Ray’s Final Weeks in Costa Rica

Name: Ray Jackson

Program: Valpo Study Center in Costa Rica

Location: Heredia & San Jose, Costa Rica

Finishing Marketing Class

The fifth week is when I ended my marketing class. It didn’t feel like we did much in this class, but in general, I like how it turned out. Including me, there were only three students in the class, so we interacted a lot with one another. There were even several times when we got to have a treat, watch movies, or go to the ice cream shop courtesy of the university. A lot of the time class can be stressful, so I’m glad I was able to get through this one with ease, while making some friends along the way.

Soursop Ice Cream from Class Ice Cream Date

Internship Update: Explosion in the Kitchen

My internship did get a tad bit more interesting than what it was before. In the last couple of weeks, the only thing I did was take inventory. But one day, while that was happening, the pressure cooking exploded in the kitchen leaving a huge mess. Luckily, I wasn’t in the kitchen when it happened, but I was still close enough to see the whole thing. Too bad for my ears though 🤯. Pieces of the pressure cooker flew throughout the kitchen and even broke the walls. But very fortunately, no one was harmed. Everyone was rather frightened, and we had to call the ambulance for one worker who was having a panic attack. But by the next day, everything was up and running like normal.

In all, it didn’t feel like I was very involved during my internship because most of the time, I was just sitting around waiting for something to do. Even the people who worked there sometimes had time to watch whole movies on their phone, do homework, or even take naps. But I’m glad that I was able to form a connection with most of the people who worked there. If there is one business skill that I know well, it’s networking and getting to know people.

Firefighter and Wall Damage After Explosion

Volunteering

I also volunteered at a small organization called Fundacion Mujer during my last two weeks so that I can get more experience in the realm of business. This organization helps guide immigrants in Costa Rica in their adjustment to a new community. In my time there I did a lot of inventory, and I wrote down a lot of customer requests so that the organization can help them at a later date. But I was also able to streamline the process a bit by making digital forms and simplifying some of the documentation. There aren’t many workers there, so what I did will free up some time that they can use for other things. 

Fundación Mujer Office Space

I didn’t have much time with this organization, but I’m glad that I was able to contribute to their cause and connect to everyone working and volunteering there. They were all very welcoming to me, and it means a lot that they took the time to hear my ideas and make me feel comfortable. I think this shows that it doesn’t take much for you to make a difference.

More Fun with the Program

One part of my journey that I haven’t talked much about was spending more time with everyone in my program after the Limon excursion. Every week we liked to reunite and have dinner together and talk about how our week was. We would also sometimes do something random like go shopping, walk around town, or watch a movie. This time was pleasing for me because it was nice to not feel like the only foreigner in town, and everyone trusted me and welcomed me with open arms.

My last dinner with everyone was nice, but also a little bit sad. I usually fall in love easily, and everyone, either in the program or working for it, had already won my heart. It will probably be a long time before I see everyone again, but it’s always nice to know you have people looking out for you even from other parts of the world.

Statue from University of Costa Rica

Coming Back Home

When the day came around to go home, it was bittersweet. I didn’t expect to make so many connections out there. But since I did, I found it a little hard to say goodbye. But that’s why I’m glad we are still connected through social media and things like that. I was also ready to get back to a bunch of unfinished business back in the states and to see my family again.

I had two flights getting back to Chicago, so my first plane arrived in Houston Texas. Coincidentally, this is where my dad grew up, so I usually go out there frequently to see that side of my family. So, it was very gratifying when one of the first things I heard getting off the plane was a woman talking to me in a rich Texas accent, “Come on now, Honey. Ya got yer passport out?” It felt good to be back.

It felt a little weird going back into my old routine at first, but at the same time it felt like nothing had changed. It only took me a day to shake off the habit of speaking and thinking in Spanish all the time, but it’s been a few days now, and I’m still dreaming in Spanish for some reason. Nonetheless my mind feels at peace now that I’m surrounded by English again.

Birds Eye View of Houston

Now that I’m back in the U.S. it’s a little hard to believe that I went all the way to Costa Rica and back. And it’s even more incredible just how much I got done and how many new people I met in just six weeks. It was definitely a well-rounded experience and an experience that I will never forget. I would definitely visit Costa Rica again in the future, and now I have friends to spend that time with when I do. If anyone is interested in traveling to Costa Rica or some other country, I hope you’re able to take advantage of the opportunity just as much as I did ❤️!

