How Studying Abroad Changed My Life

There’s something about going to a country where you know only the general information and know only a limited amount of the language. These kinds of situations instill fear in some people and may thrill some people. Well, this situation made me feel both and for good reasons. If you all read my "Why I Chose To Study Abroad in Costa Rica", I explain everything before I went on my trip. I was scared because I never traveled abroad without my parents andIi didn’t think that I was as independent enough to make decisions. Then, I had this other part of me that was so excited to try new things and just be immersed in a new culture that I never experienced before.

There was something about Costa Rica that made me feel like I was at home. It must have been the slow paced lifestyle or it could have been how it reminded me a lot of Poland. I don’t know. I just felt so calm and so stress-free while I was living there. I loved seeing the mountains every morning on my walk to the bus stop, I loved seeing the color on so many houses, and I loved seeing complete strangers smiling and being so happy on the street. There was so much more that I loved about Costa Rica. Costa Rica really made me feel so calm and it relieved me from all the stress that I had.

That really made me take a step back and reevaluate how I approached my life and the way I approached it. 

Costa Ricans live their lives so so much slower than most of us in the western world do. I realized that I have to not make it seem like its "go, go, go" and just live every moment. 

One thing that i talked about in my Before Costa Rica post, was that worried about the people that were going on the trip. You know you get those negative thoughts like, “are they going to be mean?” “are cliques going to form?” before you meet people or a big group of people. Needless to say I had the time of my life with the group of people that I traveled with. I experienced so many new things with them and I just had so much fun with them. Not a day passed without laughter or smiles with them. 

They taught me that I shouldn't be afraid of new experiences. I realized that I should be having fun at my age and not worrying about things that I can't control. 

I can genuinely say that I lived my whole 20 years of life in that one month.

“Madeline, was your life really that boring before you went on this trip?”

The answer to your question is yes(well in my opinion). Before this trip, I would go through the motions of my life. I would wake up, go to school, go to work, watch youtube videos, and go to sleep. Then, I would do it all over again. Boring, I know. I felt bored with my life because I just needed something to change it up and Costa Rica was it.

The thing is, I felt so happy in Costa Rica and I felt so free. I felt like I was finally living the life that I wanted to live. I felt like I wasn't trapped in this never ending cycle that was my daily routines. I just loved it so much.

So if you are debating on doing a study abroad program, do it. Its so worth the money and the long hours at work.  It might change your life like it did mine.

Thanks for reading this post and until next time!

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