“A Lost Soul”
Now, let me tell you, I get lost a lot. New York is big, and I could remember countless times going to events, job interviews or restaurants and being unable to find my way. I even get lost going to places I have already been. It happens guys, one wrong turn and then Boom! You have no idea where you are. But there is nothing like getting lost in a foreign country where you do not fully understand the language that makes you fear for your life.
The thing about being independent and getting lost is that you do not like to ask for help. I like to do things on my own but I discovered there are times when you have to let your pride go and ask. That was hard for me to do, so imagine my disappointment when I do this and still receive no help! Follow along as I tell you one of the many instance I got lost in San Jose, Costa Rica.
Basic English + High Beginner Spanish= Confusion
My host mom is wonderful but her “basic English” and my “High beginner” Spanish do not mix. The first day we met she is speaking to me in Spanish very fast and I just did not understand. And I get it, when you are fluent in a language you can talk a mile a minute. However, when your only knowledge of Spanish is from classes in school twice a week, I think I have a reason to be confused.
The day before my first class at ULACIT my host mom and I went to visit my school and the town shortly after. She showed me the bus stop that takes me home from the town but not from the school. So the next day when I am coming home from Ulacit, I was not exactly sure how to get home. I knew I lived in Tibas so when I saw the bus with that name I thought it was the right bus. Wrong. Later on I discovered there are four different buses that say Tibas on it and only one that actually takes me directly to my house. After making it to the last stop on the wrong bus and crying my troubles out to the bus driver, he kindly points out the right bus to me. I had no more colones at the time but the next bus driver kindly let me on.
Problem solved right? Wrong again. As I finally found similar landscapes I got off the bus at the stop I believed was relatively close to my house. Only now, I am unsure of which corner to turn to get to my house. I walk around the block a few times, ask a few police officers, show them my address and still no help. I do not know who created the Costa Rican map system but if I did I would tell them that basing addresses off of nearby buildings are not ideal. After much frustration, I hopped in a cab.
The cab driver, similar to the rest do not know where my house is either. He ended up calling my host mom who ran down some block unbeknown to me and paid the cab driver for his help. I was actually pretty close to my house, and that was just the first time I wasted money traveling in Costa Rica.
Missing the NYC Subway system
Now for Uber troubles. Uber is that new sensation that are putting taxis out of business. I do not really use them in the city because I am FrugalFran and my monthly MetroCard needs to be used. However it is really helpful for those late nights when you do not feel safe on public transportation. So when I heard it was here in Costa Rica as well, I knew all my transportation worries would be avoided.
Wrong. Wrong, wrong, wrong, WRONG! These Uber drivers like many others in Costa Rica do not know where they are going. I do not understand, if I put in the address why are you asking me what is my destination? I am a foreigner, I do not know! Twice so far I have been overcharged because my Uber has went to the wrong location. A little tip though, if you complain, you may get your money back.
I write all this to say that getting lost, no matter where you are, is frightening. Looking back on it does not seem so bad but when I got lost that day in San Jose, I was ready to pack it up and go home. Now as I go along the same route almost every other day, I realize that a little help goes a long way. I will probably get lost again as I continue to go to new places. Heck, as I write this I am on a bus to Puerto Viejo and will probably be confused again once I get off this bus. And yes I may cry or get angry, but I am also optimistic. I am determined to get over the hurdles that come with studying abroad, and I believe this is just one of them.

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Never in my life did I think I would go camping. Not to sound cliché, but I a girl from the city, I thrive on coffee, public transportation and spending more time at work than in my own home. For me, going to Costa Rica alone satisfied my nature requirement so when my study abroad program planned a camping excursion, I was very skeptical.

I can’t lie I was not excited at all to go on this camping trip. My idea of enjoying nature is probably laying on the beach, or taking photos near some nice exotic flowers. Furthermore, I was not aware of this trip before I packed so there were just some camping items that I did not have nor intend to bring intend to bring into the wilderness. My sneakers, flannel shirt and handbag is mostly for style, but it was all I had so I just decided to work with what I got.

Thankfully, there were 12 of us on the trip so others were able to pick up the slack when it came to things I was not willing to do. Starting a fire with wood, digging holes in the dirt and building a trap; really not my thing. I may have helped build the tent but I did not intend on sleeping in it (thankfully, beds were also an option). And when it was time to rub mud on our faces for some crazy ritual I was completely over the idea of camping. I understood the idea of stepping out of my comfort zone, it is the reason I decided to study abroad but I thought this was taking it a bit too far. It was only a two day trip but halfway through day one I craved to go back into the regular civilization I once knew.

