week taste of study abroad life, I've caught the travel bug. I can't wait until I get to study abroad again in Chile, and hopefully visit plenty of that country along with the surrounding countries. Study abroad is a really beautiful experience that allows students to learn about a new culture, help improve language skills, and most importantly (for me, anyway), get to see what life is like outside of the comfort zone. Despite the struggles I went through, I can't imagine a better way to spend my time as an undergraduate student.

Since my traveling has come to an end (at least for now), I would like to thank all of the people who have shared this journey with me, including my professors, peers, family, and anyone who has read this blog! I hope it has helped you learn something new about the beautiful country of Costa Rica.

Pura Vida,
Nicole

Ciao Costa Rica!

Well my time in Costa Rica is coming to an end! I can't believe that the six weeks I was here flew by so quickly.

Technically I am staying in Costa Rica for 7 weeks total. My family took a trip down to see me and we decided to take a week and explore new parts of this beautiful country. We are currently staying in Guanacaste province, which is absolutely breathtaking!

Coming to realize that this NAU study abroad program was coming to an end was hard for me. Looking back, I can't believe how much I have changed and grown since I first went to pre-departure orientation. At that time, I figured that Costa Rica would just be a good opportunity to practice my Spanish. That's it. I didn't think in my wildest dreams that I would become so attached to this country and make such amazing lifelong friends! This program has been everything that I wanted it to be and so much more.

Our 'graduation' ceremony was held in the Fidélitas auditorium, which was filled with students, host families, professors, and some U.S. families as well! Even now I'm still sort of unsure as to why it is called a graduation...it's really just a ceremony. Hearing the words of the professors about their experiences with the students actually brought tears to my eyes, simply because I think we all knew how special this time was for each individual. After all was said and done, I think that this ceremony was a beautiful way to wrap up our program.

The hardest part for me was saying goodbye to my tican family. From the very start of this trip they were my comfort, especially when I was just beginning to try out my Spanish and get accustomed to the Costa Rican culture. Both my families, tican and U.S., came together for a dinner on Friday night of sushi and birthday cake (as my host sister has a birthday next week that we won't be here for) and sat around the table laughing for several hours. My mamá tica even said that she felt like she had known my parents for years rather than just for 2 days! I wasn't sure if I would cry or not when I had to leave, but sure enough I did. The students and the professors from this program are people that I will be able to see again, but being able to come back and visit my host family will be much harder. Despite all this, it gives me comfort that I will always have another family waiting for me in Costa Rica.

If you are thinking about studying abroad in Costa Rica, I can't recommend it highly enough. You will have the opportunity to not only intensively study a language, but form bonds with students, professors, and a new family! Every day will be a new adventure, whether you are on a weekend excursion or simply exploring the city of San Jose. Even as this chapter of my life comes to a close, a new chapter opens, and I hope that I can use the lessons I have learned in the past six weeks to make my future adventures even better.

Packing for Costa Rica

As my trip came to a close, there were some things that I wish I had brought, and some things that I probably could have done without. I would like to share with you some of my accidents so that you don't do the same if you are thinking of coming to Costa Rica in the future! (P.S. I added in some random photos that have nothing to do with a packing list but I liked them)

1. Sunscreen and Bugspray
You probably already guessed that if you are coming to Costa Rica that you will probably have to bring sunscreen and bugspray. For me, the bugspray was a must! Several students looked like they had chicken pox after all the bug bites they got (myself included) and trust me, it wasn't fun. Sunscreen really depends on the person. I myself do not burn very easily, but there were other students that turned into tomatoes after a day in the sun. Word of the wise- sunscreen and bugspray are cheaper in the US! Stock up before you come.

2. Rain Gear
If you are coming during summer break, rain gear is a must. During our summer it is rainy season in Costa Rica, which means constant rain showers each afternoon (very hard rain showers I might add). Rain jackets are often pretty helpful, but mainly I would suggest bringing something to cover your backpack. Even if you have an umbrella, often times it won't cover your backpack when you walk, only your body, so having something to keep your books from being rained on is a pretty nice thing to have.


3.  Toiletries
Obviously the needs for each person will vary, but there are certainly things that I brought that I wouldn't have if I had known. For one, (this is mainly for girls), bringing a straightener or curling iron is useless. I brought my straightener and used it only once- for graduation. Btw, the curls stayed in for about one hour before falling straight again. Save the room in your luggage!

If you wear contacts, be sure to bring more than you think you might need. For me, I brought 5 pairs. I only actually needed three of them, but it was nice to have backups if a pair broke or got dirty in the ocean. Also, be sure to bring contact solution and cleaning solution!