- Improve my spanish
- Learn about the Costa Rican environment
- Return to BG with more knowledge and understanding of the environment and international issues
- Explore and eat delicious foods
- COFFEE
- Learn and improve latin dancing
- See as much of Costa Rican as possible
- Take photos of everything
- Read
- Make new friends
- Maintain strong relationships at home
- Write my blog consistently
- Learn how to move slower in life
- Grow closer with God
- Be of service and useful to CAP
- Not spend too much money
- Have tons of FUN
Thursday, June 6, 2013
Goals and Desires
I have been wanting to post about my goals and what I want out of this trip. I explained what it was and what I am doing but never really set my goals. They are random. Some serious and others not. We will see which ones are accomplished and which ones change.
Wednesday, June 5, 2013
First Day Nerves
Today is my first day in my internship placement. I am currently working as I compose this post.
Yesterday I had a relaxng morning before I met Carolina, the ELAP coordinator, to go to my placement for a little orientation. It is about a fifteen minute walk toward downtown. Centro de los Amigos para la Paz owns a hostel called Casa Ridgway. The hostel funds the center and its projects. The hostel is very quiet and peaceful and there are rules in order to keep it this way. It is very cute and decorated. Many of the rooms in teh hostel are themed for different peace and civil rights leaders like Mother Theresa, Ghandi, MLK, etc. The building also has a library, computers, and free wifi for visitors to use. There is a nice sitting area and conference areas as well as other offices. Carolina showed me around and we talked with Marta. She explained that the center is struggling financially because they have not had much attendance in the hostel. They are working on creating new programs to attract groups that are traveling to San Jose or college students who can stay for an extended period like renting an apartment instead of a night by night hostel.
I became worried because Marta was busy doing other things for quite some time and we were still waiting. I was unsure of what I would actually be doing still and didnt know what we were waiting for. I was also nervous because of the financial situation. I wasnt sure if they would have projects for me to work on. Eventually, another woman, Annacecilia, came. She is in charge of the centers projects. She discussed their two main projects with us and gave me a better idea of what I would be doing. She said that most days I will come to work at 9 or 9:30 and help Marta with the hostel, reception, and administrative work. I am also going to be working on the website. With Annacecilia, I will be working on one of the main projects on the coasts. I will be travelling and staying at the coasts with families to help work on projects there and learn more so that I can better understand and work on the website. I am not entirely sure what we actually do to help the people there. She said I also may help with a turtle project. I was instructed to take a lot of photos to which I assured her I could do. She wanted me to go on a trip with her this weekend but Carolina said I should stay for my first weekend and I can go next weekend.
I am pretty excited about this. I didnt think I would be travelling for this internship but it sounds great.
So today I got lost on my way here. I was in the right area but somehow got turned around. So I arrived late, though I dont think it mattered. Immediately upon my arrival Marta said she had to go to the bank. She introduced me to Rosa, the cleaning lady, and showed me a few things in the office, gave me her phone number, and instructed me to sit down and do whatever I wanted on the computer.
So here I am just hanging out in the office and praying no one calls. I wrote some scripts and things I may have to say on the phone and tried to familiarize myself with the reservation book. Marta is back now but I am still in the office. The phone has rang a couple times but I really dont understand how it works. Sometimes it is jut one short ring so I dont know if I am supposed to pick it up. There are also two phones on the desk and I dont understand which does what and which I am supposed to answer. So I feel nervous and overwhelmed. While Marta was gone, I did speak with a current resident who wanted to stay another night. He was french but spoke spanish so that was interesting. I said he could and hoped it was okay that he would pay later. Marta seemed okay with it when I filled her in.
So I am not sure what the rest of my day will be filled with. I know that I am supposed to stay until Annacecilia comes later today so I can talk to her more.
Anyway, yesterday I finally got a local phone. My friend, Jenny, and I went to the Mall San Pedro to find phones. Jenny is the only other student with the custom program like me with ELAP first and Summer Session 7 afterward. We think that the people at the phone store were trying to rip us off but they eventually lowered their price when they figured out that we were confused and talking about leaving. Still, it was a little more than some other students paid. I feel better having a phone that works at all times for phone calls and not just my computer or iphone in wifi. Now I can call the ISA office or CAP, etc if I need to.
