Monday, September 28, 2015

Cerrado.

Today is Sunday. On Sundays, basically everything is closed in San Jose. It's treated as a rest day and a day for church. Costa Rica is a Catholic nation, so this makes sense. I never really realized how much I depended on things being open in the United States. 

Though today is typically a rest day, we started our day with breakfast with our host mother, who made us scrambled eggs with what appeared to be ham chucks, a side of pan con queso creama (a sweet bread that has cream in it), papaya drizzled with yogurt and granola, orange juice, and coffee with sugar, powdered milk, and soy milk. I didn't get a chance to take a picture of the meal, but it was delicious. I normally don't like coffee, but decided to give it a try anyways. I put a ton of sugar and soy milk, and it was not bad. That is really something considering I will not drink coffee at all back home. Coffee is a huge part of Costa Rican history and is some of the richest coffee you will find in the world, which is why I gave it a shot. Still don't like coffee, but I will say that I don't mind drinking it in the morning here as long as I have other things to go with it.

After breakfast and handing our regalos (small gifts) to our host mother (I got the family a Colorado mug, Denver Broncos salt & pepper shakers, and halloween Reese's cups), we headed to the college campus for the Bridging Cultures program orientation, which was basically an overview of Costa Rica and our study abroad program and how we can get involved here. We ate some chocolate wafers and drank some really delicious fruit juice as a snack, and then boarded a private bus to take a bus tour of downtown San Jose. Everything in Costa Rica is so close and it really is a small country. I will say that we have better drivers in the United States though, even through we claim them to be bad, not only from watching their driving skills here, but also since I learned from my host mom that car accidents are one of the leading causes of death of Ticos (Costa Rican natives). I would have taken pictures, but I did not have a good view being on the inside seat. I'll have plenty of time to explore these next couple of months, so pictures will come at some point.

When we returned, we were done for the day around noon, so my two roommates and I, along with a couple other ISA students, set out to find a bank to exchange U.S. dollars for colones (the currency here) and lunch. We walked for about an hour and a half or so looking for one that was open, but every single one we came across was closed. I probably should have expected that anyways, since banks are not open on Sundays back home. Luckily we found a ATM, and some of the girls pulled out money for lunch. I only had my credit card and U.S. dollars, so I decided not to risk high fees from Wells Fargo and wait. 

We ended up back in our neighborhood and stopped for lunch at a quaint place called Las Leñitas. I immediately recognized many of the things on the menus: tacos, fajitas, chalupas, arroz con pollo (rice with chicken), burritos... Though I was sure the Costa Rican versions would be different, I was kind of bummed that I was not getting the full Costa Rican experience. This restaurant likely caters to foreign students as it is located near to a university that has a large international student population. I ordered chalupas con pollo. They were actually pretty filling, topped with lettuce, pico de gallo, and just a tad of sour cream. They were delicious even though I typically hate tomatoes and sour cream. For my beverage, I wanted to try something I've never tried before, so I tried jugo de naranjilla. A naranjilla, also known as a lulo, is similar to a small orange, but has a more tart and acidic flavor. It is popular in Latin America, usually turned into juices. This was delicious and I wish I could have drank more.




We headed back to our homestays to hang out until dinner since it appeared about to rain. The rain started as soon as I got home and remained very heavy for a couple of hours. We dried off and took some time to learn more about each other. For dinner, we had a lentil and vegetable soup-type substance with rice and a salad consisting of avocados, tomatoes, and chickpeas. We also had the tea we had the previous night. I never thought I would enjoy avocados or vegetables, but they were good.

After dinner, we played with the younger son and then got ready to explore with other ISA students. We ended up piling into the van of one of the homestay parents and going to a bar called Terra U. Most of you are probably used to the drinking age as 21, but in Costa Rica, the drinking age is 18. Bars are a popular attraction for students and young Ticos, so in order to get the full experience, I had to at least try to have a good time. I tried a brand of beer called Imperial, which is a Costa Rican brand. It's very dull in flavor, which is good in the way that it doesn't have a strong alcohol taste, but bad because it really didn't have any flavor at all. When I return to the US, I will be 21, so Colorado breweries, watch out -- I'm coming for ya! Drinks are very, very cheap here. I mingled with other students and some Ticos, and decided to try a rum & coke, because it was only 1000 colones, or about $2. Not bad. I liked it. We all ended up just chatting, sharing stories, and dancing the night away. I'm not one to really go out much, especially to places like bars and nightclubs, but because we don't start classes until Monday, I felt that it was a good way to experience Tico nightlife without compromising my academics here.

