October 16th
If you had asked me a couple weeks after I
arrived in Costa Rica how I thought I would feel half way through my exchange,
I probably would have just looked at you in confusion because in reality, the
only thought that I had was, “what the hell am I doing here?” and halfway
seemed more like a dream to me at the time, but here I am, three months down,
three to go, and so it seems only fit that I spend some time reflecting on the
first half of this crazy adventure called 'studying abroad.'
Ok, so I guess its not really much of a
change in latitude, but living abroad has definitely changed some of my
perceptions of what is important in
life. There's a saying (and a Broadway
musical) “You can't take it with you,” and in theory I understood it, but being
here has definitely put it into perspective.
As I set out on my journey three months ago, I took with me only
memories and what I could fit into a 50 pound suitcase, and living here has
helped me realize that is all that I really need. I should start by saying that Costa Rica is a
third world country. It may be one of
the slightly more developed third world countries, but it definitely still
lacks many of the common luxuries that we take for granted in the US, even in
some of the more tourist-ed areas. Few
people here that live in the towns have cars, and its not uncommon even for the
people that live outside the towns to rely solely on the somewhat reliable bus
system. Basically all of the “new” cars
here are bought used, and although my family does have a car, we don't always
have money for gas. Its rare to find a
building with air conditioning, many classrooms lack fans, very few windows
have screens, and it is certainly not a rare occurrence for there not to be running
water at my house. Aside from the
frustrations of taking bucket showers, I've realized here that I don't need
most of that stuff, and I have begun to notice just how much excess stuff we
have in the US. Instead, I have come to
value memories more and more. I don't
miss my car nearly as much as I miss playing cards in a tent with my dad and
sister on a camping trip, just driving in the car listening to music with my
mom, or going to the Spot with my sister, things so simple that I never gave a
second thought to before, but actually mean so much now. I guess it just goes to show “you don't know
what you've got until its gone.” Living
abroad has definitely helped me recognize how lucky I am to be living the life
I do.
When I first got here everything was new
and different, but the more time I spend here, the more I become accustomed to
life and the less things seem out of place.
Every window here is barred up, in the cities porches are often barred
off, and all fences have barbed wire lining the tops of them. At home, a place like this generally
indicates an area that you probably don't want to get out of the car if you
don't have to, and at first their presence made me uncomfortable and often made
me feel constricted, like I was in jail, but I quickly became accustomed to
them and now hardly notice they're there.
Morocco had stray cats in the cities,
here they have stray chickens that run around the town and this has ceased
to surprise me, and stopping to let a pig cross the street is normal. While I was initially surprised every time we
didn't have class, I now find myself shocked every time we actually do have to
go to class, a habit that probably won't serve me well back at home. Little earthquakes have become a part of
life, to the point that I don't even leave my room when the ground starts
shaking anymore. I have been here three
months, and unfortunately I don't think that I will ever get used to the icy
water that flows from the shower head and shocks my body ever morning. Though I have learned never to expect hot
water, I can't help but hope every time I turn on a new faucet, and every so
often we end up in a hostel here that has hot water showers and it reminds me
of how amazing it feels.
I have sat down a few different times attempting
to write this, but for some reason it has proven to be more difficult then I
expected. As I sit here reflecting, I am
shocked at how much has happened since I have been here, so I realize that this
is a short and somewhat insufficient reflection, but unfortunately the Costa
Rican life style is starting to rub off on me, and as a result my work ethic
has declined greatly, so this will have to do.
Three months ago, I landed in San Jose, bubbling with excitement, a
giant knot twisting in my stomach, with absolutely no idea of what to
expect. In three months, I have grown
stronger, more independent, and learned how to connect with people through a
communication barrier. I have also
learned to how to keep a smile on my face through the hard times, finding the
strength to pick myself up every time I fail and the courage to keep pushing
on, while building friendships that will last a life time along the way. Everyday here is an adventure with its own
set of challenges to overcome, and I wouldn't have it any other way.
"Unless
you try to do something beyond what you have already mastered, you will never
grow."
~
Ronald E. Osborn
Before I left, who would have guessed that I would end up here?
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