Ray’s Second Week

Name: Ray Jackson

Program: Valpo Study Center in Costa Rica

Location: Heredia and San Jose, Costa Rica

Spanish Speaking

During this week is when I started noticing some unusual changes in my Spanish speaking abilities. I was already surprised by how well I was doing in conversation shortly after I first arrived. But over the weekend my mind was starting to get exhausted from it. I found that I couldn’t maintain a high level of fluency for an entire day. So sometimes I would be very comfortable and fluid in my Spanish, and other times my brain just refused. I also started to realize the fear and guilt that I would sometimes feel for not being able to talk in the same way as everyone around me, so in moments when my Spanish didn’t feel comfortable, I had a tendency to avoid talking all together.

All of this may sound bad, but I’m pretty sure it just meant that my mind was adjusting to something new. And I was lucky to have many people around me who consistently reassured me that my Spanish is already fine the way that it is even if it’s unique. People from my university, the praxis center, my internship, and my host family reminded me that I have nothing to fear when I’m talking to people I trust.

Public Graffiti with writing in Spanish

Getting Sick

After everyone came back from the Limon excursion, most of us started getting sick one by one. I was one of the lucky ones because my only symptom was stomach aches, so while it was a very uncomfortable experience, it didn’t get in the way of anything I had to do. And my lovely program director Heidi made sure that we were all getting better with the help of a doctor.

I’ve heard from other students at Veritas that the same thing happened to them after visiting Limon. I don’t know what it is, but my advice to anyone who is traveling, would be to wash your hands, don’t drink tap water, and consistently DISINFECT. You best believe that after that experience I had spray and hand sanitizer with me at all times, and I washed my hands every time the thought popped into my head. It was uncomfortable, but I’m glad I wasn’t alone. Everyone in my program was there for one another, and we got through our problems together.

Internship

This week I found that I was connecting a lot more with the other workers from where I intern. Before, I avoided talking to most of them because no one spoke English except for my supervisor, and I was uncomfortable speaking Spanish. But this week, while I did have my moments of discomfort, I also had moments when I would speak Spanish freely so that I could interact with those around me. A lot of the people who work there are in the same family, so I think it is beautiful how much their affection and trust permeate throughout the restaurant.

Host mom fixing fresh papaya

 Through conversations with my supervisor, I learned a little bit about how it was for him to start his own business as an immigrant from Venezuela. And I think this is valuable because maybe starting my own business is something that I could do in the future. However, I did find it a bit strange how little I was doing in my internship so far. Up until this point, the only things I had done for the company was translate the menu and organize receipts, and I would help clear off tables when I could. I heard that this was relatively normal for interns in Costa Rica because of the more relaxed culture, and I was advised beforehand to be patient if at first, I found myself lacking things to do. But later, I will talk about how I also did other things to learn within the realm of business once I had more time on my hands.

Plantain sushi from Ray’s Internship location

The First Time it Rained

I came to Costa Rica during the rainy season, so I was already expecting it to rain almost every day. But I learned that the rain out here isn’t like the rain back home. When I first arrived it was in the middle of the “Veranillo” which is a very short dry period that happens during the rainy season. So, it hadn’t rained much at all since I’d been here until Thursday of my second week. I had a relatively far walk to the train station after class, and that day I THOUGHT I was prepared.

I was sure that my coat and shoes would keep the water out; but with all the rain, it seeped right though. The ground also had a lot of running water, so I walked a little more slowly to not slip, and I ended up missing the train because of it. So, I had the pleasure of waiting at the train station for a half an hour soaking wet before the next train came. And to top it all off, I accidentally left my umbrella on the train.

So, after all that, I learned my lesson. I now have a plastic poncho that’s big enough to cover my backpack, and I have a new umbrella. Additionally, my professor was nice enough to let me out of class early whenever it rained so that I had time to reach the train. So now I’m actually prepared 😁

Rain on the way to class

So, besides being sick, I’d say that this was a pretty good week. It was nice to see my learning develop, in both my classes and in my internship. I feel like I know the country better, and I know what to look out for in the future. It was also really nice to have companions by my side to help me through my struggles. But little did I know, I would have the pleasure of developing many more relationships within the next couple of weeks that really made my experience special. Until next time!