Alumni Interview with Megan Styborski

What inspired you to go abroad?

I knew I wanted to study abroad before I even reached college. My older cousin spent a semester in Italy when I was in high school, and I knew from that point on that studying abroad was a must for me. As I got older, and my wanderlust only got stronger, that desire was reinforced. Then when I started researching options, and once I realized how amazing some of the classroom experiences could be, I was sure I would go.

Why did you choose your specific program/organization?

I chose to study in Costa Rica with CEA for a couple of different reasons. Financially, Costa Rica was a great option for me. I couldn't afford some of the more expensive options in Europe, but a semester in Costa Rica was almost financially equivalent to staying at home. I chose this specific program for a couple of reasons. First, I knew I wanted to do a provider program because I wanted a little more support than a more traditional exchange, but a little more freedom than most faculty-led programs. CEA was the choice for me for two reasons: 1) the course offerings were exactly what a wanted and needed, and 2) the program was set up really well. The onsite staff were great, the homestay experience was so immersive, and the planned excursions and airport pickup sealed the deal.

What was your favorite part about Costa Rica?

The fruit! Almost all your favorite fruits in the states are better in Costa Rica, I guarantee it. There's also so many fruits that you've never even heard of, let alone tried, but they're SO GOOD. There's also smoothie stands all over the place, and they make everything from that fresh fruit. I would go back for that alone.

What made your experience abroad unique?

One of the best parts of my experience was the local friends that I made. I actually ended up dating a local, and when I came back to the states we decided to be friends. I still talk to him all the time, and I'm planning to go back and visit soon! It's great having those local connections.

The other side of that was the friends I made from all different areas within the states. My best friend from my program is from New York, and we still talk all the time. We're even planning trips together to keep traveling and visit each other, and I know she'll be a friend for life.

How did local staff support you throughout your program?

The staff were great! They planned different cultural excursions, recommended different restaurants and stores in the area, and whenever a problem came up, they were invaluable in helping find the solution. When I was having trouble in one of my classes, they helped me with a new strategy and I ended up earning an A. When I got really sick, they helped coordinate everything to make sure I got the medical care I needed. I also really appreciated the airport pick-up option that was offered. Someone met me at the airport and took me directly to my host family's house. Without that, I'm not sure what I would've done (I didn't speak any Spanish when I first arrived).

What's one thing you wish you would have done differently?

I wish I had planned my weekend excursions further ahead of time. I didn't have much planned ahead of time, so when I got there I sort of just winged it. I still ended up with a lot of great experiences and saw a lot of the country, as well as Panama and Nicaragua, but there are places that I wish I had visited and didn't because of poor planning.

Describe a typical day in the life of your program.

For the first month of my program, I was in an intensive Spanish language course as well as my other courses. For that month, I was in Spanish class from 8 a.m.-12 p.m. (4hrs), Monday through Friday. That lasted for four weeks. Then I had my other courses in the evenings, Monday-Thursday. The great part about this was that for the whole first month, I was done by noon on Fridays and could then head off to whatever adventure I had planned for that weekend.  After that first month, I had all of Friday off, giving me three day weekends for excursions.

Breakfast and dinner was always at my host family's house, but for lunch I got to do my own thing. My program's office had a full kitchen for the students, so I stored some groceries and cooked there, which saved a lot of money. Other days, I would go to a local restaurant or just get a smoothie for lunch. To get around, we mostly walked, but if we needed to go a ways away then we usually used an Uber.

What did you enjoy doing in your free time?

I'm a huge bookworm, so I used to take my Kindle (I bought one for traveling because it's way easier than carrying around a bunch of books) to the big park downtown and just lay in the sun and read. Often I'd stop at a local vendor to grab some food, and sometimes I would just people watch.

What was your accommodation like? What did you like best about it?

I lived with a host family and another student from my program. We each had our own bedroom, and the two of us shared a bathroom. It was great because she spoke better Spanish than me, so she helped me learn and also helped me communicate when I was struggling. The host family provided breakfast and dinner everyday unless we told them otherwise.

They also periodically cleaned our rooms and did our laundry for us. Although sometimes it felt a little awkward, it was really nice not having to worry about those things. When I got sick, my host mom and my program staff worked together to make sure I got the medical care that I needed, and my host mom took me to the hospital herself and stayed with me the whole time, helping me through the experience of a hospital in an unfamiliar country. I was never left to fend for myself, and that was a huge comfort.

What is one thing every participant should know before participating in your program?

The weather is not constantly warm and sunny. Pay attention to if you are in the dry season or the wet season (Costa Rica really only has those two seasons), and pay attention to where you're going to be spending most of your time. The temperature in Costa Rica is mostly dependent on altitude, so if you're in the mountains, it'll be cooler, but if you're on the coast, it may be extremely warm. Be prepared for both if you plan to travel throughout the country, and don't skip bringing a cozy sweatshirt just because you'll be in the tropics!

Now that you're home, how has your program abroad impacted your life?

So many different things. For one, I made a huge career change due to my experiences in Costa Rica. I realized that I was on the path I was on for all the wrong reasons, and when my world view was expanded, I decided to change everything around. Now, I'm much more excited about what's to come, and expect to be much happier in life. I also grew a lot as a person. I'm more independent and confident now, and am better at stepping into unfamiliar situations. I struggle quite a bit with anxiety, and being in a foreign country was sometimes difficult, but all those difficulties led to major personal growth.

Would you recommend CEA others? Why?

I would definitely recommend CEA to others, especially for Costa Rica. There were lots of program providers all in the same general area, with all of their students attending the same school (Veritas Universidad).

CEA was great for a few reasons: the program office was also a great place for students to hang out. Most program offices didn't have the full kitchen there for students, let alone the different study rooms, computer labs, and backyard that we all got to use regularly. In addition, CEA was a smaller program, so the onsite staff knew all of us not just by name, but also knew what courses we were taking, what our interests were, and what excursions we were planning for ourselves. They were really great, and definitely added another layer to a great experience.