ICS Costa Rica

1. What was the highlight of your ICS in Costa Rica?

This year has easily been one of the greatest of my life. There are highlights that I could mention from literally every week of the year, and I am so grateful for every experience along the way. However, above and beyond anything else, I am grateful for the people. The Ticos are some of the warmest, most loving, generous, kind and giving people I have ever met. I was so lucky to have been welcomed like a daughter into my host family’s house in the first semester, and will always consider them my Costa Rican family. The second semester when I moved into my own house, I was so lucky with my room-mates and the amazing life we had together in Barrio Escalante (the best suburb in San Jose!).

Finally though, the ultimate highlight would be my beautiful friends that I made along the way. My intercambio family from the first semester, and my Tico family from the second semester will forever have a piece of my heart. I already have plans to return to Costa Rica in July to see all my friends again only six months since I left! 

2. How did your language and intercultural skills improve?

After 2 years of Spanish classes, I was an HD student and one of the top of my class in UTS. This should be enough to get by in Latin America, right? Wrong. When I arrived in Costa Rica, my Spanish was so poor that I was relying on gestures and context to understand my host family, Spanglish and body language to engage in conversation and the concept of forming depth in relationships with the skill level that I had was near impossible. However, do not be dismayed. With every day I improved and I saw it happening at an exponential rate. I would encourage anyone on ICS to take every opportunity to improve your language when you arrive.

For me, this meant taking 5 hours of intensive Spanish classes every day for the first month, and 2.5 hours of extra classes every day for the second and third months. These were alongside my normal university classes that were social science and history classes taught exclusively in Spanish at UCR. Living in a host family’s house, who only spoke Spanish to me for the first 5 months was also invaluable in improving my understanding and fluency. 

I would also encourage you to make friends outside the exchange program bubble. The Costa Rican friends that I made in class were so helpful when it came to assignments and exams, helping me study and walking me through the course content. They were so giving of their time and patient with me, that I am forever indebted to them.

However, many of my friends in first semester were other exchange students and the majority of time we spoke in English. Although this was a great break from the intensity of the rest of my Spanish spoken life, it wasn’t until the second semester when I decided to only make new friends in Spanish that I saw my language skills and confidence grow. In the second semester, I was lucky enough to meet some incredible Ticos, some of whom spoke no English, and we formed what I hope will be life-long relationships, in Spanish alone. I am still in regular contact with them having left Costa Rica which is useful in keeping up my Spanish practice while I travel. 

One of the biggest hurdles that I found with improving my language skills was improving my confidence to actually use them. The only way to see your Spanish improve is to speak it. Learning vocab, grammar and conjugations are useful, and UTS sets up a helpful base level for when you arrive, but it is your job to shake off the nerves and engage in conversation. As you start to see the words roll off your tongue (and notice yourself forgetting the English translations) it will be worth every effort. 

3. What skills have you learned in the past year that you believe will benefit your personal life and future career?

I am now very confident in my Spanish capabilities that I would consider applying for work in a Latin American country when I finish my degree at UTS. Having a second language has given me a wider scope of opportunities for work and lifestyle that I know will continue to be invaluable. Aside from language, ICS forces you out of your comfort zone. This has given me the skill set to be flexible, assertive and responsive to change as well as developing a greater level of patience than I have ever had to exercise before this year.

Living in a ‘‘third-world’ country, where almost everything is slower and more bureaucratic than at home, and where I am forever the foreigner, has instilled in me a sense of humbleness, patience and empathy - where every day I am proud of all of my small victories.

I now have a greater understanding of the immigrant experience, having had to adjust to a different way of life, relying heavily on the assistance of others and the importance of forming strong relationships.

4. How did university life in Costa Rica differ to Australia? How did you adjust, if needed?

One of the greatest differences in UCR to UTS is the length of classes. All of my classes were 3 hours long, often with no breaks. This is a very different set-up to the 1 hour lecture, 2 hour tute system at UTS. This can be exhausting (especially in first semester when my Spanish was worse) and can be difficult to maintain focus. 

