One of the most rewarding experiences on this trip was staying with my home stay family. They were one of the most humble, caring and patient human beings I’ve ever had the pleasure of meeting. My initial feelings of nervousness completely fled after meeting Betty, Williams, and their three-year-old son Issa. Through this stay, I was given an everyday cultural experience that many who have visited Costa Rica cannot claim.
What Have I Cotton Myself Into?
Do you ever really know something without experiencing it first?
That is the question that continued to appear in my mind as I went through challenging, yet thought-provoking experiences. After flying all night and spending the day driving up and down beautiful mountain ranges on bumpy dirt roads, I still had no idea what was in store for me during my time in Costa Rica. I knew we would be staying on a farm, but what does that mean? Will we be living among the farm animals and fruit trees? Where would we sleep? How will I survive with so little sleep?
Beyond the Language Barrier
“And they don’t speak any English”, our tour guides said to us as we were being assigned to homestay families. I was frightened to say the least.
This was going to be the first time during the trip that I would be separated from the rest of the team, and I spoke almost no Spanish. Luckily, I was partnered up with Lupe, one of the student coordinators, who could speak Spanish. But I was still worried about being unable to connect with my homestay family. I didn’t want to bother Lupe by asking him to translate for me every time I wanted to communicate. On the other hand, I didn’t want to just remain silent and lose the opportunity to connect with the locals and immerse myself in Costa Rican culture. Continue reading “Beyond the Language Barrier”
A Tico’s Best Friend: The Dogs of Mastatal
I’ve always loved dogs, but I saw a deeper love that Ticos expressed not only for dogs, but for all of wildlife and the passion for animal protection and conservation.
Among all the biodiversity and vast wildlife in Costa Rica, there was a type of more domesticated species that caught my attention while in Mastatal.
Continue reading “A Tico’s Best Friend: The Dogs of Mastatal”
Reforestation or Ecological Disaster?
When Costa Rica began conserving and replanting forests in the 1960s-1970s, the government encouraged people to plant teak trees. The trees grow fast and straight, and the wood is of good quality. What’s not to like about it?
Shifting Perspectives: A story about two girls and their detour to Costa Rica
The back of my throat was on fire as I tried to catch my breath and hold back my tears. My trembling hands held the quickly, scribbled note reading “it’s going to be ok”. The plane had left us and the panic was bubbling up to the surface, I looked at Claire and we both stared at each other in shock. My feelings of guilt, uncertainty, and fear were mirrored in her eyes. Here we were alone in the Mexico City Airport – just two foreigners with mediocre Spanish speaking skills, low funds, and limited knowledge in international travel. Needless to say, things weren’t looking too good for us. Despite the odds, we survived to tell the tale. So if you ever find yourself in this situation, here are some guidelines for survival.
Continue reading “Shifting Perspectives: A story about two girls and their detour to Costa Rica”