Study Abroad "To Don'ts"

Read this article.

Then disregard absolutely everything it says. I can honestly say I disagree with every single point (except for it advising, in most cases, to not pursue serious relationships while abroad).

Main frustrations:

1. No host families? I have had an infinitely more meaningful experience with a host family than my friends who live in apartments. Plus, family dinners, church get-togethers and Cartago day trips have been so much more interesting than the luxury "to drink wine with a meal".

2. Emphasis on partying? I know that virtually anywhere someone goes to study abroad will have a lower drinking age than the U.S., and I'm not saying by any means that you should not experience the nightlife of the city in which you live, if that's your thing. I just think that by NOT being a bar hopper, I got to get up early and travel, build relationships with the same groups of people, stay healthy, and save money.

3. Don't pack peanut butter? Please. You can buy hygiene products anywhere in the world, but if you love peanut butter, bring some.

4. Don't go to class?! Maybe this is a joke I'm not understanding? If you want to stay a student at your home university, don't mess around with classes. Your grades count just as much abroad. And I learned way more about Spanish and intercultural interaction from my classes than any other part.

In summary, what the heck, study abroad article.

New friends

I can't believe I haven't told you about my friends in the GAP program yet!

A few months ago, I met a girl named Lauren outside of a certain place in Sabanilla (OK fine, Casa del Pie). She is also from Kansas (!) and here interning with a group of students learning about Spanish and the bible here in San José. We traded phone numbers and I didn't think much of it.

A few weeks later, they invited me to church. It was really inspired timing. I had just gotten really busy with school and was really missing my support system of my bibs girls and going to Heartland with my mom. Spanish church is neat, but when I'm working on language learning I'm just not using the same part of my brain as the wow-I-love-spending-time-with-God part. So when they told me that they had an English worship service for their program, it was just like, this is exactly what I need. So I went.

The rest is, if you can forgive the cliché, history — I have had just a wonderful time with this group. I play frisbee with them on Mondays, participate in a Thursday night small group (which was so wonderful to be included, since I know small groups aren't always so open to visitors), go to their house on Sunday nights for church and they even invited me hiking with them last Friday (and it was wonderful).

I feel like it's cheating since they're not Costa Rican, but one of the things I will most about Costa Rica is my time with the GAP kids. Every single one has been wonderful to me and I feel like I am able to come home in a really good place emotionally and spiritually because of their support. Beautiful hearts, every single one of them.

After hiking the mountain of the three crosses!