Anna Hedrick
Yesterday, I may hardly imagine my examine overseas program was coming to an in depth. In the present day, I’m sitting on the gate in Juan Santamaría Worldwide Airport, making ready for my flight house to Washington state. I really feel able to return, but it surely’s a bittersweet feeling to go away behind the folks and locations which have grow to be your own home for the previous ten weeks.
I’ve dearly missed my family and friends within the US; throughout my program, I typically considered them and envisioned telling them about all my adventures. I can hardly wait to see them once more, and provides them a giant hug! One thing else I’ve missed concerning the U.S. is pedestrian security and site visitors norms. All through my program, I acquired used to crossing the road actually at any time when doable, and placing my religion within the driver’s palms at any time when I acquired into an Uber or bus. It wasn’t all the time a snug feeling, however I realized to just accept it. I’m wanting ahead to driving my automobile once more after I return house.
As well as, I’ll miss my mamá tica (host mother), housemate Clarissa, my superb mates (each from the U.S. and Costa Rica), in addition to the households and professors at SiNEM, the music middle the place I did my service-learning.
Additionally, I’ll fondly bear in mind points of each day life in San José. Each morning, I woke as much as the sound of birds chirping, distant automobile honks, and sunshine streaming by my curtains. I’ll miss being in my stress-free house keep and chatting in Spanish with my mamá tica earlier than breakfast. I’ll bear in mind strolling by the busy streets of San José, taking the bus each afternoon to service-learning, occurring thrilling excursions each weekend, and squeezing in robust morning exercises at Gymnasium ProSalud. However most of all, I’ll miss Costa Rican tradition: the inviting environment, the love and care towards others (hugs!), the scrumptious meals (gallo pinto!) and the positivity and happiness expressed in Costa Rican frases, expressions, and attitudes. I’m so grateful for all of it ❤️
After I return to the US, it’s doable I’ll expertise reverse tradition shock. For instance, I most likely received’t greet strangers with “buenos días” and a smile after I stroll down the road. It’s seemingly that I’ll expertise physiological adjustments in response to variations in weight loss plan, train, and local weather. Washington is way colder and drier. It is perhaps tough to regulate to a sooner paced way of life as properly, and adapt to variations within the *notion* of time (Costa Ricans are a bit of extra relaxed and forgiving on the subject of schedules and the idea of time.)
My plan is to share my tales and pictures with family and friends, in addition to my weblog, in fact. I’m pondering of making a mini documentary with my photographs and media, or designing a slideshow presentation. Fortunately, I’ve two weeks of break earlier than beginning spring quarter, so I plan to relaxation and steadily readjust to my life in Bellingham, WA.
I feel that staying involved with my mates from Costa Rica shall be important in maintaining examine overseas a key consider my life. Fortunately, I can talk by way of WhatsApp or iMessages with mamá tica, my music professors, the Costa Rican college students and households, the ISA workers and my greatest mates. Additionally, sustaining and bettering my Spanish is essential. I’ll proceed talking Spanish with my mates in Bellingham, in Costa Rica, and from all around the U.S. I’ll incorporate Costa Rican phrases into my each day speech, and attempt to cook dinner one Costa Rican dish every week. My examine overseas program might have ended, however my Spanish journey remains to be blooming. I really feel very bilingual now, and I look ahead to rising my language expertise and cultural competency lengthy after I depart Costa Rica.
Learning overseas in Costa Rica has been a wonderful expertise and I’m grateful that I had the privilege of visiting this nation and assembly such great folks. The social connections that I’ve made are probably the most useful to me, and I really feel like I’m a part of a particular, various group. Muchas gracias to WWU EdAbroad, Worldwide Research Overseas, the ISA on-site workers – Adriana and Xinia, my host college – Universidad Veritas, my host group – El Sistema Nacional de Educación Musical, together with my supervisors Esteban and Guiselle, in addition to my mamá tica – Guiselle, and the group of mates I made alongside the best way. ¡Que les vaya muy bien!
Hasta la próxima y pura vida 🌺🫶🏼😄 ~ Anna