Being a communications student at UTS, where there are no exams, I was surprised by the exam-style at UCR for each of my classes. Some of them were open book, where you could bring in your set of readings into the exam room, and others were done without notes. There are normally a set of 3 questions and you are expected to choose one and write an essay (in Spanish) on the spot. This was quite confronting at first, but I somehow managed to get good grades in every class… so the effort does pay off. 

As with improving your Spanish, making friends in class is so helpful in learning to navigate the different university system. Adjusting to the different teaching and learning styles at UCR was made easier by the help of my Costa Rican friends. 

5. How did you finance your ICS (e.g. scholarships, loans, budgeting)? Any advice?

Before arriving in Costa Rica, I wasn’t certain of how much money I would need or whether or not I would qualify for Centrelink. So, I worked hard and I saved every penny. With 4 jobs (plus university) I worked and saved for the year away and would encourage you to do the same. Making lunch at home and choosing water instead of wine on a night out in Sydney will be worth it when you arrive so that you can travel when you want, live where you want and not have to worry about breaking the bank. 

As it turns out, I did qualify for Centrelink, which helped cover my accommodation costs throughout the year. I would encourage you to get in touch with Centrelink early. It’s a long bureaucratic process of signing forms and waiting in lines, but if you do it before you arrive it will be so much easier than trying to organize it when you are already away. 

I also applied for and received both study loans which will be added to my HECs debt. This was close to $6500 per loan, the first arriving before I left, and the second at the beginning of the second semester. 

One of the greatest financial tips I was given before I left was to open an Orange Every Day ING bank account. As long as you use this card at least 5 times every month and deposit $1000 each month into the account, it reimburses you all of your ATM fees and international transaction fees. I saved hundreds of dollars using this card in Costa Rica and during my travels throughout the year.

6. What’s an assumption about your country that you found to be untrue? 

People told me that Costa Rica is a very expensive country. I found this to be untrue, both when comparing it to Australia, or to countries further south like Chile, Argentina and Uruguay. It is true that in comparison to the neighbouring countries in Central America, Costa Rica is more expensive, but not in relation to the rest of Latin America nor to home. I ate lunch at the university sodas every day, and for about $4 I would eat a casado (a full plate of food with vegetables, rice, beans and protein), plus a piece of fruit and a drink. Going out to the student areas such as La Calle Armagura (a street of cheap bars across from the university) or La California is inexpensive and full of other students, and there are certain nights of the week, like Ladies Night, when drinks are free for women! Some of the touristy areas can be expensive, but if you stay in hostels and eat at local sodas and do your weekly grocery shopping at the ferias (farmers markets), it is a very affordable country.

One other untruth that I heard many times about Costa Rica was that San José is ugly and passable. To me, this could not be more false. San José is vibrant and beautiful with all its quirks. Each barrio has its own flair, and the city is bursting with art and culture.

To discover downtown I would recommend taking the free walking tour when you arrive. It starts outside of the national theatre at 10am and is with the company Carpe Chepe. It will orient you in the city and allow you to see a lot of what downtown San José has to offer. The rest, you will discover as you go! 

7. What was your research project and why did you choose it? What were the findings? 

My research project for the first semester was a study on infidelity in Costa Rica, analysing the effects of machismo culture on the faithfulness of Costa Rican relationships. The findings of this were interesting in that my survey revealed women to have engaged in higher rates of infidelity than men in the region. For the final methodology, I built on the former research question but analysed instead, the role of the Church in Costa Rica and how religion affects one’s faithfulness in a relationship. The findings showed that despite there being a high religious following in the country, this didn’t deter infidelity within committed relationships. For this report, I conducted 3 separate interviews as well as an online survey with more than 100 respondents. 
 

8. If you were going through a tough time (e.g. homesickness, university struggles), what support did you receive or access? 

The one other Australian ICS student, Alicia, quickly became my confidant, support network and best friend in Costa Rica. I’m so grateful to her and to have had someone to share the journey with. Though we barely knew each other before we arrived, we have spent most of the year together, we have the same friendship group of exchange students and Tico friends, and we understand each other’s experience more than anyone else could. I can’t imagine what my Costa Rican year would have looked like without her and she was without a doubt my greatest support throughout the year. 

