Missing My Costa Rican Home

Alex Somborn is a student at University of Arkansas and an ISA Featured Blogger. Alex is currently studying abroad with ISA in San Jose, Costa Rica.

I’ve been back in the U.S. for a total of 4 four days now, and let me tell you, it has been no walk in the park. I was warned about experiencing culture shock upon arrival in Costa Rica but there is nothing more shocking than coming back to the American culture as I have recently discovered. The agendas, the pace of life, the “instant gratification” speed of it all, it’s crazy, and it’s definitely something that takes time to adjust to.

Costa Rican #coffeeculture

Alex Somborn is a student at University of Arkansas and an ISA Featured Blogger. Alex is currently studying abroad with ISA in San Jose, Costa Rica.

Though I am not one to frequently tweet my thoughts using the world-renowned social media forum, twitter, I do happen to think of hashtags every once in a while that I would use if I felt so inclined to inform the twitter-verse of my latest life musings. One of my most recent musings (that I have still chosen to withhold from twitter) is the coffee culture that prevails here in Costa Rica. If there is one thing that Costa Ricans love/can’t live without/will die for (besides soccer), it’s coffee.

Buy Local: How to Survive in San José, Costa Rica on less than $10 a day

Alex Somborn is a student at University of Arkansas and an ISA Featured Blogger. Alex is currently studying abroad with ISA in San Jose, Costa Rica.

After almost three full weeks in San José, Costa Rica, I feel like I’ve finally mastered the art of keeping a reign on my money, which as you well know, is a very important thing for us college kids these days. To start, here are a few tips for surviving the task of buying local while in Costa Rica.

Adiós to Costa Rica

Amanda Arroyo is a student at California Lutheran University and is an ISA Classmates Connecting Cultures  blogger corresponding with the Study Abroad Center at Cal Lutheran. Amanda is currently studying abroad in San Jose, Costa Rica on a Fall 4 program.

Our entire ISA Study Abroad group before our goodbye dinner.

It’s that time. Your semester abroad has finished up and now you are left with nothing to do but pack. Your life abroad is coming to an end and you have to go back home to a life that WAS familiar but now it seems abnormal. Well let me tell you that you are going to be going through even more emotions than I’m sure you’re already feeling.

Experience of a Lifetime: Zip-lining in Monteverde, Costa Rica

Brandi Gallaher is a student at Oklahoma State University and an ISA Featured Blogger. Brandi is currently studying abroad in San Jose, Costa Rica on an ISA Fall 4 program.

Upon coming to Costa Rica, I knew the one thing I had to do here was go zip-lining. Costa Rica is famous for zip-lining through its gorgeous rainforests, and I knew there was no better place in the world to go than here in Costa Rica. One of the best zip-lining places here is in a place called Monteverde, which is in the heart of the cloud rainforest in the province of Puntarenas. Most of my other weekends here have been filled with visits to the different beaches here, so I was ready for a good change of pace, since Monteverde is a more mountainous region and the climate is much cooler than the beach regions. So, on Friday after classes, three of my girlfriends and I caught a bus from San Jose to Monteverde.

Ziplining in Monteverde, Costa Rica

So You’re Interested in Studying Abroad? 7 Tips to Keep You on Track

Amanda Arroyo is a student at California Lutheran University and is an ISA Classmates Connecting Cultures  blogger corresponding with the Study Abroad Center at Cal Lutheran. Amanda is currently studying abroad in San Jose, Costa Rica on a Fall 4 program.

World map.

You made the decision to study abroad. But now you’re faced with unlimited questions.

• What country?
• What program?
• How much will it cost?
• Do I want to volunteer while I’m abroad?
• What classes are offered that will transfer back to school?
• Which city within a given country do I want to be in?
• Will I like it?
• Do I want to learn the language?

A Lil’ Taste-o-Talent: Music in Costa Rica

Costa Rica’s music scene is something like its feria de la agricultura, where the local market is abundant in fresh fruits and veggies is a culmination of the different types of music to come from Latin America.

Costa Rica: Life Lessons I’ve Learned Abroad

Amanda Arroyo is a student at California Lutheran University and is an ISA Classmates Connecting Cultures  blogger corresponding with the Study Abroad Center at Cal Lutheran. Amanda is currently studying abroad in San Jose, Costa Rica on a Fall 4 program.

Going abroad is one of the best experiences you will ever have the opportunity to take. It’s life changing to say the least. You learn a lot about yourself, your values and you become thankful for the things you’ve been blessed with back home. With only having been here for 2 months, I’ve already learned so many things. I only hope to continue to embrace these lessons as I return home.

A beautiful and relaxing scene at a beach in Tamarindo.

1. Relax. I’ve always lived a busy life. I’ve always been on the go and have never had time to relax. The moment I stepped foot in Costa Rica, I knew that was all going to change. And it has.

Journey Through the Hallways: Medical Volunteering in Costa Rica

Mavis Britwum is a student at The College of New Jersey and an ISA Featured Blogger. Mavis is currently studying abroad in San Jose, Costa Rica on a Fall 4 program.

I walked into the patient’s room leaving my usual nervousness at the door.  I always take a final deep exhale before encountering a new patient, as if to release my body and mind of any stress, fears, worries, and concerns. I know my Spanish is not great, but what I lack in language, I make up for in personality.

My 5 Favorite Things about the Tico (Costa Rican) Lifestyle

Brandi Gallaher is a student at Oklahoma State University and an ISA Featured Blogger. Brandi is currently studying abroad in San Jose, Costa Rica on an ISA Fall 4 program.

Mangosteen

1. FRUIT!

My favorite food I’ve had since being here is definitely the fruit. There are so many more different kinds of fruit in Costa Rica than in the US, and they’re all SO good! I’ve tried mamon chino, guanabana, mangosteen, papaya, guava, oranges (different than in the US, they are green), fresh coconut, carambola (star fruit), sweet lemons, and cas. My favorite fruit here is probably the bananas though. In the U.S. I don’t really eat many bananas, but here I LOVE them. They’re so fresh and they taste so much better, probably because they’re grown here rather than imported.