Ecology Study Abroad Programs in Costa Rica

One of my favorite experiences and most beneficial was living with a host family. It was super helpful not only to be fully engaged and immersed in the culture, but also be able to practice my Spanish (which I was able to greatly improve due to the help of my host mom). Living with a host family is a truly unique experience.

"Studying abroad is something that you will always remember." This is something that everyone says as an alumni, and quite honestly it could not be more closer to the truth. You leave the country, scared, intrigued, and excited to be able to spread your own wings and fly. You get the chance to grow as a person... to find those pieces of yourself that you never knew you even had. It can alter you to a point where you feel like you have changed and grown so much as a person. And this is exactly what it does, you have learned a new culture, a new language, and have built and created a new way of living for yourself. Maybe that is why they say that the biggest culture shock happens when you come back home. You have to step off a plane and almost go back in time, it is one of the weirdest feelings there is, and it leaves you with a sense of altered perception. No matter where you go from now on, your heart will carry those memories with you. Study abroad has left a lasting footprint on my heart and I am so glad to say that I had this opportunity of a lifetime. So if anyone ever asks me what I found whilst studying abroad, I will answer back with... "I found a home away from home."