Author: Sarah Rosa Germann

Location: Santa, Rosa, Costa Rica

Pronouns: She/Her/Hers

“I like it here, it is very beautiful.”

I have been in Costa Rica for a week now. During the first few days, people would ask me how I was feeling about being here. With my limited Spanish vocabulary, this was the simple phrase I could use to express what I think about what I have seen of the country. As I walk to class at Casa Adobe, I enjoy the beautiful weather which I do not usually have this time of year, with a warmth of 72 degrees. I like the sun, the wind, the plants, and the sky. In many ways it is different here than it is back in Valpo, and I feel very lucky to be studying abroad here. In the yard outside of my open-doored classroom, there is a garden, a swing set, picnic tables, a hammock, dogs, cats, children playing, and even a cow. How lucky am I? I should be blown away by my good fortune at being able to go to school in such a place. But, honestly, I am not.

The streets and sidewalk are uneven, there are powerlines, paint on picnic tables and the walls of houses is peeling, and alleyways are crocked and, at times, grey. Santa Rosa is not a perfect paradise; it is a place. And just like every other place in the world, it is filled with both beautiful and less-glamorous aspects. I could choose to look at only the glamorous aspects and say that this is a paradise, and Valpo could never compare. But I won’t.

Asserting that I like it here, and that it is beautiful is a natural and appropriate response from a student who is studying abroad. But, in the contrasting beauty and imperfections of this place I realize it is alike in many ways to every other place on earth. I am not going to be duped into belittling other places in comparison. There is beauty to be found everywhere. I can visualize Valparaiso University right now, with its similar colored brick buildings, zig-zagged sidewalks, covered in thick layers of snow. There isn’t a cow in the front yard of the classroom. But, it is saturated in beauty just like every other place in the world. And I am lucky to call Valparaiso one of my homes.

But, what about Costa Rica made it obvious to me that I am fortunate, surrounded by beauty no matter where I am? I could be filled with gratitude for the place I am in, always. Perhaps the answer lies in my expectations for something different. Aware that I am in a new country, I have focused on my surrounding, intent on learning what it is like here. And in doing so I found things that were good, and things that were imperfect. In my anticipation, Costa Rica has simultaneously mystified and under-whelmed my heart and mind. I am left with a desire to travel to more places on this earth, so that I may again observe the beauty and imperfection which underlies everywhere.

Author: Katherine Germann

Location: San Jose, Costa Rica

Your first impression when you walk through the barrio (neighborhood) of Santa Rosa might be that people don’t like talking to their neighbors: they prefer to stay shut in their houses and close themselves off to the world outside. This is because almost every house on the street displays bars in the front. The first impression may strike visitors as hostile, but I soon realized that my host family’s house is actually quite open to the outside air. I can feel wind coming in through the garden and the garage when I am sitting in the kitchen, because the house is not fully closed to the outside. Furthermore, the door leading into the living room is never locked. The front gate on the house, then, functions like the front door of a typical house in the States, which is naturally locked most of the time so that people can feel secure inside.

This is a photo of the front of my house. Most houses on the street have bars on the front and a gate.

Just like the houses is Santa Rosa are open to the outside air, the neighbors are open to unexpected conversation. My host mom sells merchandise, such as perfumes and cosmetic goods, to people in our neighborhood. Her job takes her everywhere in Santa Rosa, as she visits clients at their houses to sell. By accompanying her on several trips around the neighborhood, I have been able to see the way that our neighbors tend to interact. I think that the openness that I have observed in this community is beautiful.

The kitchen

Another photo of the kitchen

When we arrive at a client’s house, they sometimes invite us inside, and we can chat for a fair amount of time. My host mom and the client catch up on things that are happening in their lives, taking their time to talk and listen to each other. This aspect of my host mom’s job takes time. But despite the fact that she has about 100 clients to visit each week, she is never rushed. This affirms something that Heidi, our director, told me about Costa Rican culture. The emphasis of daily life is not to get tasks completed, but to have relationships with people. Two specific instances of relationship building really stand out to me.

The first was when I was visiting clients with my host mom, one of the women who invited us inside and invited us to sit down. We stayed there for about 20 minutes, or maybe a little more. The conversation went pretty deep into the women’s lives. They shared personal experiences, encouraged each other, and laughed together. This woman is my mother’s friend, so perhaps the occurrence was not too abnormal. However, I am still impressed that they took time for each other right on the spot. They did not have to schedule a time in advance to talk to each other. Both were open to stop what they were doing and build the relationship.

This is a picture looking down the street from in front of my house.