My housemates and I also walked to AutoMercado. This is a grocery store. I liked this experience much better than Walmart. I think I will stick to going there from now on. Maritza told us it can be expensive but we were also told that about Walmart so Im not sure where the cheap places are.
It felt great to FaceTime/Skype all my favorite people last night, even for just a few minutes. I think I have been too overwhelmed and busy trying to figure out life here to be homesick yet but Im sure it will happen eventually. I certainly miss everyone already though. But seeing my dad, Rachel, and Robby made me feel better.
P.S. I dont know how to use these keyboards so please excuse the lack of apostrophes.
Your new CAP/CasaRidgway receptionist,
Taylor
Yesterday I had a relaxng morning before I met Carolina, the ELAP coordinator, to go to my placement for a little orientation. It is about a fifteen minute walk toward downtown. Centro de los Amigos para la Paz owns a hostel called Casa Ridgway. The hostel funds the center and its projects. The hostel is very quiet and peaceful and there are rules in order to keep it this way. It is very cute and decorated. Many of the rooms in teh hostel are themed for different peace and civil rights leaders like Mother Theresa, Ghandi, MLK, etc. The building also has a library, computers, and free wifi for visitors to use. There is a nice sitting area and conference areas as well as other offices. Carolina showed me around and we talked with Marta. She explained that the center is struggling financially because they have not had much attendance in the hostel. They are working on creating new programs to attract groups that are traveling to San Jose or college students who can stay for an extended period like renting an apartment instead of a night by night hostel.
I became worried because Marta was busy doing other things for quite some time and we were still waiting. I was unsure of what I would actually be doing still and didnt know what we were waiting for. I was also nervous because of the financial situation. I wasnt sure if they would have projects for me to work on. Eventually, another woman, Annacecilia, came. She is in charge of the centers projects. She discussed their two main projects with us and gave me a better idea of what I would be doing. She said that most days I will come to work at 9 or 9:30 and help Marta with the hostel, reception, and administrative work. I am also going to be working on the website. With Annacecilia, I will be working on one of the main projects on the coasts. I will be travelling and staying at the coasts with families to help work on projects there and learn more so that I can better understand and work on the website. I am not entirely sure what we actually do to help the people there. She said I also may help with a turtle project. I was instructed to take a lot of photos to which I assured her I could do. She wanted me to go on a trip with her this weekend but Carolina said I should stay for my first weekend and I can go next weekend.
I am pretty excited about this. I didnt think I would be travelling for this internship but it sounds great.
So today I got lost on my way here. I was in the right area but somehow got turned around. So I arrived late, though I dont think it mattered. Immediately upon my arrival Marta said she had to go to the bank. She introduced me to Rosa, the cleaning lady, and showed me a few things in the office, gave me her phone number, and instructed me to sit down and do whatever I wanted on the computer.
So here I am just hanging out in the office and praying no one calls. I wrote some scripts and things I may have to say on the phone and tried to familiarize myself with the reservation book. Marta is back now but I am still in the office. The phone has rang a couple times but I really dont understand how it works. Sometimes it is jut one short ring so I dont know if I am supposed to pick it up. There are also two phones on the desk and I dont understand which does what and which I am supposed to answer. So I feel nervous and overwhelmed. While Marta was gone, I did speak with a current resident who wanted to stay another night. He was french but spoke spanish so that was interesting. I said he could and hoped it was okay that he would pay later. Marta seemed okay with it when I filled her in.
So I am not sure what the rest of my day will be filled with. I know that I am supposed to stay until Annacecilia comes later today so I can talk to her more.
Anyway, yesterday I finally got a local phone. My friend, Jenny, and I went to the Mall San Pedro to find phones. Jenny is the only other student with the custom program like me with ELAP first and Summer Session 7 afterward. We think that the people at the phone store were trying to rip us off but they eventually lowered their price when they figured out that we were confused and talking about leaving. Still, it was a little more than some other students paid. I feel better having a phone that works at all times for phone calls and not just my computer or iphone in wifi. Now I can call the ISA office or CAP, etc if I need to.
