Cartago, Costa Rica: A hidden gem

Ridden with volcanoes, lush rain forests, high mountains and beautiful beaches, Costa Rica is a hub for tourists — and in my case studying abroad!

I am counting down the days (nine to be exact) to when I will be sitting on the beach, drinking a lemonade with the sun on my face. I will be living in the 3rd largest city in Costa Rica called Cartago. Cartago has a population of around 160,000 and sits at the base of the famous Irazu Volcano. I am excited to explore this city and all it has to offer. During my 5 months abroad I plan to travel around and experience the beautiful country as a whole and I can’t wait to share all of my unique experiences.

New Year, New Country, New Adventures!

A few days before we began our volunteer work up in the highlands of Costa Rica, my classmate and I decided to do some exploring along the Pacific coast. We arrived in the country on December 29 in San Jose and soon after landing, a taxi drove us to our hostel in Manuel Antonio.

A New Appreciation For Coffee

Greetings from Costa Rica! It´s been about two and a half weeks now and I just completed my IVHQ volunteer project in Monte Verde. La Bella Tica Coffee Farm is owned and run by Oldemar and his wife Ersi. The two of them and their daughters gave us a first-hand view of what it takes to produce organic coffee.

Meet our Winter Break and Spring 2017 Bloggers!

As we ring in a new year, we’re excited to welcome a new crop of study abroad bloggers for Winter Break and Spring Semester 2017! Before you start to follow them on their exciting adventures around the globe, let them tell you a little about themselves.

2016 International Photo Contest Tournament: Round 1

It’s time once again for the SDSU International Photo contest, featuring student-submitted photos from around the world. This year we’re choosing our People’s Choice Award through a 32-photo tournament, with winners decided by online voting right here on the Be International blog. Voting is now open for Round 1 below, so pick your favorites! EDITOR’S NOTE: VOTING IS NOW CLOSED.

The Osa

To be honest, before actually coming down here, Costa Rica had always been pretty far down on my list of countries to visit. It is a sort of Diet Latin America – a commercialized, well-trodden travel destination where the only Spanish you need is “pura vida” and you can still drink the tap water.

But then the Osa happened.

Down in Mexico

A couple years ago, I went to Zimbabwe with my mother. I was born there, and some combination of my immediate family will fly out there every couple years or so. En route to Zimbabwe from the US, there is always a stop somewhere else. That particular time, a couple years ago, we had a layover in Dubai. Due to circumstances out of our control, this layover turned into two free nights in an airport hotel, and plenty of free time to explore the city before resuming our journey to our final destination.

I was blown away by the aggressive opulence of Dubai and learned a travel trick. Traveling somewhere is an opportunity to travel somewhere else.

My Mountain

My flight to San Jose felt like it was yesterday. I remember landing and looking out the window. I remember walking outside and seeing the giant green mountains in the distance. It’s surreal that I’ll be leaving in a few hours, but I will never forget this trip. I’ll never forget Costa Rica.

I honestly did not know what to expect from this trip, and by going in without expectations or goals, I feel that it made it even more satisfying.

Never Too Far From Family

I hadn’t realized how disconnected I was from my extended family until I encountered my Mama Tica.

My Mama Tica (my host mom) sits with Erin and me for every meal she serves us. Our conversations range anywhere from what we plan on doing that day to stories from our childhood.

Make It Count

I woke up at 4:30 am from an uncomfortable nap, only to find out I still had two and a half hours left before the plane would land in El Salvador where I was supposed to catch my connecting flight.

But then I peeked over to see the blue and pink gradient of the sky amongst the dark clouds, and as the light of the rising sun slowly filled the cabin, I was tranquil.