What inspired you to travel abroad?
I had never left the USA before, and I felt like I had a really closed view of what the world had to offer. I really wanted to get out on the open road and explore areas of the world I had only seen and heard about on television and in the movies. I also had a growing photography business and desire to speak better Spanish and figured I could take some epic photos of my travels through Central America and improve my Spanish speaking abilities along the way.
Why did you choose Tico Lingo Spanish School?
I really liked the idea of living with a local Costa Rican family and getting a glimpse of what their day-to-day lives were. Before signing up for Tico Lingo, I had been staying in tourist hostels and they were starting to get a bit stale. So the homestay option really drew me to Tico Lingo and then after speaking with a few members of their staff, I really felt trust in them to help me achieve my goal of getting better at speaking Spanish.
What was your favorite part about Costa Rica?
The city of Heredia was awesome! There's almost no English spoken in the city. I could really feel the hustle and bustle of Costa Rican life just walking the streets of Heredia and was able to get a look at the country that the beach and tourist areas just weren't able to offer me. There's plenty of nightlife too!
Instead of tourists, I was meeting local college Costa Rican students. It made the whole experience feel a bit more "real". I went to the local gym most days and discovered lots of small coffee shops to study and hang out at. I'd go back to Heredia tomorrow if I could!
This was a quick shot of my daily view that I took outside my homestay family bedroom.
What made your experience abroad extraordinary?
The experience of really getting to dive into the culture and people of a local city is what made it extraordinary for me. I made a lot of local friends, was able to take and share my photos with them, and still stay in touch with my local homestay family today. The school was a ton of fun too! My Spanish teacher still checks in with me to make sure I'm keeping up with my Spanish and I love following Tico Lingo's social media accounts to see all the familiar faces of friends I made when I was there.
How did the local program staff support you throughout your program?
Everything from answering my initial questions about weather and what to pack, to picking me up at the airport and introducing me to my homestay family, AND being extremely flexible with my learning style and helping me adjust to traveling every other day to staying put for a few weeks. The Tico Lingo staff has been aiding and supporting people with the Spanish learning journey for years now and it really shows.
They know how to personally connect with each student and personalize their experience to their needs, timeframe, and specific goals. Also, like I said earlier, I made a lot of friends with the staff there and we still keep in touch.
What's one thing you wish you would have done differently during your time abroad?
To be frank, I would have liked to stay a bit longer at Tico Lingo to really master my Spanish speaking abilities to a point where I felt 100% fully confident to start conversations with locals regardless as to where or which country I was in. Once my program ended, I traveled through Panama and later Colombia and found myself hanging with more foreigners than with locals, which in turn didn't help my Spanish too much. I think I would have preferred to do another week or two at Tico Lingo and then maybe supplement that with some online Spanish classes while I was on the road.
This is me relaxing before going on a hike in the beautiful Costa Rica wilderness.
Describe what a typical day in your life abroad looked like.
The sun is up at around 5:30 am, which took some time to adjust to! But I acclimated quickly as every morning my homestay family would have breakfast together around 7 am. Fresh coffee, local fruit, and gallo pinto was such a treat in the mornings, very different from my bagel and cream cheese I'd typically have back home. After breakfast, I'd walk to the school, which was roughly a 10 minutes walk, and start Spanish class at 8 am.
At noon we'd wrap up class and I'd always sign up for the free activities. Do the cooking class! Yami is a saint of a woman and will teach you all the tips and tricks with cooking Costa Rica food, you just have to show interest! After those activities, which end around 1pm, I'd either go to the gym or go with a classmate to some new restaurant or bar in the city.
We took a few buses to some local cities and I snapped a lot of awesome photos along the way. I'd typically be back to my homestay around 6 pm or 7 pm and where I'd then share a dinner with those who were at the house.
What did you enjoy doing in your free time abroad?
I enjoyed jumping on buses and exploring the countryside of Costa Rica. The system takes a bit of learning, but once you get it down it's a breeze and super cheap! I visited a local coffee farm and a small animal rescue center and found myself at the local cantinas a bit more often than I'd like to admit!
What type of accommodation did you have? What did you like best about it?
I lived with a Costa Rican homestay family that had five people living at the house. Best part about it was all the people I got to meet! I got really good at introducing myself in Spanish, as the family would always be having visitors stopping by to drink coffee or just talk about life. It was fun being the exciting "new" member of the family and connecting with these extremely patient people on a personal level.
This is me sitting on a beach with a friend I made after hiking in Tico Lingo.
What is one thing every future participant should know about your program before their program begins?
The Spanish program will go quickly! I found myself at the end of my three week program amazed by how quick it went! Also, good thing to know is that sunscreen is super expensive in Heredia so make sure to pack some. Yenifer and Chris at the school will help you with any and everything, just be sure to communicate with them and they'll be there to help.
Would you recommend Tico Lingo Spanish School to others? Why?
Absolutely would recommend it! Everything is so perfectly polished and organized at Tico Lingo, which is very very hard to say about other businesses I visited while on my travels throughout central and south America. The professional, relaxed vibe at the school is so inviting to students and it really encourages people to get to know one another, hang out in the afternoon together, and help one another with their Spanish.
I never felt like there was a competition for who has the best Spanish or that I wasn't welcome there. It was just a very relaxed place where everyone there was ready to help you if you ever needed anything.
What do you feel the biggest benefit of traveling abroad is?
Once you get away from your typical routine and are out of the creature comforts of home, you really begin to learn what actually matters to you and what you need to enjoy life. There's also an aspect of realizing that no one knows you, where you come from, or what you like to do and thus cannot judge you or place ideas on you that I think can influence your behavior when you're back home. Once I was alone and exploring the world, I felt a lot freer to do, say, and think how I wanted without the influence of friends or family that had put pressure on me to be a certain way.
Exploring the Costa Rican culture at the central market in downtown Heredia.
Now that you're home, how has your time abroad impacted your life?
People love my photos and they love hearing my travel stories! But I think more importantly I feel more confident with my Spanish speaking capabilities and have a better understanding of who I am and what I need to enjoy life, which in reality is very little. I can't wait to get back out into the world and continue down the trail of exploration through new cities, cultures, and people.
What does meaningful travel mean to you?
It's only meaningful if my experience traveling pushes me outside my comfort zone and makes me interact and engage with new types of people I would never speak with. It's meaningful when you're able to make a new connection with a person who doesn't speak your language who can provide a new sense of how life should be lived and how they've been living that very different lifestyle every single day.
Did Tico Lingo Spanish School provide specific pre-departure Covid support? If yes, tell us what kind of support you received.
Thankfully covid was not an issue and I never had to even consider it. I was prepared to provide them with vax cards and negative tests but Costa Rica got rid of all that a year or so ago. I heard stories though from staff of the crazy hoops that had to jump through during the covid years. Thank goodness it (seems to be) behind us!
How did Tico Lingo Spanish School help you stay (and feel) safe abroad amidst the ongoing pandemic?
There was no more "ongoing" pandemic. I felt completely safe with my homestay family, in class at the school, and out in the city and local buses exploring the surrounding area. I almost never saw a person wearing a mask and only really did when I was walking around the area of Heredia near the hospital.
