Coming to Costa Rica I was very excited. I was excited to meet new people, learn a different language, and see a different culture. It was a long trip here, but it went by very fast because I have a good group of people going with me for this experience. To make the day go faster we played Uno, explored the airport, and got to know each other better. It is only the first day and we already are bonding as a great group.
The first thing we got to do when we got to Costa Rica was meet our host families. At first I was very nervous because I don’t speak Spanish very well. I only took two years of Spanish in high school my freshman/sophomore year. My host family was very welcoming and helped me with my Spanish. It was late so I watched some Spanish TV with the family then went to bed.
Today was our first real day out in the city. I got up and took the coldest shower of my life. It was very short due to the temperature. In Costa Rica water is scarce and expensive, so that is all they have. I had a wonderful meal with my host family that the house mom, Evelin made for us. The host family took us to our ISA office where they taught us more about Costa Rica and gave us a tour of the city. Costa Rica has many agricultural places but also has its city looks. We get to explore the city this week then a smaller town next week.
After the tour, I came home to my host family and got to meet Caroline, the seven-year old daughter. She is a very sweet little girl and warmed up to me right away. She even helped me with my Spanish and I helped her with her English. We make a good team. Costa Rica is growing on me and it is only the second day. I am getting better at learning and speaking Spanish and at taking in the culture. It makes me feel a little out of my comfort zone but that also makes me appreciate other cultures and grow as a person. After my first day in Costa Rica, I have already learned so much and I cannot wait to get to learn more and experience Costa Rica first hand.
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- Brooke discovered that learning another language is easier with a friend.
