Author: Caylyn Moglia

Program: San Jose, Costa Rica – Study Center

¡Hola Todos!

This weekend I had the pleasure of spending time with the Macartneys for 2 whole days! I was most nervous about traveling there, since it involved finding taxis and taking a ferry. As it turns out, it was super easy to get there, and it was less than $12. Something that I learned was that when I go visit for Thanksgiving, I should take the 11AM ferry home instead of the 2PM ferry. Because it was dark when I got back to San Jose, I had to take a taxi all the way home from the bus stop in San Jose (which bumped up the cost to around $17).

Double rainbow sighting, Caylyn Moglia

On the ferry to Paquera, I saw 2 (double) rainbows; it was super cool. Sadly, my camera does not capture all the colors that God allows my eyes to see, so the better pictures have the saturation and contrast turned all the way up. The colors were amazing and I could see each individual color!Something that wasn’t so cool on the ferry was that I saw a lot of trash in the ocean. It did not necessarily come from the people in Costa Rica, it could have come from the other side of the world for all I know, but it is disgusting, and I wish we lived in a world that could take care of its trash better.

On Friday, I went to school at Escuela Futuro Verde with everybody and got to hang out in the 4^th, 5^th, and 6^th grade Spanish classrooms. One thing that is super cool about this school is that all of the kids are either bilingual, multilingual, or on their way to becoming so. Something else that is different culturally  is that the students call their teachers by their first names, something that could get a student in major trouble in the United States.

Surfing on the beach, Caylyn Moglia

On Saturday, we spent the whole day at the beach, and I learned how to surf! BJ showed me the basics on land, and then helped me figure it out in the water. I spent most of my time wiping out, but I stood up 3 or 4 times. The only bad thing was that I rubbed all the sunscreen off of my thighs and now have a really bad sunburn, thankfully, BJ gave me his rash guard, so my stomach is not burnt.

Red Macaw sighting, Caylyn Moglia

On the way home from the beach we saw 3 largish caimans in the river, and they were the small ones according to one of the guys who keeps track of them. I also saw the blue macaws that the neighborhood is currently breeding, and the red macaws that were recently released. There were 3 red macaws right outside the house Saturday evening, and I got some good pictures of them.

Hasta luego!

Caylyn

Author: Caylyn Moglia

Program:  San José, Costa Rica – Study Center

Hola todos!

I have now finished my 6^th week of classes here in Costa Rica, and I have made some interesting discoveries. I am taking 3 classes, one of which is Imperialism to Globalization in Central America: The Ethnology and History of Costa Rica with Heidi and Alfonso, and I am the only student. This has created an interesting class dynamic since I don’t have anyone to bounce ideas off of, or to rely on in class if I don’t quite understand a reading. Despite the downsides of being the only student, there are benefits, such as rearranging class to fit my schedule and allow me more time to do homework for my other classes. One thing that is different about this class is that I have to conduct interviews for my field books (short papers). I am not a fan of this since I am shy and find interviews to be awkward, but I am also improving my speaking and social skills by conducting these interviews, so there is an up for every down to a situation. This class overall has been pretty similar to what I am used to since we meet for 2 hours 3 days a week.

San Jose, Caylyn Moglia

On Tuesday evenings, I have a church history class at the Universidad Biblica Latinoamericana (UBL). In my last post I explained how I get to class biweekly, and I have now discovered that I can take time to eat or shop in San Jose before taking the bus to Cedros by taking the 4:15 bus instead of the 3:55 bus. Any who, my church history class has a total of 4 students, and we are all women, so my professor changed up the syllabus to focus more on women in the church as well as other themes that we are interested in. This is incredibly different from any other class I’ve had, and I really enjoy it. For this class, we receive a homework sheet each week that outlines the homework due for next week, which ensures that we actually talk about what the homework is. I am thoroughly enjoying this class because it is small, flexible, and the content is incredibly interesting. It’s been a challenge to speak in Spanish about theology and church history since I don’t have the vocabulary, but things are getting easier as time goes on.

Wednesday evenings I’m back at the UBL for my hermeneutics class. This class has eight students, and feels very similar to my Christ College Freshman Program classes since it is very discussion based. The class itself is much harder because I have no background knowledge. There is also a whole new vocabulary to be used that I’m not even familiar with in my native tongue, much less in my second. Homework in this class is handled differently from my church history class, we have a syllabus and are expected to read it and follow it without talking about assignments in class. This class is really interesting even though it is my hardest class, and I am looking forward to the rest of the semester.

