Blog: 01/02/10
This was what I wrote while waiting for my flight to San Jose in the Dallas Airport.
Pre-Landing:
Looking around, I’m searching for young ladies between the age of 19 and 25 who might be coincidentally joining me on my adventure these next three months. Although three months is really no time at all, it seems like eternity as I sit here in the Dallas airport waiting for my flight to San Jose, Costa Rica to start boarding. Right now, the plane seems to be having some technical difficulties that officials are trying to fix; they say if the problems aren’t fixed, they’ll have to arrange for another plane. I’m just glad they detected these problems before we took off.
Here's a visual of Costa Rica. It has Nicaragua to the north, Panama to the south, the Caribbean Sea to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west.
What I’m doing:
Like I mentioned, I’m headed to Costa Rica’s capital city, San Jose, for a three-month study abroad program. I’ll be taking three Spanish classes, a political science course, and also producing a couple stories for journalism credit. As far as actually writing stories for publication, I’m just going to see what opportunity presents itself.
Why Study Abroad:
Studying abroad in something I’ve wanted to do since I started college and heard about the opportunity. I thought if I could get money to travel AND get college credit, by golly I’m doing it. I have absolutely no idea what to expect going but I know I’m just so excited to grow more “culturally savvy,” as well as grow individually.
Where I’ll be living:
I’ll be living with a host family. And what’s neat is that my host mother’s name is actually the same as my real mother, Patricia. Also, I have a 20-year-old sister and a 15-year-old host brother. So I’m hoping they’ll be able to show me around and introduce me to some trustworthy people.
The craziest feeling:
The craziest thing about this trip is the fact that I’m going to a completely different country and literally don’t know a single person. I don’t think it really hit me until today (the day I was traveling to San Jose!) But, nonetheless I’m thrilled, staying positive and ready to make the most of each day as I’m there.
What I'm most excited about:
I’m particularly excited about the excursions that are part of the program. As I love doing new things and seeing new things, it’s exciting to already have a few places to visit without having to do any planning. I’ll probably look into traveling to some other hotspots after/ or hopefully when I meet some people to travel with!
I'll write about my first experiences in the next blog. Until then, Ciao! :)