My housemates and I also walked to AutoMercado. This is a grocery store. I liked this experience much better than Walmart. I think I will stick to going there from now on. Maritza told us it can be expensive but we were also told that about Walmart so Im not sure where the cheap places are.
It felt great to FaceTime/Skype all my favorite people last night, even for just a few minutes. I think I have been too overwhelmed and busy trying to figure out life here to be homesick yet but Im sure it will happen eventually. I certainly miss everyone already though. But seeing my dad, Rachel, and Robby made me feel better.
P.S. I dont know how to use these keyboards so please excuse the lack of apostrophes.
Your new CAP/CasaRidgway receptionist,
Taylor
Tuesday, June 4, 2013
The Land of Pura Vida
Today is my fourth day in Costa Rica and so far everything has been an adventure. The day of travel, the food, exploring the area, new friends. I can easily say that I love it here already and am so blessed to be in the home I am staying in. It has been pretty overwhelming and I have been so tired so I am finally posting again.
On Saturday morning, I left the truck and struggled through the airport, rushing to make it and trying to choke back an outburst of tears the entire time. I was in a tired daze after not having slept so the first short flight to D.C. is a blur. I was excited to find that another ISA student was sitting right next to me on the plane to San Jose. We were both so excited to discover we were doing the same program. DeSherra became my first friend on the trip. There were a ton of young people and students on the flight for various reasons so it was ironic that we were seated together. The flight was less than five hours and seemed to go pretty fast. The hardest part of the day was standing in line for almost two hours to go through customs and security. I exchanged my US Dollars to Costa Rican Colones and then waiting for another hour or more for more students to arrive. My first purchase was a cookie for 600 colones from a little shop in the waiting area on the outside of the airport. We were all starving. Finally, more students arrived and we all got on the bus to go to Zapote. It was, of course, raining all day so we got pretty soaked. When the bus stopped, our mamaticas were there to pick us up and take us home.
My mamatica is wonderful. Her name is Maritza and she is the sweetest. She is an amazing cook and has been so much fun. She is very experienced with hosting students so she is laid back and caring. Her husband, Jorge, and son, Gustavo, also live here. Along with two dogs, one of which is attacking me as I try to type this (she is tiny), a bird, and a cat. The dogs and bird live on the back patio. Calypso the cat lives on the roof but comes inside sometimes. He has become fond of making himself at home in my room and crying at night outside my window if I make a noise. He reminds me of Salt.
There are two other girls staying here with the same program and another boy who is Costa Rican and has been studying at the university for four years but is rarely here. I have yet to see him.
Mandi quickly became my friend on Saturday. Toni arrived a week earlier and was on an excursion for the weekend. They are both great women. They are nursing students from Idaho who are both here solely for classes. They will leave at the end of June so I am not sure if it will be a lonely house after that or not.
One of the things I noticed on my first night was all of the noises. They are so different and so many of them. Crazy bird noises, a lot of car alarms (Jorge thinks kids were running around setting them off), the cat crying, cookoo clocks, and other noises of the house. Another interesting thing is our bathroom. The bathroom that the other girls and I share is located in the dining room area. It has a tall wall that doesn't connect to the ceiling so it still feels exposed. A big rule in Costa Rica is that you cannot flush toilet paper. There is a trash can to put it in. That is certainly something to get used to.
My room is a small little room with a window into the garage. It gets pretty hot but its a cute little room.
On Sunday, we had our ISA orientation. The ISA office is just a short walk away from my house. This was nice but mostly geared toward the students who were starting classes. My ELAP orientation wouldn't be until the following day.
After the orientation, some of the students explored the area a bit. We found a gym that I plan to get a membership for, had pizza for lunch, and realized that we are going to be hot and sticky all summer. It was fun though. After Toni returned from the weekend trip, we went to mass at a Catholic church. This was an adventure in itself. I had my first ride in a taxi here. Let me tell you, the roads, traffic rules, lack of following them, drivers, and taxis are all crazy. Everyone drives really fast, despite that poor roads at times, and people are not afraid to just walk in the road at any time.