Other neighbors were open to long conversation with me, as well. Another time there were three gentlemen. I was pleasantly surprised by their openness toward me and their genuine desire to get to know where I am from and to teach me a little bit about Costa Rica. I commented on how colorful Costa Rican currency is, beginning a conversation about the artistic colones. The bills have historical people on them as well as animal and plant species that are important to Costa Rica. The gentleman went inside to get a wide variety of bills to show me. He taught me what he knew about the historical people and the species of plants and animals. In this way, I learned a lot about Costa Rican history and biodiversity.

Colones: Costa Rican Currency

Finally, he showed me a 5 colones bill (which are no longer used in Costa Rica). The bill displays a copy of a mural, and he explained the mural to me and the history behind it. Finally, he gave me a 5 colones bill as a gift! This amount of kindness took me by surprised and made me feel welcome in this community. In short, I have been extremely pleased by the openness of the people that I have met in Santa Rosa and the willingness to share in each other’s lives.

5 colones billete

I am finding that the culture in Santa Rosa is also open to spontaneous interruptions in everyday life. Or, perhaps more accurately, taking time to talk to other people in the neighborhood is just a part of everyday life. People will stop what they are doing to engage in relationships and conversation. Sometimes as we are walking through the neighborhood, my host mom stops at someone’s house just to say hello and chat for a bit. The first time that she did this, I asked her if it was rude to just stop by someone else’s house in the middle of the evening. They could be in the middle of doing something, I thought, maybe they have other things to do. In my past experiences, I usually don’t go to someone else’s house without planning to do so ahead of time. She assured me that it isn’t rude at all. She walks up to the front of the house and calls “Upe,” which is a greeting commonly used in Costa Rica to call on someone at their house. If the neighbor is home, they usually invite us inside and we talk for a while. The same process goes the other way around – sometimes neighbors call on my host family and we invite them inside. It is also very common to simply stop and talk to people that we meet in the street. In general, I think that the people of Santa Rosa are beautifully open to share their lives with their neighbors and to build community. I love the experiences that I have had in this way.

Author: Gabi Neuman

Location: Granada, Spain

I’ve talked about the adventures I’ve had in Granada, Italy, and Morocco, but not much about what happens during the everyday life of Granada.  A little bit about the city and people of Granada and my daily life experiences, some good, some bad, and others just simple observations or as we say here in Granada, “no da igual”:

• People are always shopping (don’t ask me where their seemingly constant flow of money comes from)
• The majority of stores and restaurants close around 1:30pm and reopen around 4:30pm every day for siesta time
• I’ve eaten more bread, oranges/nectarines, soups of all kinds, and drank more hot chocolate in the past month than I have in my entire life
• Tapas are also a very regular activity to go out with friends and get after dinner.  If you don’t know what tapas are, they are essentially an appetizer that you get for free when you purchase a drink whether the drink has alcohol in it or not.
• The architecture in Granada is very heavily influenced by the Arabic culture when they were inhabiting Granada before the Christians conquered the city.  Hence, the Alhambra exists, which if I’m not mistaken is an Arabic palace.  There are also many side streets where you can see the remains of the Arabic influence.
• Siesta is now a daily activity for me
• I also have more free time than I ever have in my life and don’t really know what to do with myself (plus no class on Fridays–I’m definitely not complaining about this one)
• Wake up late, stay up late.  Pretty sure that’s the motto here in Granada
• Everyone smokes, and when I say everyone I mean everyone (down to the 14 year olds)
• You concentrate your brains out to understand what a professor or someone else is saying to you in Spanish and still don’t catch it all so you have to ask for them to slow down or repeat it and feel like a dummy
• In this same manner, it’s a mini achievement when someone in a store speaks Spanish to you and then continues to speak Spanish to you even though you know you’ve totally botched what you were trying to say
• When I first arrived, many of the locals were telling me how small Granada is and I didn’t believe them because for me it seemed huge.  However, after a month and walking around the city quite a bit, I have to say that they’re right.  There are two main roads to orient yourself by (Calle Recogidas and Camino de Ronda) and if you know where those roads are you’re all set.
• Granada is a seriously gorgeous city.  If you look up to the east (I think) you have a clear view of the Sierra Nevada mountains, you can look out to the country side, there’s beautiful plazas everywhere, a river that goes through the city which makes for a nice walking area, and so many other places to adventure to.

Although I’ve observed and experienced quite a bit in my short time I’ve been here whether good, bad, or just simply an observation, there is so much I still don’t know about Granada, the people, the language, and Spain in general, but I guess that’s why I’m here so that I can learn all I can about this awesome place.