San Jose, Caylyn Moglia

One big cultural difference between my classes here and my classes at Valpo is that during my evening classes, we have a coffee break. This is a great time to let my brain absorb what was just discussed and ready it for the rest of the class. Usually though, I don’t drink the coffee since there isn’t any milk (powder or liquid), and I don’t like sugar in my coffee. The first few weeks of classes were awkward because all of my classmates asked me why I didn’t drink coffee during the break, but now they have accepted my strangeness and leave me alone. My favorite nights are Tuesdays because my professor brings food. Profe (short for professor in Spanish, we don’t really use names) brings us different cakes/breads such as coffee cake, ginger bread, a banana bread, etc, and they are always delicious. Sometime I’d like to make my favorite food, Yorkshire pudding, to share with my class on Wednesdays since there usually isn’t any food.

Overall, the academics have been pretty different from what I am used to, but I love everything about it. Having only three classes has allowed me a fair amount of freedom, which I am now starting to feel comfortable with taking advantage of. It will be interesting to see how my schedule changes in two weeks when my class with Heidi and Alfonso ends, and I start my 3 week long Spanish lit class on the 24^th of October, and in five weeks when my only classes are my UBL classes.

Hasta luego!

Caylyn Anne

Author: Caylyn Moglia

Program: Costa Rica Study Center

Here I am, safe and sound in Costa Rica, all set to write about my week long trip to Nicaragua when it hits me. I have only written about excursions. So, if you happen to be interested in reading about yet another trip, I will direct you to my personal blog because today I’m going to write about the thing that scared me the most about studying abroad: public transportation.

Wednesday, September 14, 2016, marked my first time making it to class all by myself. Each Tuesday and Wednesday, I leave home between 2:40 and 2:45 to take the 3 o’clock bus into San José. My bus is the one that is pink and says either “Santa Rosa/San José” or Santo Domingo/San José,” Ruta 20. I get off at the last stop,  right next to the Panadería Colombiana (bread and baked goods shop) at 3:46, and I walk 2 blocks past the Panadería Colombiana, turn onto the street with the surf shop that has a big blue wave, and walk another 3 or 4 blocks before I reach the bus to Cedros, which leaves around 3:55. I get off at the 5th stop after the stop at the Universidad Latina and walk a bit to the front gate of the UBL, arriving around 4:30 for my 5:30 class. Sounds simple, right?

Wrong! For those who don’t know me, I am severely directionally challenged, and I often feel unsure of my surroundings. I worried that I would need help getting to class for a month (or 2), but as it turns out, I figured it out in 2 weeks. I arrived late to my first two days of class because I took the 4:00 train from Santa Rosa (where I live) to San José, and then a bus to the UBL. I am so glad that I no longer use the train because it is much more complicated to get from the train station to the bus stop (and I’m early when I take the bus). Being able to confidently navigate 2 buses in a big city has given me an amazing sense of accomplishment, and I am so glad that I challenged myself to learn the routes as quickly as possible.

So how did this directionally challenged individual manage to learn her way around 2 bus stops? LANDMARKS. Landmarks have been a lifesaver for me as I navigate the city. I know that I have to turn left in front of a green store front, and that once I turn, I’ll see the surf shop and a painted cow. I know that I have arrived at my bus stop because there is a red Claro (phone company) store kitty corner to my stop.

My next project is learning how to get to and around Heredia.

-Caylyn

Author: Caylyn Moglia

Program:  San José, Costa Rica – Study Center

¡Hola todos!

This past weekend was my first free weekend, so my family took me up to la cabaña (the cabin), and it was amazing. Mamá inherited the cabin from her mom, and it is one of her favorite places to be. I really can’t blame her.  The cabin is made of wood and corrugated tin. It is a wonderful place to relax and listen to nature.

Unfortunately, I forgot to take a picture of the outside, but I did remember to at least take a picture from the doorway before we left.

The cabin was amazing and very simple. All of the water was stored in a big tank, and the “spouts” were pipes. The coolest part was that everything was cooked on a wood stove.

In order to reach the cabin, we had to do a lot of off road driving through a cow pasture. The property was fenced off in the middle of the pasture, so there were cows practically in the front yard. According to Tío, one of the cows is pregnant.