Yesterday, I had my ELAP orientation. I learned more about what I will be doing. There are about 11 students interning now at all different placements. After the orientation, we went on a city tour of downtown San Jose. This was fun and exhausting. A lot of the area was blocked off because the President of China was in town. We saw a lot of the main sites and went to the Centro Mercado. This is a fun place. We got Costa Rican ice cream. It was so yummy. Instead of taking a bus back, we had to walk. So what happened? It downpoured. Luckily we all had umbrellas but we still got pretty soaked. By time we got back to the ISA office we were all drained. After this we went to a soda for lunch. A soda is like a small, quick restaurant, kind of like fast food. P.S. I have seen so many McDonalds. This was fun. We explored Veritas a little bit with some of the students that began their classes today. It is beautiful and we are planning on joining the extracurricular classes (as long as they let us). Last night, my housemates and I went to Walmart of all places. I have never had such a difficult trip to Walmart. Luckily, we got a ride there from Maritza's sister and husband who were over for dinner. We took a taxi back after we struggled to understand the organization of the store. We bought supplies for PB&J sandwiches for our very Costa Rican lunches.
Today I am having my personal orientation at my placement. I will find out how to get there, meet my supervisor, discuss what I will be doing and my hours. I am excited and nervous. Though I have been doing okay with speaking Spanish, I am hoping that they are as patient and understanding as the ISA staff and my family has been.
In all, it has been great thus far. I think I am recuperated now after having a relaxing morning. I have made great friends. The food has been wonderful (more on that later). My stomach has hurt a little but that's normal for me. I feel blessed to be in this home with Maritza and the other girls. They have all be great as I (and the other girls) try not to get too overwhelmed. I don't think I have to be as worried about the social differences as I thought I had to be from the handbooks given to me. I am excited to continue to get to know my way around the area and explore downtown. It has been easy to be quiet and want to reflect alone while taking it all in. I think this is just part of getting used to being here.
I will try to post more often on what I am up to and what not.
Peace and coffee beans,
Taylor
On Saturday morning, I left the truck and struggled through the airport, rushing to make it and trying to choke back an outburst of tears the entire time. I was in a tired daze after not having slept so the first short flight to D.C. is a blur. I was excited to find that another ISA student was sitting right next to me on the plane to San Jose. We were both so excited to discover we were doing the same program. DeSherra became my first friend on the trip. There were a ton of young people and students on the flight for various reasons so it was ironic that we were seated together. The flight was less than five hours and seemed to go pretty fast. The hardest part of the day was standing in line for almost two hours to go through customs and security. I exchanged my US Dollars to Costa Rican Colones and then waiting for another hour or more for more students to arrive. My first purchase was a cookie for 600 colones from a little shop in the waiting area on the outside of the airport. We were all starving. Finally, more students arrived and we all got on the bus to go to Zapote. It was, of course, raining all day so we got pretty soaked. When the bus stopped, our mamaticas were there to pick us up and take us home.
My mamatica is wonderful. Her name is Maritza and she is the sweetest. She is an amazing cook and has been so much fun. She is very experienced with hosting students so she is laid back and caring. Her husband, Jorge, and son, Gustavo, also live here. Along with two dogs, one of which is attacking me as I try to type this (she is tiny), a bird, and a cat. The dogs and bird live on the back patio. Calypso the cat lives on the roof but comes inside sometimes. He has become fond of making himself at home in my room and crying at night outside my window if I make a noise. He reminds me of Salt.
There are two other girls staying here with the same program and another boy who is Costa Rican and has been studying at the university for four years but is rarely here. I have yet to see him.
Mandi quickly became my friend on Saturday. Toni arrived a week earlier and was on an excursion for the weekend. They are both great women. They are nursing students from Idaho who are both here solely for classes. They will leave at the end of June so I am not sure if it will be a lonely house after that or not.
