Study Abroad: Spring 2025

MY TIME IN HEREDIA

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As a part of my degree program at Clemson University, I had the opportunity to study abroad during the Spring of 2025. As someone who had only been out of the country once previously, the thought of studying abroad for four months was daunting, but I did grow up with knowledge of different Spanish cultures, as I was in the Spanish Immersion program through grade school. When considering my options, I decided to push myself and experience something unfamiliar. I knew a lot about the culture of Spain, having learned many different aspects over eighteen years, but I decided that I wanted to experience a new culture, one that was completely different in location and ideology. In order to advance my Spanish fluency skills and accomplish these previously listed goals, I chose Heredia, a province right outside of San Jose, the capital of Costa Rica. During my four months of study abroad, I continued to advance my language skills, met lifelong friends, and grew more as a person than I could have ever imagined.

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Originally, my learning goal for Costa Rica was to gain my Spanish fluency skills back after years of not having the kind of exposure to the language that I grew up with. Over time, this goal progressively changed. I found myself not only living among Costa Ricans, but people from Nicaragua, Panama, Honduras, and Guatemala. I realized quickly that I was not only experiencing the Costa Rican culture but also the cultures of these other countries. I found myself conversing with others from many countries, whether it was an Uber driver to or from school or a trip, tourists on our weekend trips, or a restaurant employee. I was able to fully immerse myself in Spanish since my host parents did not speak any English, and all but one of my classes were in Spanish. As my time in Costa Rica continued, I found myself wanting to learn more intimately about the country, and I was able to see many different aspects of this. The good, the bad, and the ugly. 

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When I first arrived in Costa Rica, I had a difficult time adjusting. I think a large part of this was because I had never been that far from home for such a long period of time, completely alone, knowing not a soul. As soon as we left the airport, I quickly realized that one of the biggest differences was the way that they drove. There are no “rules of the road” in Costa Rica, merely suggestions, and everywhere you looked, motorcycles were weaving in and out of cars, which made it even more chaotic. The eating times for meals were also an adjustment. Most Costa Ricans wake up around 6 am and immediately start the day. Another big difference I noticed immediately was the transportation system. The majority of Costa Ricans either walk or take a bus or a taxi/Uber everywhere, and I had to quickly learn the bus system. From there being no set time as to when the bus would arrive or guarantee that it would arrive, to always taking a different route and being let off at a different point each morning, it was a complicated system. After a month and a half of trying to figure it out, my friend and I decided to start taking an Uber to school each morning, rather than not knowing where we were going or when we would get there. Costa Ricans, also known as ticos/as due to regularly adding "ico/a" to words, also live according to tico time, which reminded me greatly of island time. Everyone was just doing their own thing, and no one was ever stressed out that they were late for anything, because it is just a part of the culture. This helped me greatly because I would often stress over being late or almost late for something, but I quickly realized that there was absolutely no point in stressing, as it was out of my control, and this is something that I hope to carry with me throughout the rest of my life. 

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Another big difference I observed was the time people eat their meals. In the United States, I usually eat one full meal a day, around 6 pm-7 pm, and I snack throughout the day. In Costa Rica, however, it was expected that you would have two full meals a day, and dinner was more of a snack, the first being at 6 am. I quickly explained to my host mom that I was not accustomed to eating large meals throughout the day, and she was understanding of this, and I was able to eat closer to 7 am. In Costa Rica, they usually do not have large dinners but rather some bread and coffee around 5 pm. This was something that I had to get used to and plan for. I had to completely change my usual schedule in order to adapt to life in Heredia.

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Another big adjustment was the way that people would treat me as I was out in the city or anywhere in the country. Every time I set foot outside in Costa Rica, I was constantly being stared at or catcalled, which was a very uncomfortable feeling. This was something that we all experienced as we looked different and spoke differently than everyone else. Different skin colors, different languages, different accents, different mannerisms. For the first time in my life, I was a foreigner. People naturally assumed things about me because I am from the United States. Many people assumed that my life in South Carolina was easy and that we were rich beyond imagination. I took these assumptions and interactions personally at first and felt very uncomfortable being out among the ticos at times, but as my time in Costa Rica continued, I learned to take it less personally and not to let these interactions bother me as they once did. 

Regardless of my difficult adjustment, my experience in Heredia was absolutely life-changing. I was 1 of 30 Americans living there, from all over the country, me being the only southerner, which allowed me to get close to my classmates and begin to form good relationships with them and learn more about the United States, even in a different country. Additionally, we went on a weekend trip most weekends, whether it was just a group of us or if it was a trip through our program. We went to Jacó Beach, Puerto Viejo, Monteverde, Quepos, Manuel Antonio, Volcán Irazú, and many other places. I was able to see volcanoes, Caribbean and Pacific beaches, hike in the mountains, and explore cities while learning about the history. Because Heredia is right outside of San Jose, we were close to the main bus terminals, which made it fairly easy to go somewhere else in the country as soon as class ended on Fridays. In these places that we went, we met local ticos, were able to explore different ways of life throughout the country, taste different foods, and visit some of the most beautiful landscapes I have ever experienced. Having this opportunity to travel as we did has given me the desire to continue that and to find more hidden gems, even back in the States, which is something that I will forever be so thankful for. 

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Studying abroad in Heredia greatly enriched my academic experience. I took many advanced-level Spanish classes, which allowed me to grow in my fluency and confidence levels. I think my confidence in Spanish grew significantly while in Costa Rica because I had to use my Spanish skills in order to communicate with most people, as Spanish is their only language. I realized finally that no one cared if my grammar was not perfect or if I said something a little incorrectly, because most people that I interacted with were overjoyed that I was able to communicate so efficiently with them. One prime example of this was during the week of Semana Santa, which is the week leading up to Easter, during which we had off from school. While everyone in my program was on trips, I went to San Jose daily to spend time with a friend from my church back home who rescues children, boys, and girls from labor, organ, and sex trafficking in Costa Rica. For the whole week, I was able to spend my days with almost 30 girls, their ages ranging from 1 to 15 years old, who our friend had rescued from traffickers. I quickly realized that they got so much joy in the ‘gringa’ coming and spending time with them and loving on them and talking to them, and they did not care that my grammar was incorrect or wrong, and helped me to grow in my fluency more than any class I have ever taken has. When I returned to class after that week, one of my professors commented on my growth in my fluency, which continued to boost my confidence. 

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My experience in Heredia was truly invaluable. I was able to grow in my Spanish fluency skills, gain a new insight into a culture that was very different from my own, learn about the country and its past and future, and make lifelong friends along the way. This time in Heredia helped me grow as a person, as I feel more confident in unfamiliar environments now and feel more prepared for my future. I plan on returning to Costa Rica in the Summer of 2026 to visit the rescued girls again and to continue to fall in love with a country that will forever have a piece of my heart. Pura vida!