What inspired you to travel abroad?
I have been wanting to travel to different countries and I knew that studying abroad while in college would let me travel for an extended period without putting my academic career on pause.
Being able to continue my classes while traveling and having some of my classes be out of the country sounded like best-case scenarios. I absolutely needed to take advantage of it before graduating. This way I travel, learn about a different culture, and continue my degree all in one trip!
Tropical Marine Biology field study before snorkeling.
Why did you choose USAC Costa Rica: San Ramón - Life & Health Sciences?
San Ramon, Costa Rica was the best match for me since it offered the most amount of upper-division biology courses, which are exactly what I need for my degree. While it was quite literally the only realistic option for me, I knew I would definitely enjoy going to the tropics.
After all, Costa Rica is known for its immense amount of biological diversity, which is perfect for some of my interests. This was chosen through USAC, which is the program my university was working with for studying abroad.
What was your favorite part about Costa Rica?
I loved the tropical climate in Costa Rica as it allowed for a vast variety of life. The warmth, humidity, and proximity to two different oceans gave way for amazing amounts of life to proliferate, including, several kinds of trees, and many kinds of animal species. There were also all sorts of different environments such as beaches, mangroves, mountains, rainforests, and dry forests.
What made your experience abroad extraordinary?
If the beautiful environment wasn't enough, I'd say that the friends I made were what made my experience extraordinary. The other students within this program are from other parts of the United States so I got to learn about different regions of my own country while exploring a new one.
These friends are with whom I spent all of my weekend trips which added to the fun of it all. The people I met in this program are definitely friends for life since we all went through the same experiences at the exact same time and place.
How did the local program staff support you throughout your program?
The local staff was extremely friendly and helpful throughout the semester. If we had questions about traveling or about specific bus routes, the staff would investigate for us to make sure we could get where we needed to go safely.
This was helpful since the bus routes online weren't always the most reliable. The staff would also help schedule doctor's appointments if necessary and would help arrange volunteer opportunities if we were interested. I was able to volunteer at a clinic through the USAC office.
Playa Avellanas at sunset, 30 minutes from Tamarindo beach.
What's one thing you wish you would have done differently during your time abroad?
I wish that I traveled every single weekend I had available. While it is nice to relax at times, the experience flies by so quickly that it feels like time is running out towards the end.
On my final weekend, I had to make a choice between going to two different, wonderful destinations that I really wanted to go to but only had enough time to go to one of them. While I do feel that I made the right choice by going to Monteverde, I could have gone to Montezuma another time if I had gone out during one of my "relax" weekends.
Describe what a typical day in your life abroad looked like.
I would wake up, get ready for school, eat breakfast with my host family, walk 15 minutes to class, sit in class for three hours, then I would either go home and rest or I would go to a cafe to do homework or hang out with friends.
Some days I had a class in the afternoon so I would walk back to school and other days I could spend the afternoon doing whatever I wanted. Most of my days were spent in cafes around town and hanging out with my friends. There were often hangouts at night during the week in which a group of us would visit a bar during happy hour or go eat POPS ice cream at the park.
Bajos del Toro waterfalls!
What did you enjoy doing in your free time abroad?
My free time was spent hanging out with my friends at cafes, doing homework at said cafes, or at home. There were a few cafes I would rotate through during the weeks depending on who I was with or what menu item I was craving that day. However, some days I stayed in and watched shows or movies on Netflix.
What type of accommodation did you have? What did you like best about it?
I stayed with a host family which was nice since I had my own room and plenty of space throughout the house I could utilize. There were typically fresh meals cooked daily so I didn't have to worry about cooking for myself.
There was also someone taking care of my laundry so I didn't have to worry about that either. I could also ask my host family about places they recommend visiting and they would take me to places at times as well.
What is one thing every future participant should know about your program before their program begins?
Future participants should keep their clothes and attire realistically in mind. In my experience, I overpacked and brought way too many clothes for my trip that I ended up not needing. There are many things, though, that I am very glad I brought.
In my program, there was a lot of hiking through forests so I was very thankful for my hiking boots, rain jacket, and cargo pants that worked for going outside and getting dirty. Research what the climate is like and what kind of activities you'd be doing to know what to pack and what not to pack. You’ll find that after you have the necessities, less is more.
Would you recommend USAC Costa Rica: San Ramón - Life & Health Sciences? Why?
I would recommend my program to others since this opportunity allowed me to see a new beautiful country, experience a different culture, and meet wonderful people.
This time I had away from home allowed me to become more independent and confident when it came to traveling and living on my own (even if I still lived with a host family). I don't see a downside to seeing another country for a long period of time while continuing education. The whole thing is a win-win-win.
La Tirimbina bridge to the cloud forest (behind me) in Sarapiqui.
What do you feel the biggest benefit of traveling abroad is?
The largest benefit of traveling abroad is all the new experiences and opportunities to see things that you don't usually get to at home. Living in the lush tropical environment, seeing animals everywhere, using cultural vocabulary, and meeting people you probably wouldn't have in the comfort of your home city. These new experiences that you don't get in your home country are a huge benefit.
Now that you're home, how has your time abroad impacted your life?
My time abroad made me think about the way I spend my free time at home, now I want to be on my phone a lot less and get into reading or painting again.
My time abroad also made me change the way I view my relationships and the one I ended when I came home. While that may not be seen as a good thing to everyone, I can say that that decision was due to my mind opening up a lot more while I was away and wanting to have new or different experiences.
What does meaningful travel mean to you?
Meaningful travel to me is when I feel the need to stop for a moment to really take in what's around me. Those moments are the ones that mean the most to me because I was trying as hard as I could to enjoy and appreciate every aspect of everything around me.
One of these moments, for me, specifically, was in a cloud forest called Monteverde. I think I was the most present while I was there because I really took in the scenery, the weather, the animals, and everything else.