One of the things I noticed on my first night was all of the noises. They are so different and so many of them. Crazy bird noises, a lot of car alarms (Jorge thinks kids were running around setting them off), the cat crying, cookoo clocks, and other noises of the house. Another interesting thing is our bathroom. The bathroom that the other girls and I share is located in the dining room area. It has a tall wall that doesn't connect to the ceiling so it still feels exposed. A big rule in Costa Rica is that you cannot flush toilet paper. There is a trash can to put it in. That is certainly something to get used to.
My room is a small little room with a window into the garage. It gets pretty hot but its a cute little room.
On Sunday, we had our ISA orientation. The ISA office is just a short walk away from my house. This was nice but mostly geared toward the students who were starting classes. My ELAP orientation wouldn't be until the following day.
After the orientation, some of the students explored the area a bit. We found a gym that I plan to get a membership for, had pizza for lunch, and realized that we are going to be hot and sticky all summer. It was fun though. After Toni returned from the weekend trip, we went to mass at a Catholic church. This was an adventure in itself. I had my first ride in a taxi here. Let me tell you, the roads, traffic rules, lack of following them, drivers, and taxis are all crazy. Everyone drives really fast, despite that poor roads at times, and people are not afraid to just walk in the road at any time.
Yesterday, I had my ELAP orientation. I learned more about what I will be doing. There are about 11 students interning now at all different placements. After the orientation, we went on a city tour of downtown San Jose. This was fun and exhausting. A lot of the area was blocked off because the President of China was in town. We saw a lot of the main sites and went to the Centro Mercado. This is a fun place. We got Costa Rican ice cream. It was so yummy. Instead of taking a bus back, we had to walk. So what happened? It downpoured. Luckily we all had umbrellas but we still got pretty soaked. By time we got back to the ISA office we were all drained. After this we went to a soda for lunch. A soda is like a small, quick restaurant, kind of like fast food. P.S. I have seen so many McDonalds. This was fun. We explored Veritas a little bit with some of the students that began their classes today. It is beautiful and we are planning on joining the extracurricular classes (as long as they let us). Last night, my housemates and I went to Walmart of all places. I have never had such a difficult trip to Walmart. Luckily, we got a ride there from Maritza's sister and husband who were over for dinner. We took a taxi back after we struggled to understand the organization of the store. We bought supplies for PB&J sandwiches for our very Costa Rican lunches.
Today I am having my personal orientation at my placement. I will find out how to get there, meet my supervisor, discuss what I will be doing and my hours. I am excited and nervous. Though I have been doing okay with speaking Spanish, I am hoping that they are as patient and understanding as the ISA staff and my family has been.
In all, it has been great thus far. I think I am recuperated now after having a relaxing morning. I have made great friends. The food has been wonderful (more on that later). My stomach has hurt a little but that's normal for me. I feel blessed to be in this home with Maritza and the other girls. They have all be great as I (and the other girls) try not to get too overwhelmed. I don't think I have to be as worried about the social differences as I thought I had to be from the handbooks given to me. I am excited to continue to get to know my way around the area and explore downtown. It has been easy to be quiet and want to reflect alone while taking it all in. I think this is just part of getting used to being here.
I will try to post more often on what I am up to and what not.
Peace and coffee beans,
Taylor
Friday, May 31, 2013
Panic Mode
At 1:30 am, hours before my plane leaves, I am unsure if I am ready or not.
The last few days have been a roller coaster of emotions and panic. I have been easily overwhelmed by the stress of getting ready to leave. All the things to do, people to see, things I didn't quite accomplish, things I didn't get to do before leaving, worries about forgetting things, and so on. All the while I have been having a great time with friends and family.
Packing didn't go as easily as I had hoped but today was great. As I sit on my bedroom floor, feeling uneasy at the mess I'm leaving, I am beginning to relax in reflection on my day. I packed everything on my list, so I hope my list wasn't missing anything. It took all day with laundry, running around, frequent reals and distractions, visits, pizza, and YouTube.
