Why I Chose To Study Abroad in Costa Rica

Everyone,

My one month study abroad trip is coming up really soon and I'm in the process of packing. I'm glad I'm not doing that the night before I'm supposed to leave(haha). Many people whether that be in my personal life or on social media have asked me questions about why I chose to study abroad in Costa Rica and why I chose to study abroad in general. So here are those questions debunked.

Why Costa Rica?

I knew I wanted to study abroad, but I didn't know when and where. I had one of the professors who is going to the study abroad give a presentation in one of my classes and it really caught my attention. I talked to my parents about it and they I should go for it. I know some Spanish from taking 4 years of Spanish previously so I thought this is perfect. It was also the cheapest study abroad program and it had the same time length. I also really love Latin America so I had to take the chance and go for it.

How Are You Not Terrified?

I'm not terrified, but I am nervous even if I'm not showing it. I am a very optimistic person so I try to look at the positives before looking at the negatives. I think of it as a new experience and that keeps my nerves at bay. I am nervous of the people that are going on the trip because I don't know anyone, but I just have to act like myself and I should be fine.

How Did You Save Up?

A lot of people my age could not have afforded this kind of trip. I couldn't either, but I just knew I wanted to go on this trip. So I began saving up and changing my mindset on how I spent my money. I did a no-spend month that you can read here and that really helped me in this process. I am thankful to have a job where I can work more hours so that helped me as well. It was tough and I had to do a lot of calculations to see if I would be able to save up enough in time, but I did and I'm so happy that I did. I didn't have any outside help whether that be from my parents or relatives and I'm so proud that I was able to do it.

Why Do You Want To Study Abroad?

I've always loved traveling. I loved the way that it made me feel and how I could experience a culture that is entirely different from my own. I've also never traveled by myself without my parent's direction. I think I'm an independent person, but I won't know that until I'm on my own and that's why I wanted to study abroad. I could experience a new culture, study a language, and find myself. I am a very cautious person and I know that's a good thing, but over the year's I've let a lot of experiences go because I was scared of the repercussions. I want to let go of that cautiousness and become more carefree. I want this trip to change my life and I'm ready for it too. This also lets me explore a country that I've never been to so that is a major plus.

I hope you all enjoyed this post and I hope you all had a fantastic day. As I am writing this I have 17 days until I leave and I am so excited.