9. If you could redo ICS, what are some things you would do differently? 

One of the greatest struggles in the first semester were the classes that I chose. I would recommend to not choose history classes at UCR unless you have already been exposed to Latin American history, as a knowledge of the context is crucial in these classes. This made it difficult to follow as I had very little knowledge of Costa Rican history before arriving in the country. If I could do it again, I would have picked more general subjects that did not require a knowledge of context specific to Costa Rica.

Another difficulty was the visa process. Costa Rica has a very complicated system for applying for the student visa. It requires apostille stamps of your birth certificate, police certificate, bank statements and the corresponding translations. I did all of this in Sydney, only to be told when I arrived that I needed to do it all again in Costa Rica. If I were to do it again, I would come in on a tourist visa (there may be a fine involved), and bring all of my documents with me so that I only would have had to do it once when I arrived. The whole process is very complicated at UCR too, but they will talk you through it in the orientation and all the other exchange students will be doing the same thing. 

I also wish I had arrived a few weeks earlier before classes started. It would have been nice to have some time to settle, to travel a little and get to know the country before being thrown into Spanish classes and university after the first week. There were other students who arrived a few weeks earlier and were much more settled than we were by the time university started. This will depend on the UTS flight dates, but in my opinion, the earlier the better! 
 

10. Why should International Studies students choose Costa Rica for their ICS?

Costa Rica is a paradise with an endless supply of beaches - in a year I didn’t see them all! On the Pacific coast, there is the Guanacaste peninsula with long stretches of white sandy beaches, rolling waves and beautiful sunsets. The Caribbean coast has great music and food, lined with palm trees and monkeys, hammocks and reggae. Only a short 2-hour drive from the city you can go to the Puntarenas coastline and surf at Jaco beach, Esterillos and playa Hermosa, with some of the best waves in the country. 

For interaction with wildlife, you will see sloths, toucans and all kinds of monkeys in Manuel Antonio, Corcovado and Cahuita, for rainforest and zip lining there is Monteverde, and for volcanos and thermal hot springs there is La Fortuna and Irazú. Costa Rica is one of the most biodiverse places on the planet (with 5% of the world’s biodiversity) and even the capital city, San José, is full of green parks and is covered with flowers and trees. 

The food is delicious, the coffee even better and the Ticos will embrace you with open arms and you will be welcomed as one of their own. I could not recommend this country enough. It is home to me now and could be home to you too. Costa Rica is waiting for you! Pura Vida!

Sitting in my bedroom in San Jose, I’m wearing my University of Costa Rica hoodie, I can see my yoga mat in the corner and my friend’s surfboard leaning against the wall. I have been living here in my host family’s house for more than 3 months now and I feel so comfortable and so at home.

Initially, I chose to stay with a host family on arrival to have a sample of the Costa Rican way of life, away from the exchange program bubble. I wanted to immerse myself in learning the language (my host parents only speak Spanish to me) and authentically ‘do as the Ticos do’ (they call Costa Ricans ‘Ticos’ here). I expected to be here in the house for the first month and then move on to find a shared apartment with other students. As I have come to realize though, life is unpredictable in Costa Rica, and 3 months later I don’t see myself ever leaving.

Every morning I wake to a bowl of homemade Gallo Pinto, the traditional beans and rice breakfast dish that is a staple in Costa Rica, an omelette, a plate of fruit with pineapple, papaya, mango and bananas that grow on a tree in the front yard, and a glass of freshly squeezed fruit juice. I walk the 30-minute journey to UCR, through the busy city streets where cars beep their horns in their own intricate language system and enjoy the views of green mountains that surround the city, brightly coloured houses and puppy dogs behind every fence.

Every day I am greeted by passing strangers with smiles and saludos and whenever I get the chance to engage in conversation and practice my Spanish I do so, as each time it gets a little easier and a little less daunting.

There are an array of small victories every day in ICS, whether it be realizing you found your classroom by taking a different route, taking the bus for the first time and not missing your stop, or sitting for 3 hours in a history lecture told completely in Spanish and not falling asleep… every day I’m proud of myself and every day I am grateful. Living in Costa Rica has proven so far to be one of the best decisions I have ever made, and I’m so excited to see what’s in store for the months to come!

