Although my experience abroad was by far one of the best and most rewarding experiences I have had, that is not to say it came without its challenges. The beginning of this trip in particular was challenging, especially since this was my first time abroad. Upon arrival to Costa Rica, I initially felt overwhelmed and anxious about being somewhere so far away and unfamiliar (it also didn’t help that we had to wake up for our flight at 2 am and I had been awake for about 18 hours off of one hour of sleep). Nonetheless, I definitely held a lot of doubt about whether I overestimated my ability to handle this trip. Thankfully, meeting my host mom, getting some real (and absolutely delicious) food in my system, and getting a full night sleep rid me of this feeling. I woke up the next morning excited to explore and learn, and this feeling only grew stronger each day that I spent there and immersed myself into the Costa Rican lifestyle.

Naturally, my lifestyle was significantly different in this space than it is at home. Costa Ricans, or Ticos, are generally a lot more laid back, positive, and friendly than Americans. For example, it is not uncommon to go up to a stranger and strike up a conversation or greet nearly everyone you see. It was also different to stand out wherever we went. We were very clearly tourists, and everywhere that we went we were turning heads. However, Ticos are very welcoming towards tourists, with many coming to take pictures with us or try and have a conversation. This made me feel more at home and welcome there, because even though it was not my home country, our presence excited the people who do call this country home.

Overall, I don’t think that I can pinpoint one experience as my favorite. The entire trip was wonderful. I learned so much, both about supply chain and life in another country, made so many connections, and had such a great time while doing it. Although not an experience, I would say my favorite aspect of the trip was learning about life abroad. Even though I only went to one country, my view on the world and how it works has expanded significantly. I have an entirely different perspective on my life, goals, and the world at large. This trip has also helped me to realize a lot about my future career goals and helped me get more excited for them. Prior to the trip, I thought that I wanted to do environmental engineering and focus on sustainability, but I was not sure. However, through the lessons learned on this trip, I now know that this is definitely what I want to do, and am so excited to get started on my journey!