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.