“A comfort zone is a beautiful place – but nothing ever grows there.”

People ask me all the time, “Why Costa Rica?”, and aside from the playas y perezosos (beaches and sloths), forcing myself way out of my comfort zone was one of my core motivations. Before arriving in Costa Rica, I didn’t have low expectations, I had no expectations. I genuinely did not know what I was getting myself into, or what would be waiting for me on the other side. Though I have been lucky enough to travel extensively in Europe, Asia and the United States, Costa Rica would be my first experience in Central or South America, and before coming here I had never before lived in another country or called another place my home.  

I arrived in Costa Rica with one other Australian girl, Alicia, from the ICS program. We barely knew each other at the time, having only spent brief moments in class together, so despite having each other, we were both doing this alone. Since those first 24 hours of flying across the world, exploring Los Angeles together and arriving in Costa Rica, Alicia and I have become great friends and we both feel so at home in San Jose. This last month has seen us travel to Panamá, enjoy a weekend on the coast with 25 of our closest friends, and pass all of our mid-term exams with flying colours. I’m starting to feel so comfortable here which is beautiful and calming – but not for long… July will bring Colombia and Ecuador, and for this journey too, I will travel alone.

In a mix of anxiety, anticipation and excitement, I remind myself: “Life begins at the end of your comfort zone.”

Exactly one week before embarking on my 3-week trip during semester break, I found myself sitting in a friend’s house in Barrio Escalante (one of my favourite areas in San Jose), and realising that the house was absolutely perfect for me and exactly where I needed to be. It was then and there that I decided my time with mi Familia Tica was up and I would move into my new home on return from my trip. Having arrived home just 2 days ago, here is exactly where you will find me: in my new bed, in my new room, with my new housemates, ready for a new start.

The last 3 weeks have been truly extraordinary. Anyone who travels alone will tell you, it's almost never lonely and you are almost never alone. From strolling through the graffiti-adorned streets of La Candelaria in Bogota, to staying at Playa Blanca, Cartagena, until nightfall and swimming with the bioluminescent plankton, where with every movement they lit up the sea and left sparkles all over my body after submersion, to snorkelling in the Galapagos Islands with sharks and gigantic sea turtles. It is fair to say that I am still processing the intensity of the last few weeks.

Time seems to pass here at a rate that far exceeds normality. To say I am shocked that I start my second semester at UCR next week would be an understatement. However, in the same breath, this time around I feel more prepared, more relaxed, and more ready for whatever is around the corner. I feel calm and confident… or in other words: Pura vida!

August marks 6 months in San Jose and although I feel more settled than ever… a hug from mum was long overdue!

Having moved into my new place with my wonderful roomies (and a queen sized bed!), mum was able to stay with me while we were in the city, and see for herself what my life is like on the other side of the world. Her care package of Vegemite, Tim Tams and a family sized pack of Arnott’s assorted creams was exactly what I didn’t know I needed… As they say – Mum knows best!

We spent two weeks in Costa Rica, visiting the beautiful Caribbean coast where mum had her first ever surf lesson and saw her first ever sloth. Could we get more Costa Rica if we tried?! We roamed the Cahuita national park one day and visited baby monkeys and sloths in Puerto Viejo’s animal rescue centre the next. The Caribbean was followed by the mountains, where we enjoyed our own private cabin in La Fortuna, based right below the incredible Volcan Arenal. Natural thermal spring pools and waterfall hikes were followed each day by margaritas and the Tico national beer Imperial silver.

Having mum here with me, impressing her with my Spanish (that is improving daily) and introducing her to my Costa Rican life was the perfect start to semester 2. Hasta la próxima mamá, te quiero mucho!

I blinked, and September had come and gone.

This morning I took myself out to breakfast at a café close to my house in Barrio Escalante. I drank a latte and I sat quietly by myself, in peace. I realised that perhaps this had been the first time, in a long time, where I had been alone, with no plans, and a chance to find a moment of calm in the chaos. It's an interesting realisation that, having come here to Costa Rica by myself and knowing no one, my life now is so full with friends as close as family, and a full calendar of activities.