While there are many other things on my mind, I think I'll save them for the plane.
Naptime.
Wednesday, May 29, 2013
The Story
Why am I going to Costa Rica? What will I be doing there? How long will I be gone? Where is Costa Rica?
It would probably be helpful if I explained these details.
I am traveling to San Jose, Costa Rica with a company called International Studies Abroad (ISA) and section of their company called ELAP. I will first be volunteering/interning through ELAP at an organization in the city. Following these four or five weeks, I will take classes at Veritas University for four weeks.
As I am an Environmental Policy and Analysis major with an International Perspectives major, simply traveling abroad covers my specialization. The class I will be taking will also be counted as some sort of credit. (My advisors assure me they can work their magic.) The contact hours spent volunteering will translate into (hopefully) two credit hours for the internship required for the environmental major.
The placement for my internship is at an international non-governmental organization called Centro de los Amigos para la Paz (CAP). What that translates to is Center of Friends for Peace.
It uncertain what I will specifically be doing. This will be determined upon my arrival. We will set my schedule and find a place for me to work. There are a variety of things I could be doing on their different existing projects. Because they are focused on human rights and peace, they are closely related to environmental issues. My hope is to work on things of this nature (obviously). I saw on their website that they have previously built bike paths and worked with kids to plant trees along sidewalks and the bike path. This would be fantastic to be a part of if they are still working on it. I am excited to be working in an NGO and will hopefully gain a better understanding of how they work. (I am interested in working with NGOs and non-profits in the future.) Another advantage is that this is an international NGO so I may be working with people from all over they world. Because of this there may be more English spoken than Spanish. Though this is comforting it is also kind of a bummer. Although I'm sure I will be challenged with speaking Spanish in many other areas.
The journey to finding my placement was a little tough because of the options for environmental students, my language level, and the availability at the organizations. I hoped to be working more directly with Costa Rican people doing outreach, education, service, etc. I would have loved to be outside in the lush Costa Rican environment. I had several different options that were either unfitting, like running a petting zoo at a conservation park, or the supervisors would not be there to work with me during the time I will be there. One potential project was to build a garden with children at an education center. However, I am very excited about my placement and am sure that I will learn many new and useful things and be of service to the organization.
My classes are not set as of yet. This happens a little later on. (P.S. I am doing it backwards. Most people take classes first before interning. They do not offer environmental classes until the last session. Because of this I had to intern first so that I could come back for fall semester at BG). I am supposed to take a spanish class and an elective taught in english. The spanish classes are in the morning to afternoon and electives in the afternoon to evening with field trips on some weekends. The class I am planning to take is called Environmental Awareness and Sustainable Development. This class covers a wide variety of issues using the Costa Rican environment as an example and will study things like the banana and coffee farms, ecotourism, conservation, etc. It looks amazing.
What about dance? Oh, no worries, I will be dancing. My hope is to get out of taking the spanish class somehow, since I will have already been in San Jose for five weeks and take two electives instead. The second elective being Theory of Latin American Dance. This class doesn't have weekend field trips that will conflict with the other class. It also looks amazing. I would learn the history and theory of Costa Rican and other latin dances and, of course, learn to do them. Many classes are comprised of watching classic dance movies and discussing them. Then, on some evenings, instead of having class we would travel downtown to a discoteca or club and just dance. I would love to take this class. If I am unable to, I hope to find local dance classes to participate in. If I can't find those, I hope to find friends to help me learn their ways of dancing and will simply go to the club and dance.
So that is basically what I am doing in Costa Rica.
Where will I be living? I am basically a foreign exchange student. I will be staying with a family who has hosted students many times through ISA. The Vargas' will be my Costa Rican family. They live in the Zapote District of San Jose. This is also where Veritas University and the ISA office are located. This area is a middle/upper class neighborhood and is still close to downtown.
It would probably be helpful if I explained these details.
I am traveling to San Jose, Costa Rica with a company called International Studies Abroad (ISA) and section of their company called ELAP. I will first be volunteering/interning through ELAP at an organization in the city. Following these four or five weeks, I will take classes at Veritas University for four weeks.
