Hi my name is Macie Cunningham and I went on the Costa Rica winter abroad trip this year. Going into this trip, I was excited and expected Costa Rica to be a tropical place filled with exotic animals and “good vibes” or as the locals would say, “pura vida!” While these were a part of the experience, we were much more immersed into the culture and daily lives of the people than I had expected. When we first arrived, I got placed in a host home with three other girls on the trip. Our Costa Rican Mom, or Mama Tica, was so welcoming to us. However, I did experience much culture shock when we arrived because between the country itself, the lifestyle of the people and the language barrier, I didn’t know how to feel. It was overwhelming – not necessarily in a bad way, I just felt so anxious and confused. While on the trip we had the privilege of attending their university, going on business tours and learning about the culture through fun activities. A few of my favorites were ziplining over the rainforest, hiking to the La Fortuna waterfall and swimming in the arenal hot springs. One way I noted that business differs between the United States and Costa Rica is that in Costa Rica the owners would constantly negotiate prices. If you were looking around, they would offer lower prices on something you were looking at. I thought this was interesting, especially since it was in the capitol city which has the most tourism. This study abroad will add value to my future personal and professional goals by allowing me to see a different perspective when I am working with people in a global business environment. Getting to experience this culture has personally allowed me to recognize how fortunate we are in the United States in terms of our economy and personal lives. The country was so eye-opening because the people in Costa Rica are so grateful, happy and genuine regardless of social or economic status. I hope to always remember the pura vida ways and implement it into my everyday life! The pictures included are the Costa Rican cooking class, San Jose city tour, fruit market and my Mama Tica putting a flower in my hair!