Every day this month has been energised. I have made new friends and formed closer bonds with old friends with our relationships growing stronger every day. Some are Ticos I play football with every week, who despite my lack of talent, are patient, encouraging and warm-hearted and meet every missed pass with a laugh. Others are Uruguayan and Argentinian international students who have made it their priority to party as much as possible in Costa Rica and expect my attendance at every event. (Thanks to them, my knowledge of Reggaeton is improving and I’m proud to say that I was told the other day that I dance like a Latina – perhaps the greatest compliment of my life!). Alicia and I were invited by a friend from university to a day on a boat last week where we were introduced to a whole new group of Ticos, who since then we have seen at birthday parties and have made Halloween plans together. I also met two American girls, Sarah and Mary at a beauty salon and have since been invited to Sarah’s wedding this weekend here in Costa Rica!

It’s incredible the amount of love that people show you when you open yourself up to it and give love back in return. More importantly though, I have learned to make time for myself. Whether it is an afternoon of yoga and a good book, or a breakfast date for 1 at a local café, in order to fully appreciate every moment of socialisation, I also need a quiet moment of solitude.

When your friend flies halfway around the world to see you, you can be sure they are there to stay. Meeting my oldest friend Anik at the airport in San Jose and welcoming her to my new home was a moment we had both been looking forward to for months. Though she was only here a week, Anik had the most authentic Tico experience of anyone who has visited me here so far.

We kayaked in the pouring rain through the Manuel Antonio river, played pool in a dirty bar in San Jose, went to the dog park with a friend’s golden retriever, sang karaoke at a party with all of my Tico friends, had movie nights and delicious dinners… she inserted herself into my world and she fit right in. Having her here as not only a witness but an active participant in my Costa Rican life was an invaluable gift that we will both share for the rest of our lives. Thanks for coming Anik - I adore you!

Since Anik’s departure, October has been a whirlwind. Alicia and I made the most of a public holiday that would cancel one of our two days a week at University. We spent 10 days in Cuba drinking mojitos in the streets of bustling Havana, relaxing on the bright white sandy beaches of Varadero and galloping horseback through muddy rivers to bathe beneath clear blue waterfalls in the country side of Trinidad.

Cuba was breathtaking, and unlike anywhere I have been before. It was as if we stepped into a time machine and found ourselves in the Latino America of the 1930s. Old Fords and Cadillacs lined the streets and payphones were more than just a gimmick. 10 days without WiFi, we were disconnected from the rest of the world, but completely connected to the present moment and to the adventures that lay ahead.

Cuba was the ultimate reminder to not take any single moment for granted, to enjoy each day to its fullest potential and to allow all the chips to fall as they may.

November has been an emotional roller coaster.

My last month in Costa Rica started with a weekend trip to Mexico in the small town of San Miguel de Allende, for Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead). It was an ICS reunion as Alicia and I met up with Niko and Mitchell who are living in Colombia and Mexico this year. We painted our faces in the traditional skeletal masks and paid our respects in the cemetery. The whole town was alive with colour and flowers, and the streets were lined with altars adorned with tequila and offerings. Though the trip was only 4 days in total, Mexico left an incredible impression on me, and I know I will be back.

The following weekend was spent at Jaco beach with a group of 9 of our beautiful Tico friends, or as I call them, los chiquititos bonitos. We stayed at our favourite hostel (for the last time), hired boards and (attempted to) surf, drank too much guaro, played in the pool until the early hours of the morning and shared a beautiful weekend together. I never could have imagined before I arrived in Costa Rica, that I would meet such incredible people, or form the relationships that I have. I feel lucky every day for my Costa Rican friendships and the love that this country has shown me.

Today is November 27th, and Feliz Cumpleaños to me: Today is my 23rd birthday.

With our birthdays only 10 days apart, Alicia and I shared our birthday party over the weekend. More than 50 of our closest friends were there to celebrate and to say goodbye. It was a magical night. As I type this though, I can’t help but feel that it is bittersweet. I’ve sporadically burst into tears a number of times in the last few days, and I have no doubt that more tears will be shed before the week is out. I have only 3 days left in this beautiful country, and I am not ready to leave. I’m not sure if I ever would be.