Author: Zoe Henkes

Location: San Jose, Costa Rica

When you’re traveling abroad, you may instantly feel overwhelmed by the many changes and new experiences.  Things may even seem a little out of control at times.  The daily routine that you’re so used to may not even exist anymore.  

One thing that I would suggest when studying abroad is, even when everything around you seems so foreign and out-of-the-ordinary, is to try to have some sort of familiarity.  Whether that includes pictures of your family or friends, or your colored pencils because you like to draw, that familiarity will help a lot when everything else seems so different.

For me, that familiarity is regular exercise through running.  Even if I weren’t studying abroad, exercise is a good way to release endorphins and lower my stress levels.  But this is especially relevant now.  Ironically, I have not run one step since coming to Costa Rica.  The neighborhood is pretty safe to run in, but for whatever reason, it just didn’t feel right.  

At first this was fine because I was constantly tired and didn’t even have time for exercise because classes went form 8 am until 5:30 pm.  However, after those classes ended in October, this lack of exercise actually caused me a lot of discomfort.  There was a voice in my head that told me I should be getting exercise, but I still felt too tired or scared to run outside.  Eventually, there was a time when I got a pretty bad case of the flu, and I spent three days inside, not seeing the sun once.  This was a real wake up call for me, as I realized how sedentary I had really ben this entire trip.  Even though I am in a totally different country, exercise isn’t something I should have to forfeit (This goes for any sort of hobby or interest—if it’s something that you enjoy, please don’t give up on it just because you are studying abroad.).

So maybe running isn’t really your thing.   No worries, there’s Zumba!  I was honestly a little nervous the first time I went Zumba here.  I had done Zumba a couple times in the US, but since Zumba originated in Latin America, I felt very out of place.  However, it was honestly so much fun!  No one judged me for my poor dance moves.  In fact, I’m sure the instructor (who is crazy good) saw me struggling, but he made an effort to encourage and even compliment me on the things that I could do.  

Next, if neither running nor Zumba are up your alley, there are these public exercise machines in the parks of most neighborhoods.  To give you a better idea of how they work, none of them are motorized, they instead focus on lifting one’s own body weight.  Other machines use resistance or work the cardiovascular system.  When I first saw these, I actually laughed a little bit, thinking to myself do people actually use these silly machines out in the open?  The answer is yes!  Even though it’s not what we are used to, they are free to use and will give you a basic workout.  

If none of this appeals to you, there is a gym that you can get a membership in.  I considered this, but it did seem a little expensive for my taste.  But hey, if that’s something that is important to your everyday schedule, don’t shy away from that!

Overall, what I am trying to say is that even if you are spending a semester abroad, which is supposed to be filled with all new experiences and adventures, if something is important to you or your mental sanity, don’t give that up.  In the long run (no pun intended), when everything else is so different from the norm, that one familiar thing could help tremendously.  

Author: Zoe Henkes

Location: San Jose, Costa Rica

As a pre-med student, I feel sort of obligated to write about health and the healthcare system here in Costa Rica.  After all, one of the main reasons I chose to study abroad here was to learn about Costa Rican healthcare through the INTL 335 course, “Sociology and Ethics of Health and Health Care in Costa Rica” taught at Casa Adobe by Heidi with the opportunity of an internship in a healthcare setting.

To start, I feel like some people might assume that Costa Rica has a lower standard of health than the United States, maybe due to its location as a Central American nation and stereotypes based on its neighbors like Nicaragua.  While Costa Rica is comparatively “poorer” than the United States in terms of gross domestic product (GDP), it actually boasts similar or even better health statistics.  Furthermore, Costa Ricans pride themselves on their good hygiene.  Especially because it can get so hot here, they like to be very clean, bathing once a day at the least!

Next, the Costa Rican healthcare system itself consists of a social security system called the Caja Costariccense de Seguro Social (Caja or CCSS for short).  The three principles of this program are equity, solidarity, and universality.  Workers and employers pay a fixed percentage of their incomes into this system, in return for standardized healthcare services.  Because nearly everyone is required to pay into the system, nearly everyone receives the healthcare services provided by the Caja.  Two of the main complaints with the system include long wait times to be seen by a doctor and not being able to choose which doctor to see (it is generally whichever doctor is on staff at the time).  Nevertheless, there are private practices in which patients can be seen quickly and see their own doctors in return for paying extra.

