First Impression of Costa Rica
The first things you notice stepping off the plane into Costa Rica are the stunning mountain ranges surrounding San Jose and the neighboring provinces and the vibrant vegetation mixed with urban sprawl. The country has some of the most beautiful nature I’ve seen, and you can really tell they take pride in keeping it clean and healthy. The urban areas are much different, at least in Heredia, with lots of tightly packed homes that are enclosed by cages or barbed wire.? A local told me that the main reason for the protective barriers were “illegal immigrants, who hurt the original beauty of Costa Rica.” Locals are very open about the safety of Heredia and have warned us that certain streets or bars are unsafe for us to go to. Overall, Costa Rica is beautiful while out in the less populated countryside, but the unease about personal safety in the cities leads to it feeling less appealing as a tourist destination
The Program
First off, homestays are certainly the best way for students to study abroad.? I cannot stress enough how much more of Costa Rica’s culture I have experienced because of this system.? A local mother’s cooking is always going to be more authentic than anything a downtown hotel would serve you, and some of her friends filled us in on local places to eat and pass time at. Homestays also lower the price for students, while providing locals with income as opposed to established tourism brands. The only negative thing I can say about the program so far is that we came into it blindly, but that is okay because Covid meant we had to switch destinations at the last minute.
I am really happy so far with my trip, and I have already had so much fun experiencing all the new people and locales.? The second week is when we really dive into the business aspects, and I look forward to hearing about different startups and learning from their experiences!