Adventure is out there!
Hola! My name is April Skillings, and I am a sophomore at Loyola. I am a finance major and Spanish language and literature minor, and a month ago as of yesterday I left O’hare Airport for Costa Rica, This is my first time out of the country for more than a week, and the first time I have been away from my family for more than a month. I was understandably a little nervous, and yet unbelievably excited. I opted to take a group flight with other USAC (University Studies Abroad Consortium) students to Costa Rica, this meant that I had the opportunity to meet future classmates and friends prior to orientation. Upon my arrival, I was met at the airport by my host family, who I have since discovered are some of the nicest people you could hope to live with. They have helped make my transition to a new country and culture as smooth as possible.
I originally chose to study abroad, because I am a Spanish Language and Literature Minor and there is a limit to classroom learning in regards to languages. I wanted to study Spanish in a sink or swim environment. So, I requested a host family that does not speak English. Being able to talk to them everyday is a struggle and a blessing. Practicing Spanish at all hours of the day has expanded my vocabulary greatly, “Como se dice… everything”. I chose to study through USAC specifically, because they teach languages in a high intensity track system. What this means is that I will be able take 3 levels of Spanish in just over 3 months, and I have my final for my first level on Monday. Lastly, I chose Costa Rica, because it’s beautiful here.
In the month that has past I have learned so much. I have seen how proud they are of their cultural through the two parades I have attended in the past month. Costa Rica has a rich and beautiful culture, but the most amazing part of the country is the land itself. Costa Rica cares a great deal about the environment and the state of their wildlife preserves, since about six percent of their GDP comes from tourism. As a result of this, when I visited Manuel Antonio National Park three weeks ago it was stunning. I saw a few monkeys, several sloths, and dozens of iguanas, I only wish I had some binoculars on hand. The beach I swam in had unbelievably warm water, and after floating out a bit we discovered a sunken ship near the coast. Some locals let us borrow their goggles so we could see fish swimming in and out of the metal skeleton of the boat.
Last weekend, I visited Jacu Beach to try surfing for the first time. The waves were much larger than those at Manuel Antonio, which is perfect for surfing but dangerous for swimming. I was so proud that I managed to stand up during my first day of surfing, but I was using a ten foot board. For those unfamiliar with surfing, a ten foot board is the equivalent of a small pier. It’s perfect for standing, but impossible to move where you want to go. Later in the day, we hiked up a mountain, one side of which touched the ocean. On our hike we saw at least five monkeys, none of whom looked very happy to see us. When we reached the top, we could look down on the whole beach; it’s a sight I hope I’ll never forget.
That was the first month of my travels. I’m sure I will have some more fun stories soon. If you have any questions for me, or want to learn more about studying abroad through Loyola or USAC, please let me know. I would be happy to help.
