Howdy!
My name is Will Leonard and I am a senior finance major from Boerne, Texas. Leading up to this trip, I’ll be the first to tell you that I didn’t quite know what to expect. Having traveled abroad only once before being introduced to the program, my questions were many while my answers were few. How would a winter trip compare to a summer trip? Was it worth doing a study abroad before my last undergraduate semester? How much of a foreign language would I have to use to make the trip worthwhile? These questions and far many were answered upon my first few days after arrival, and surely more will take their course following the endless great memories I’m bound to make during my last week in Costa Rica.
After a tragic accident with TSA airport security that left me with a broken cell phone, heart and ambitions for a positive start to the trip, what happened first was anything but tragic. Welcomed by a warm, cheerful mamatica and a hardy, robust papatico, my worries soon vanished as I instantly gained another lifelong family. Though my Spanish was rusty, a few years worth of Pre-AP courses in high school had prepared my will to engage in simple conversations and make ends meet in lieu of the absence of Google Translate on my phone. Being the only student staying in my particular homestay, I soon found ways to make the most of my experience and gain some stories to tell friends back home.
One of the first items I found upon landing in Costa Rica is that the locals like their coffee – a LOT. Served at virtually every meal including dessert, my caffeine tolerance skyrocketed through the roof. Extra energy for the day meant more vigorous activities were on the table for discussion, and I made the most of these opportunities by taking day trips to La Fortuna to see the Catarata Rio waterfall, Arenal Volcano and wildlife at the Bogarin trail preserve. While my trip so far has been short, already I write these words filled with respect, admiration and fondness for both the country and memories I’ve compiled.