On June 4, I arrived with twenty-one students in Costa Rica. I was not entirely sure what was to come from our study abroad experience. Personally, I didn't even know what the Pura Vida mentality truly was. I honestly only knew of the jewelry brand. Now that my trip is ending, I feel that the easygoing mentality of Costa Rica has touched my life in a way that will forever change me.
The journey started after arriving at our new school Maximo Nivel. I separated from my new acquaintances, soon to be close friends, into vans to meet our host families for our month here. Before starting school on Monday, we had half a free day to get to know our new town, beaches, local vendors, and of course, the resident street dogs, cats, sloths, and monkeys.
After situating ourselves the busy schedule started on Monday by catching the 8am bus to Spanish classes. The culture shock continued for me as none of our Spanish professors spoke English and I had to learn this new language solely by context clues and our written materials.
The next day I was anxious to start our surfing lessons by, I'd say, arguably the prettiest beach in Costa Rica, and best surf instructors in Manuel Antonio. I was elated to have stood up on the board multiple times during my first day surfing and had so much fun playing soccer with the locals during our surf breaks.
On Tuesdays we had optional cooking classes and learned to make incredible local cuisine such as empanadas and plantains with beans and Pico de Gallo. Over here they have a special salsa called 'Lizano' which gave such a rich flavor to everything we ate. After classes I had time to go off on my own before dinner and I often went to the beach to take in every beautiful moment here. On Wednesdays after class there was the option to take salsa dancing lessons while watching the sunset or watching the rain pour down depending on the weather, and even though we were sweating through our shirts due to the tropical humidity, I had such a blast.
We had the chance to visit the stunning volcano called Arenal in La Fortuna where we also got to dip into some refreshing hot springs. On our mangrove tour we were face to face with monkeys, on the Rainmakers tour I got to swim under a waterfall, and on our tour of Manuel Antonio National Park I got to see all sorts of beautiful creatures with the guide's help!
Even with all these wonderful experiences, the trip did not go without some hiccups, but that's how we learned the meaning of “Pura Vida.” These words don't just mean their literal translation of “pure life.” They are also used as a greeting, a response when asked “how are you?” and a mentality that even when things go wrong, you can focus on the big picture and know everything will work out and that there are so many things you can be thankful for.
I know I'm thankful for how these weeks have changed my life and the close relationships I've made, not only with my classmates, but also with the locals who are known as “ticos.” I'm finishing this trip with many memories, new friends, a full heart, and a new philosophy of PURA VIDA
About the Blogger:
Alexandra Ludwinski is a Psychology major and has always loved immersing herself in new cultures. Before departing to Costa Rica, she was looking forward to hearing and learning the language, seeing the sights, and sharing the experience with like minded students. She shared that she was excited about absorbing the Spanish language while living in Costa Rica. She was looking forward to connecting with like-minded students and making life-long friendships through this program.