Saturday, September 26, 2015

Just Gettin' There

I'm finally here, in San Jose, Costa Rica. It still feels surreal. Because today has been so exhausting with just getting here, I haven't really had time to explore, but so far, everything is great. However, the humidity will take some getting used to. Instead of cracked skin, changing leaves, and snowfall that I usually experience in Colorado, I'll be handling rain, frizz, mugginess, and a ton of sun. It's going to be a change for sure.

I started my journey at my house in Greeley, where I paid $40 for a shuttle to take me to Denver International Airport. When I arrived at the airport, I went straight to check in and to check my suitcase at the American Airlines kiosks. It would have been pretty funny to watch this process, as I couldn't figure out how to put the checked baggage tag on my suitcase. Don't you wish you would have been there? The security lines were long at the time, so I meandered on over to the restaurants to grab some dinner. It was 7:30pm, and my flight wasn't departing until almost midnight, so I needed a way to kill some time. I eventually went through security and relaxed for a couple more hours by pulling out my laptop to watch Scandal. I boarded the plane around 11:30pm and made my way to Miami.





I came across a person from DU who lived on my floor freshman year while waiting to board the flight for my program. I then ended up meeting two other people, one from DU and one from CU Denver, on the same flight heading to the same program. We ended up sticking together for the rest of the journey.


We landed in Miami around 5-something in the morning their time. We had a 4ish hour layover, and decided to relax, eat breakfast, and nap. Too bad they only had wi-fi for purchase. I was quite disappointed that I couldn't continue my Netflix binge.





After a minor mechanical problem, we finally departed Miami around 10am their time, and landed in San Jose, Costa Rica around 10:45am. I had no idea how to fill out the immigration and customs forms on the plane, but it didn't seem to matter how accurate they were. I still got my passport stamped with a 90-day travel visa. We waited for a couple hours until we could depart with the rest of the ISA students. Then, we were onward to our homestays.


I think I will be really happy at my homestay. I am staying with two other ISA students in a house with a lovely couple and their two sons. The host mom is amazing, and took it easy on us today, speaking English so we could get used to the new feel. And, her food is good. For dinner, we ate salad and spaghetti with an iced tea that was very delicious. The host father helps us by speaking mainly in Spanish, as does the eldest son. He's around 7 and is so knowledgeable about his country and all the things that we should do while we're here. The younger son is 5 and absolutely obsessed with trains. We spent a couple of  hours with him watching videos of lego trains crashing into each other. He was beyond excited every time they crashed into each other. They also have three lovable dogs, which makes me miss my cats a ton. The best part, however, is that we don't live completely in the house with them, but in a separate above-garage loft-type apartment that is connected to their house, giving us a lot of privacy.





Tomorrow, we have an early start with breakfast with our host family, our bridging borders orientation, and a tour of the capital city. My roommates and I are also hoping to stop by the market tomorrow to pick up some snacks and foods for lunches.

Friday, September 25, 2015

And I'm off!

As a first generation college student, I never thought I would be able to afford college, let alone the University of Denver, that is until I was honored with the Daniels Fund scholarship in 2013, which completely changed my life. This program is so much more than a scholarship; it is a gift that keeps on giving, and because of the doors that have opened up the last two years, I am embarking on a new journey with my study abroad program in Costa Rica. Growing up, I never imagined that I would make it out of Greeley, let alone the United States. For my first time out of the country and only my third time on a plane, I have about 500 emotions going on right now while riding the shuttle to the airport. I think the one I feel most is gratitude. Thank you to my teachers who always pushed me and never gave up on me. Thank you to my family and friends for being there, and everyone else I've met along the way. Thank you to the Daniels Fund which has provided much much more than financial support. Thank you to DU for working with me to make it possible for me to get there. And most of all, thank you to those reading this post because it means you've somehow made an impact on my life leading me to this adventure. This is for you!