A long time ago I learned that if you can take away one good thing or knowledge from a situation then it was worth it. Like a breakup it may seem bad at first but surely enough you’ll learn what mistakes you should avoid the next time around. While I was reluctant to go camping at first, eventually there was certain aspects of it that made me appreciate camping, one being the chicken ceremony. I know it is popular now to eat organically but I still cannot picture my life without meat. Maybe it’s due to having meat as a part of my dinner every day as a child or the idea that there is so many different foods out there that I have not tried as of yet. Meat has always been a part of my diet and I don’t know if I have the courage to let go just yet.

So imagine my feelings when during this experience I am face to face with two chickens, minutes away from being slaughtered and cooked up for dinner. Seeing these chickens being “sacrificed” did not turn me off of chicken completely but it certainly made me think. Were the chickens aware that they only had a few hours left to live? Probably not. Would they do something about it if they could? Who knows? I also wondered if I should at least feel glad that they were raised healthy I a chicken coop for four months instead of being fed hormones in some factory. It was hard to watch these chickens be slaughtered but it certainly made me appreciate meat in a new way.

And then there was the tree. Day 2 of camping and our first task of the day was climbing this gigantic tree. If you asked me a month ago, or maybe even a week ago if I would ever climb a tree I guarantee to you my answer would be no. Not that I’m afraid of heights, I am definitely more afraid of falling. I’m tall and being tall and falling is similar to a tree falling, it’s a long way down. Yet after much convincing from my peers and some unexpected courage I decided to climb the tree. And to my surprise, I was actually good. I went faster than expected; mostly out of fear, lol, made it to the top and back down in record time. For the first time in a long time, I felt like I had accomplished something that was unattainable. That feeling of euphoria was truly something special and even if I never go camping again. I will always have that moment.

Ok so this blog entry is long overdue. I intended to write my first entry before I even left, but time got in the way. When you are packing for one of the longest trips in your life, things get a little hectic. I do not know who will read my blog, but I only intend to share my journey and perspective with others.

 

* Telling people I am going abroad *

When I told people I am going abroad, whether it was friends, coworkers or other peers the first thing they asked about was money. And I understand, money is important but it is also a touchy situation to talk about, mostly because everyone assumed I did not have it or I would rely solely on my parents for help. Yes, I come from a two parent home and am grateful for the help my parents have given me as a young adult. But I have also worked hard; I have not been without a job since I was 17 and throughout that time I can count on both hands how many times I have missed work. In fact, I can even recall many instances where I took time off my regular job to volunteer, intern or work somewhere else I thought would be more beneficial to my career. Needless to say I know the value of a dollar, that time is money and how to save for a rainy day. I did not plan on going away unless I was fully able to fund my trip by myself and did not tell my parents until everything was set, including my deposit being paid and papers signed.

*Getting out of my comfort zone *

I had saved up enough to ensure I had enough money to go abroad without financial assistance from anyone. I was almost done with my college journey, have not left the country in about five years and was beginning to become unsettled with my regular routine. Also, I began to continuously hear the phrase, “get out of your comfort zone”. MY comfort zone included school, work and a marathon of Scandal on a Friday night. So the opportunity to spend six weeks in Costa Rica, a country that has barely crossed my mind in 21 years was the perfect opportunity.

* The Application process *

I started my application process during winter break in January. I got out of bed one cold morning, went to see the study abroad advisor and told him my desire to learn Spanish and go somewhere like Colombia. He congratulated me on starting the process early and promptly told me applications for summer and fall were due in early March. Once I saw how long the application process was, I knew I had to work hard and sacrifice to make this dream reality. I sacrificed paid work hours for free hours in the library, homework time to work on scholarship essays and a few lunches to attend counseling sessions with advisors. In return I did win a national scholarship for my study abroad program which has opened up so many doors for me. When you attend a school with nearly 20,000 students it’s easy to feel lost in the crowd, so when I got an email from the President congratulating me on my award I felt honored to be recognized.

* Final thoughts *

Honestly, I decided to study abroad just to clear my head and start fresh. This past year I just felt so scatter-brained. I spent a lot of time wondering why things were not going the way I wanted them to and not feeling as happy as I should be. I put a lot of trust in the wrong people and felt a lot of pain when things went awry. I also went from enjoying being alone at times to constantly feeling lonely. I came to Costa Rica to clear my head, focus on me and discover how to be the best me I can be.