From winter to "pura vida": Our first impressions of Costa Rica
It’s eight o’clock in the morning on a day in January. I’ve traded warm sweaters for a T-shirt and shorts. My breakfast consists of fresh, local fruit, enjoyed with an incredible view over San Isidro. The sun is shining, and my skin is covered in sunscreen.
This text is translated using AI.
View the original article here.After a little over a week in Costa Rica, the routines are slowly but surely starting to fall into place, and I have to say I’m really enjoying this new everyday life.
The first week has been filled with activities and impressions, and it already feels like an eternity since we were served dry cakes on the flight from Paris to San José.
I’ve had several “pinch-me moments” since we arrived, and I’m not the only one who feels that way.
I’ve talked with two of my fellow students about their first impressions of Costa Rica, and I thought I’d share our thoughts with you in this blog post!
Tabita (19 years old, from Trondheim) is currently living in the student house together with me and eleven other students. Eline (20 years old, from Tromsø) began her stay with a host family, as did six other students.
What is your first impression of Costa Rica?
Tabita:It’s incredibly beautiful here, and the people are very kind and helpful! I thought it would be scarier to speak Spanish, but everyone is really happy that we’re trying, even though we conjugate all the verbs wrong and have a limited vocabulary.
Eline:There’s insanely beautiful nature here and everything is really nice!
Astrid: I feel incredibly welcome here! The locals are open to getting to know us and are happy to share their favorite places to visit and other tips about the city. It’s also really wonderful to go from 20 degrees below zero in Norway to 25 degrees above zero here.
What do you think about the campus?
Tabita: Apart from the fact that it’s a bit difficult to find the classrooms, things are going really well! The teachers are very nice and helpful, and we get good food in the cafeteria.
Eline: The locals are still on summer vacation, so it’s pretty quiet since for now it’s just us at the school. I think it might end up being a lot of beans and rice for lunch eventually, but you don’t complain when you’re getting a hot meal.
Astrid: The campus is very nice, and the teachers are good at adjusting the level to suit those of us in the class! It’s also fun that we’re served local food for lunch.
What’s on your bucket list this semester?
Tabita: See nature and explore cities and countries nearby! In particular, I want to visit the Cloudbridge Nature Reserve, see the La Fortuna volcano, and go to Guatemala!
Eline: I have one thing on my bucket list, but I don’t know if I’ll ever do it: skydiving. I have a friend who did it here in an earlier semester, and she said it was the most fun she’d ever had in her entire life.
Astrid:To enjoy the weather and the beach as much as possible! In addition, I also want to see La Fortuna, and preferably travel a bit to the neighboring countries.
What is it like to live with a host family?
Eline: It’s really nice, the host family is incredibly kind and makes great food! You can tell they’re used to having students living with them, so they’re very experienced.
They understand if you come home late or forget to send a message about where you are. You can choose whether you want to join in on everything they do. If you want to, that’s great; if not, that’s completely fine too.