As I am an Environmental Policy and Analysis major with an International Perspectives major, simply traveling abroad covers my specialization. The class I will be taking will also be counted as some sort of credit. (My advisors assure me they can work their magic.) The contact hours spent volunteering will translate into (hopefully) two credit hours for the internship required for the environmental major.
The placement for my internship is at an international non-governmental organization called Centro de los Amigos para la Paz (CAP). What that translates to is Center of Friends for Peace.
CAP (Centro de Amigos para la Paz) was founded by Quakers in 1983, and is dedicated to promoting understanding of international peace, social justice, and ecological issues. CAP’s mission fits well with Costa Rica’s proud tradition of being a pacifist, anti-war country. In particular, CAP researches and then distributes reports and newsletters to the general public relating to current topics and initiatives being discussed in the Costa Rican government. They also organize a variety of educational seminars and workshops.
It uncertain what I will specifically be doing. This will be determined upon my arrival. We will set my schedule and find a place for me to work. There are a variety of things I could be doing on their different existing projects. Because they are focused on human rights and peace, they are closely related to environmental issues. My hope is to work on things of this nature (obviously). I saw on their website that they have previously built bike paths and worked with kids to plant trees along sidewalks and the bike path. This would be fantastic to be a part of if they are still working on it. I am excited to be working in an NGO and will hopefully gain a better understanding of how they work. (I am interested in working with NGOs and non-profits in the future.) Another advantage is that this is an international NGO so I may be working with people from all over they world. Because of this there may be more English spoken than Spanish. Though this is comforting it is also kind of a bummer. Although I'm sure I will be challenged with speaking Spanish in many other areas.
The journey to finding my placement was a little tough because of the options for environmental students, my language level, and the availability at the organizations. I hoped to be working more directly with Costa Rican people doing outreach, education, service, etc. I would have loved to be outside in the lush Costa Rican environment. I had several different options that were either unfitting, like running a petting zoo at a conservation park, or the supervisors would not be there to work with me during the time I will be there. One potential project was to build a garden with children at an education center. However, I am very excited about my placement and am sure that I will learn many new and useful things and be of service to the organization.
My classes are not set as of yet. This happens a little later on. (P.S. I am doing it backwards. Most people take classes first before interning. They do not offer environmental classes until the last session. Because of this I had to intern first so that I could come back for fall semester at BG). I am supposed to take a spanish class and an elective taught in english. The spanish classes are in the morning to afternoon and electives in the afternoon to evening with field trips on some weekends. The class I am planning to take is called Environmental Awareness and Sustainable Development. This class covers a wide variety of issues using the Costa Rican environment as an example and will study things like the banana and coffee farms, ecotourism, conservation, etc. It looks amazing.
What about dance? Oh, no worries, I will be dancing. My hope is to get out of taking the spanish class somehow, since I will have already been in San Jose for five weeks and take two electives instead. The second elective being Theory of Latin American Dance. This class doesn't have weekend field trips that will conflict with the other class. It also looks amazing. I would learn the history and theory of Costa Rican and other latin dances and, of course, learn to do them. Many classes are comprised of watching classic dance movies and discussing them. Then, on some evenings, instead of having class we would travel downtown to a discoteca or club and just dance. I would love to take this class. If I am unable to, I hope to find local dance classes to participate in. If I can't find those, I hope to find friends to help me learn their ways of dancing and will simply go to the club and dance.
So that is basically what I am doing in Costa Rica.
Where will I be living? I am basically a foreign exchange student. I will be staying with a family who has hosted students many times through ISA. The Vargas' will be my Costa Rican family. They live in the Zapote District of San Jose. This is also where Veritas University and the ISA office are located. This area is a middle/upper class neighborhood and is still close to downtown.
I will have my own room and bathroom in the Vargas' home. There will be one other girl coming to stay there as well through ISA.