Costa Rica will always have a piece of my heart, and as I bid this country and my beautiful friends farewell, I won’t say adios, I will simply say Pura Vida.

They say time flies when you’re having fun, and when travelling with my best friend in the world, time could not possibly have flown faster and we could not possibly have had more fun! 

Madi came to visit me for my final week in Costa Rica, and we later spent 3 weeks travelling in Honduras and Guatemala together. I was finally able to introduce her to my beautiful Tico friends (who she already knew so much about and who already knew so much about her). She was also able to stay with me in my house and visit my favourite local bars and restaurants, (Mercadito in La California is a must for dancing to Maluma, Bad Bunny and all the best Reggaeton, and Isolina in Barrio Escalante is certainly the tastiest food in town!). We ate Gallo Pinto and casados at local sodas, drank spicy chili guaro in la Calle Armagura and while I spent my final weekend in a puppy pile on my couch with my favourite Ticos, telling scary stories and eating home cooked pasta, Madi sun bathed at the beautiful Playa Tamarindo, on the Guanacaste peninsula.   

Honduras saw us complete our open water and advanced scuba diving certificates, where we dove to depths of 30 metres with turtles, sting rays, and a pod of over 50 dolphins.

We practiced pool every night in the hostel bar and made the most of the $4 cocktails. Guatemala saw us enjoy tacos on the streets of colonial Antigua, we hiked up Volcán Acatenango, where at the 3976m summit we were able to see the explosions of lava from the neighbouring active Volcán Fuego, and in the sleepy beach town of El Paredón, we hired boards and surfed together until sunset. I already miss my best friend, and my wonderful Ticos too… but as I sit here on my Dad’s cosy couch in Nashville, Tennessee, with the glistening Christmas lights and Michael Buble’s Christmas album on repeat, I’m reminded again of how lucky I am, and all that this year has brought me. I will take this time to pause and rest… before January brings the next adventure. 

I welcomed 2019 in a tent in the Andes.

As I would be traveling alone in early January I decided to visit one of my bucket list destinations, and trekked the Inca trail to arrive in Machu Picchu on New Year’s Day. As I was the only solo traveller in the group, I got a tent to myself and quickly turned each of the 15 strangers into friends, as we celebrated the New Year together with pisco and sparklers at 4000m. The Inca trail was an incredible experience, with each of the ruins along the way revealing a different part of Inca history and culture. Shout out to Pachamama for clearing the clouds so that we could see a beautiful view of the city of Machu Picchu when we arrived on the 4th day. 

From Cusco to Santiago, I met up with Alicia and her friend Tilly for almost 3 weeks of travel together in Chile. We visited the colourful Valparaíso and hired a car in the south to drive through La region de los lagos (the lake district) and hiked in different national parks each day. Chile is shocking in its beauty. With snow-capped Volcanos towering above glistening blue lakes, and rapid water falls next to glaciers left from the Ice Age, it is post-card perfect at every turn. Though I wouldn’t consider myself an avid hiker, the incredible beauty of Chile’s natural beauty beckoned us on a 5-day trek in Patagonia. Carrying all of our equipment, tents, sleeping bags and food, the 90-kilometre trek to Torres del Paine was one of the most physically and mentally challenging experiences of my life. I thought that in the days post the trek I would be resting and recuperating with my hiking quota full for the year. However, as I bid farewell to Chile and to the girls, I headed to Argentina and have been hiking in El Calafate and El Chalten in the last week since. This part of the world is so spectacular and awe-inspiring that the rest will have to wait. 

I am making my way through Argentina towards Bolivia and Paraguay in the coming weeks and will arrive in Uruguay in early March. I decided that one year in Latin America was not long enough, and have been accepted to study in La Universidad de Montevideo in Uruguay this semester.

I’m not sure how this year could possibly be better than the last, but life continues to surprise me. I am excited for all that is to come and all the surprises that 2019 has in store.