Soon after we arrived, it started to rain, but once it stopped, I went on a hike with Mamá, Papá, Abuelo, and Santiago. We were able to stop at a waterfall! Papá used a machete to clear the path of overgrown weeds as well as a fallen tree. Santiago carried a thin stick that he used like a machete.

After our hike, Santi and I searched for worms and found a ton of them! Look at that leaf!

During dinner Saturday night, we were visited by Lobo (wolf), a local dog who knows that Mamá will feed him. Lobo got a couple of the soup bones as well as the meat from our bowls.

Saturday night, I learned that it gets really dark really fast in the mountains. It was pitch black by 6:30 pm, and we ate dinner with the small amount of light provided by the flashlight to see by. After dinner, we had a campfire and roasted marshmallows. However, we didn’t make s’mores. I just might have to buy some graham crackers and chocolate next time we go to the cabin.

When I woke up Sunday morning, I quickly realized that I had forgotten to put bug spray on my hands before going to bed.  My right hand wasn’t as bad since I used it to rub the bug spray in, but it still got eaten up.  At least I put bug spray on my legs, arms, and neck!

Sunday was very rainy, but we were visited by a rooster named Gallina (chicken) who ended up coming home with us.

We also had a blue morpho butterfly visit us! This was the first time I’ve seen one outside of a butterfly garden!

Shortly before we left, Ashley returned from a walk with a friend.

Sunday afternoon, I had a very new experience, I caught a chicken. This was really big for me because I don’t particularly like live chickens. Originally, I was just going to watch Ashley and her friend Allison catch Gallina, but they were having a hard time, and neither particularly wanted to touch it. So I grabbed the bag he would eventually be put in and used it like a giant glove to catch him. I managed to grab him and then carried him inside, where Abuelo picked him up while I opened the bag. We brought Gallina home with us, and Mamá gave him to her sister. Having a chicken in the car was interesting, especially when he tried to escape. It was an amazing weekend, and I can’t wait to go back on my next free weekend!

-Caylyn Anne

I’m ready to go home. Not because I’m sick of Costa Rica or because the last four months have been horrible. In fact, it’s the opposite. I want to go home because I have absolutely loved Costa Rica. Because I can’t wait to tell everyone about all the crazy adventures I’ve been on and incredible sights I’ve seen and the million things I’ve learned. Because I have lived these four months to the fullest, and it’s time to move on. Part of what makes studying abroad so sweet is the fact that it’s so short. We try to pack in as much as we can into four months, when really we are only scratching the surface of learning about another culture and way of life. Saying goodbye to Costa Rica will truly be bittersweet.

This last week in Costa Rica has been pretty calm. We have ended our internships and classes, so we have had a lot of free time to hang out and enjoy our last days here. One thing we decided to do was go to a soccer (fútbol) game. It was a really big semifinal game, so the atmosphere was crazy. There was constant cheering and yelling, and I’m pretty sure I got my fill of Spanish curse words for the whole semester. It was a really fun cultural experience, though, and very different than any sporting event I have attended in the United States!

The stadium was full!

Another thing we got to do our last week here was take a trip to Poas volcano. Unfortunately, it was too cloudy to see the volcano, but we got a very scenic drive and got to see a pretty waterfall. It was still a fun way to be together and say goodbye to one of the best things about Costa Rica—the nature.

The waterfall was huge!

This week was one of goodbyes. People who were total strangers four months ago are suddenly close friends. I not only have my host family to say goodbye to—but ALL of the host families. They all made me feel just as welcome in their homes as their own students. Part of what made my study abroad experience so unique was not only being welcomed into one home, but into a community.

Goodbyes are never easy. I have never quite gotten over how strange it feels to say goodbye to someone knowing very well I may never see them again. Or walking around a new neighborhood that feels like home for the last time. But what comforts me most is knowing that it is time to leave. That after this I will be moving on to bigger and better things. This semester I accomplished far more than I ever thought I was capable of and learned more than I could have ever imagined. It’s going to be hard to adjust back to life in the United States and to adequately sum up my feelings about this experience. So please be patient with me, friends and family. I will be different but I will learn how to live back in the States again. These four months have been phenomenal. But it’s time to go home.

As my semester winds down, I have had a lot of time to reflect on all that has happened over the last few months. It has been full of ups and downs, but mostly just FULL of new experiences. Here’s a list of some of my favorite things about Costa Rica (and what I’ll miss most).