One question everyone seems to be asking me is "How are you going to survive as a vegetarian?" Well, I have learned that it really won't be bad at all. I will be eating a lot of beans and rice and amazing fruits (YESSS). I was specifically placed with this family with my dietary choices in mind. Senora Vargas enjoys cooking vegetarian meals. I am very excited to give her the gift I purchased, a maplewood cutting board with "CLE" carved into it.
I think that is a pretty good summary of the details for now.
Why am I going? Well, as I explained, this trip counts for several requirements for my major. In addition, I simply love to travel and have always wanted to study abroad. I chose Costa Rica because of its rich environment that is perfect for studying and is an example of great conservation and ecotourism, its dance culture, and spanish language. Although I am far from fluent, I have had spanish training that I figure I should put to use. Also, as I explained above, I want to be able to dance. Costa Rica seemed to be the perfect place to do all of this. Not only that, but Costa Rica has lush forests, mountains, and beaches all ready for exploration and adventure.
<3
Sunday, May 26, 2013
So this is how a blog works...
So here goes my very first blog post...ever.
Welcome to my story. Here you will find tales of my adventures while I spend two months abroad in San Jose, Costa Rica this summer. My trials, joys, goals, and probably everything I eat will be written here for my friends and family (or whoever else) chooses to journey with me.
I have never written a blog before so it may not be very pretty for awhile. I will change the background constantly and never be able to decide.
I leave for Costa Rica in six days. Am I ready? No.
There is much to do still with figuring out phones and all the random yet important details. And then there is packing.
It still seems far from real that I will be leaving the comforts of my home and the familiar summer so soon. I have been brushing up on my spanish and attempting to learn how they may use slang there. I have created many lists. Some have been fully accomplished, others not. I have been spending time seeing my wonderful friends and family. Time seems to be moving really slow but I know these six days will fly by and I will be rushing to pack. One thing on my list is making yet another list. The "Packing List" so as to not forget anything important. This will probably not go as well as planned.
I have been experiencing an odd calm despite the many things I need to do. I am enjoying my time simply being home and being able to go a little slower than what the pace of my like typically is. There are moments when I get overwhelmed thinking about all of the things I want to do or hoped to do before I left, some of which are necessary and others not so much. Let's hope on Saturday at 6 am when I step on that plane I can say, "I'm ready."
I have a fresh new journal ready to be filled with ink, telling about every thought and detail which will later show up on this screen. It says "Voyage" on the front. My dad purchased it for me while we were recently in Arizona and gave it to me as a gift. So I found it appropriate to call my blog My Costa Rican Viaje. (Viaje translates to trip or voyage, etc.)
To be continued...
Welcome to my story. Here you will find tales of my adventures while I spend two months abroad in San Jose, Costa Rica this summer. My trials, joys, goals, and probably everything I eat will be written here for my friends and family (or whoever else) chooses to journey with me.
I have never written a blog before so it may not be very pretty for awhile. I will change the background constantly and never be able to decide.
I leave for Costa Rica in six days. Am I ready? No.
There is much to do still with figuring out phones and all the random yet important details. And then there is packing.
It still seems far from real that I will be leaving the comforts of my home and the familiar summer so soon. I have been brushing up on my spanish and attempting to learn how they may use slang there. I have created many lists. Some have been fully accomplished, others not. I have been spending time seeing my wonderful friends and family. Time seems to be moving really slow but I know these six days will fly by and I will be rushing to pack. One thing on my list is making yet another list. The "Packing List" so as to not forget anything important. This will probably not go as well as planned.
I have been experiencing an odd calm despite the many things I need to do. I am enjoying my time simply being home and being able to go a little slower than what the pace of my like typically is. There are moments when I get overwhelmed thinking about all of the things I want to do or hoped to do before I left, some of which are necessary and others not so much. Let's hope on Saturday at 6 am when I step on that plane I can say, "I'm ready."
I have a fresh new journal ready to be filled with ink, telling about every thought and detail which will later show up on this screen. It says "Voyage" on the front. My dad purchased it for me while we were recently in Arizona and gave it to me as a gift. So I found it appropriate to call my blog My Costa Rican Viaje. (Viaje translates to trip or voyage, etc.)
To be continued...
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)