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.