Additionally, there is a greater focus on preventative health here.  Inadvertently, the long lines at the Caja for medical attention serve as an incentive to keep people healthy.  In a sense, if they stay healthy, they won’t have to come see the doctor as much!  There is also a public health officer at each local clinic, called an EBAIS, that go around to each house in the neighborhood to do preliminary checkups, provide care to children and women in their child-bearing years, and take data on or educate the public about current diseases spreading around.  Furthermore, an EBAIS occasionally organizes public rallies or other educational events to promote healthful habits in the community.  I was lucky enough to participate in a health parade organized by a local EBAIS, where volunteers, school children, and healthcare professionals marched to raise awareness about healthy lifestyles.  At the end of the parade, there were various tents with informational brochures about child development, healthy relationships, dental hygiene, you name it!  There was also an instructor leading Zumba, which is a fun way for community members to get involved in regular exercise programs.

Finally, if you do get sick while studying abroad, don’t freak out!  At least here in Costa Rica, you will be cared for in good hands.  While in Nicaragua, I got a bad upper respiratory infection.  When we returned to Costa Rica, I was reluctant to see a doctor because I was stubborn and a little nervous.  The cough persisted, so I finally went in.  Heidi took me to the private doctor that she usually brings students to if they get sick.  The appointment itself was 25,000 colones, which amounts to about $45.  The doctor was extremely respectful and knowledgeable, and even spoke English, which I didn’t expect.  Furthermore, doctors in Costa Rica get lots of pharmaceutical samples, so if they have what you need, they’ll give them to you without an extra fee, which was great!  Additionally, if your condition doesn’t get better, you can go in again free of charge, which is a way to encourage patients to be attentive to their own health and not wait until conditions get worse and worse.

Overall, the Costa Rican healthcare system surprised me in its level of care and expertise.  The quality of care given throughout the country is very high, and the fact that care is almost “universal” is something to aspire to.  While there are obvious downfalls with the system, the overall idea that healthcare is a human right is something that is very important to me.  As a future practitioner, I’d like to integrate these principles of preventative health in my own practice and promote more widespread and equalized care for my future patients.

In all, I think that my experiences here in Costa Rica have opened my eyes to other models of healthcare that I didn’t know could function so well.  Likewise, they have helped me develop a more extensive understanding of what really goes into providing quality healthcare and how I can implement these practices in my own career.

Author:  Zoe Henkes

Location:  San Jose, Costa Rica

One thing that anyone should absolutely know about traveling to Costa Rica anytime from about May to November, is that it rains.  It rains a lot. It’s different from the climate in Valpo where winter weather generally lasts from November to March and summer weather from May to September, Costa Rican summer (AKA the dry season) generally lasts from November to April and winter (the rainy season), from May to October.  I’ve been wanting to write about this for a while since it is such a large part of life in Costa Rica, but I thought now would be the most appropriate time since we are finally at the tail end of the rainy season (fingers crossed).

That being said, it’s important to note that during this season, it rains every day.  That is no exaggeration.  It also rains a lot—like cats and dogs, except that if you try and directly translate that into Spanish, you will get some weird looks because that isn’t a real phrase here.  Additionally, the rain generally falls during the afternoon, but it can rain in the morning or nighttime, as well.  One of the nice things, however, is that if it rains in the morning, it usually doesn’t rain again that same day.

With all of that in mind, an umbrella and rain jacket should be at the top of your list of packing essentials for traveling to Costa Rica during this season.  Some packing lists might lump these together as an “either/or” suggestion, more or less, but in my opinion, they are both necessary.  Especially as a student, you’ll be walking to and from different places with a backpack a lot, so you’ll likely appreciate both in preventing all of your schoolwork from getting soaked.

Furthermore, if you like to wear rainboots, those might also be helpful.  Although I brought them, I don’t like wearing them on a daily basis, but they also could help you avoid coming home each day with wet shoes and feet.  Another thing to pay attention to when picking out rainboots to bring is how heavy they are for two reasons: 1) packing, since you are only allowed to bring so much on the airplane and 2) the heat, because it could be just as bad to walk around with boots that make your feet sweat profusely as it is walking around with wet feet from the rain.

Lastly, this is not to deter you from coming to Costa Rica during the rainy season at all—Costa Rica is a beautiful country, rain or shine!  In fact, I find that the rain can be quite soothing and exhilarating at the same time.  It also helps to keep the temperature reasonable (usually around 70-75 degrees Fahrenheit during the day), because the cloud cover provides a little barrier from the harsh sunrays.  Overall, hopefully after reading this post, you know a little more about Costa Rican climate, and will be even more prepared than I was, if you are planning on traveling here!