1. The people.   Between host families, professors, kind strangers (and more!), I have been overwhelmed by how friendly and welcoming everyone is here.   I have also had a lot of fun striking up conversations with random people while traveling, whether that is a fellow university student on a bus ride after a long day or some guys from Chicago at a hotel or a woman from France on the bus to the beach.  Everyone has a unique story to tell!

2. The UNA (National University). I love Valpo, but something about this beautiful campus with amazing professors and extremely friendly students stole my heart.

Shameless selfie to show off my new UNA gear

3. The weather. I came to a tropical climate during Valpo winter. ‘Nuff said.

Remember when I went to the beach in February?

4. The scenery. Costa Rica has everything from beaches to mountains to waterfalls to exotic animals. There’s always something to take a picture of.

Sloth we saw on the Atlantic coast.  I promise I took this picture with my own phone!

5. The fruit. It’s just better here. Plus, there’s way more options!

Perfect afternoon snack.  This may look similar to what you can find in those plastic cups at the Union, but I can assure you there is no comparison.

6. The language. One of my biggest personal accomplishments has been learning a new language. I am far from perfect in Spanish, but learning to communicate in such a pretty language has been incredibly rewarding. When you don’t really understand the words of people around you, you learn to rely a lot on body language and tone of voice as other ways of communicating. I’ve also had a fair share of “Spanglish” conversations, and there is something very strange but oddly beautiful about mixing the two.

6. My cohort. Somehow these five random Valpo students whom I barely knew before this trip became my primary support system. I am beyond grateful for all the memories and friendships we formed in these short four months. Couldn’t have done this semester without these chicas!

Here we are on the beach in Nicaragua

7.  POPS. Come to the USA, por favor?

Because Dairy Queen just isn’t gonna cut it for me this summer

All too often, United States citizens think that all of Latin America is the same. Last week, I had the opportunity to go to Nicaragua, where I saw first hand that is not the case.   Nicaragua is right next door to Costa Rica, but the differences were obvious as soon as we crossed the border. Nicaragua is much poorer than Costa Rica, and even the way streets and houses look is just different. We were only there for ten days, but our schedule was very full and we learned a lot!

One of the first differences I noticed about Nicaragua was the poverty. Nicaragua is one of the poorest countries in the Western Hemisphere. For four out of the ten days of our trip, we stayed with host families in Ciudad Sandino, a small city just outside of the capital city, Managua. As soon as we got to our host families, we noticed that their living conditions were definitely less than we were used to. However, we also quickly noticed their warmth and kindness to us. On the first night, we were invited to play kickball with some kids in the street! It also amazed me to see the sense of community this little town had. Everyone seemed to know each other and wanted to spend time together. Definitely a contrast to the fast-paced city life that is so often valued in the United States.

This is from our tour of Managua, the capital city.  It is quite beautiful!

This is a miniature model of Managua before nearly the entire city was destroyed in an earthquake in 1972.  One of my favorite parts of our tour!

One of the most powerful experiences on the trip happened a few nights in. After two days in Ciudad Sandino, we left for a rural community that was very poor, El Bonete. It felt like we were driving in the middle of nowhere for a very long time before coming upon a little village. Most families there did not even have indoor plumbing. However, once again we were immediately overwhelmed with their hospitality. They put together a community dinner/gathering for all of us at night, and we got to dance and play games with all of the kids! Later on, we got to hear testimonies from people in the community who were affected by the civil war in the 1980s. We had learned about this in class, but hearing testimonies of people who actually got displaced from their families during that time was very powerful.

One of the most powerful experiences for me in the community was hearing one of the community leaders talk about his impressions of the United States. He had been there a few times and he said he could not believe how much stuff there was and how much waste he noticed. His impression was that people are not very resourceful and throw away lots of things they could use. He also noticed that most people don’t think twice about saving energy or taking care of the environment. Again, this is something I had known in my head but it never really hit home until I heard it from someone from the outside. What struck me the most, though, is how kind everyone was to us even if they resented some things about our country. Rather than telling us how horrible we are, they just wanted us to hear their story and then go back home and think about how we can change.

The final place we visited in Nicaragua was the beautiful city of Granada. It is modeled after Granada, Spain, so the architecture is absolutely beautiful. It was a fun way to end our trip after some heavy, heart-wrenching experiences. We got to tour the city, eat gelato, and enjoy each other’s company. The Nicaragua trip was not only full of learning but full of fun!

View of Granada

One fun thing we got to do was make piñatas at an organization which helps adults with developmental disabilities. It was really fun to get to know them and help them with their work!