Author: Zoe Henkes

Location:  San Jose, Costa Rica

Studying abroad can be an amazing experience full of new and exciting adventures.  However, there can also be difficulties along the way.  I think that we tend to fixate on only the good things, when in reality, the challenging times can be just as beneficial to one’s experience and personal growth.

The first and probably most obvious challenge that one might face while studying abroad in a Spanish-speaking country is the language barrier.  I expected this to be difficult, but not this difficult.  I have been taking Spanish classes since the 7^th grade, and am also a Spanish minor at Valpo, so I thought I would be somewhat prepared.  This was not exactly the case.  First of all, they talk so fast.  It really catches me off guard sometimes, as it takes a few seconds to process the information.  You wouldn’t think that’s a long time, but the next time you have a conversation, think about how it takes all but a split second for your brain to interpret what is being said and generate a response—it’s fascinating how that works!

Another thing that has been difficult is that there is so much slang used in daily conversation that you don’t learn in regular classes.  For example, if you are talking about a challenging situation or activity, they will say, “cuesta mucho.”  The literal translation is that it “costs a lot” so this really caught me off guard when my host dad said that in conversation with me because I thought he was talking about money.  The phrase is actually used to describe something that is really difficult or enduring.  There are also phrases specific to Costa Rica that I had never used before coming here.  Examples of this are “mae,” which means dude, more or less, and “pura vida,” which one could equate to the infamous phrase hakuna matata.

A selfie with my host mom, Isabel, and host sister, Ashly

At first, I was super overwhelmed by the language immersion to the extent that I was sort of on a sensory overload.  However, I’ve gotten used to it and now I can tell that my Spanish is improving.  My piece of advice for others who plan to become immersed in a different language for the first time, like myself, would be to not get too frustrated or embarrassed if you don’t understand everything right away.  At times, it can feel like you are boxed in because you can’t communicate everything that you would like to or as effectively as you can in your first language, but you have to remember that learning a second language takes time.  Additionally, as a part of the semester program in Costa Rica, you will take intensive Spanish Language courses from the University of Costa Rica during your first month, which helps a lot in jumpstarting your grammar and conversational skills.  In all, even though Spanish has been more difficult than I had expected, I have tried to be less shy about making mistakes, for the best way to learn is to make mistakes.  Even still, I continue to learn new things and take each new day as it comes.

Secondly, the United States is described to have an individualistic culture, whereas Costa Rica has a more collectivist culture.  In other words, in the United States, we tend to like our personal space and privacy.  In contrast, based on what I’ve noticed from living here for almost two months now, there is more of a what’s mine is yours attitude.  In my host family, there is a lot of time spent out in the common space.  To say the least, there’s usually never a dull moment.  Frequently, we have family friends, relatives, or other guests over.  It’s also not uncommon for someone to be blasting reggaeton or pop music (surprisingly, a lot of US pop songs are also popular here).  Sometimes, I catch myself wanting to revert to my room to do homework or read a book, but I have tried to make an effort to spend more time with my host family.  Along those same lines, it’s been an adjustment getting used to living with a family, in itself.  This sounds weird when I put it that way, but think about it: at Valpo, we are on our own and independent.  We live away from our parents and can go get food whenever we have time or whenever we are hungry.  We can go visit our friends in different rooms or dorms even if it’s late.  We can go to the library if we need a quiet space to study almost whenever we please.  Living with a host family is sort of like being back in high school.  By that, I mean that your host family will worry about you if you come back late or if you start feeling a little sick.  They will cook delicious food.  And yes, you do have a curfew named the sun (as in the big star the shines during the day).  While the neighborhood is pretty safe, it’s not advised to walk outside alone at night.  This means that by about 6:00 pm when it gets dark, I can’t really go do anything on your own.  Usually this isn’t a concern, but it can sometimes be irritating if class goes late or I want to go somewhere at night.  Overall, these differences aren’t bad by any means, they just take a little time to adjust to.  Even though there is sometimes a lot going on at once or I miss the level of independence that I have at college, I love the camaraderie and love for one another that my family expresses.  In the end, I feel blessed to say that I have a second family that cares about me and my well-being, and it has truly been an amazing journey getting to know and love them.

In conclusion, I think it is good to reflect on the challenges as much as the successes because the both contribute to the journey as a whole.  In this time, I have been able to construct a bicultural identity in which I am both Tica and estadounidense.  There are aspects of Costa Rican culture that I like and would like to incorporate more in my life, and there are aspects that I don’t like as much.  Likewise, there are things that I do and don’t like about life in the United States.  In all, this time has really broadened my perspectives on different lifestyles, making it more clear as to which aspects I value the most and what kind of person I truly want to be.