One must step out of one’s comfort zone to find who they truly are. The way I did this is with a study abroad.
Costa Rica this summer wasn’t my first study abroad and it won’t be my last, but I feel that this one will stand out to me for a very long time.
It was very strange living in a third world country, I never have before, and just to see the different ways people live was a bit refreshing. I came back to Ohio having forgotten how much of everything we have, how smooth and big our roadways are, how many lights we have at night, and especially the security of electricity.
During my study abroad, being an advanced Spanish speaker, I did not take any Spanish classes. Instead I took classes in the literature of Latin-American authors and the cultural heritage of Latin-America in Spanish.
During my time there, I met many people from all over the U.S.
When I was studying in China, I learned the thing you take away most from a study abroad is the strong friendships, some with people you might not have necessarily been friends with back home.
During my time abroad, I spent most of my time in the classroom. I had class every day from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. and the sun set at 5 p.m. I completed a semester in five week, so there was a considerable amount of homework every day. We did have time to relax on the weekends, however.
I remember my favorite weekend very clearly: we went to a small Caribbean town called Puerto Viejo. The black-sand beaches and sloths in the trees had nothing on the local rice and beans with grilled chicken. I could spend a considerable amount of time there just living a simple life.
My favorite day trip is when we went to the Irazu Volcano. Nine friends and I took a van all the way up this 11,000-foot-tall behemoth, far above the cloud line to see one of the most spectacular views of my life. The three craters of this volcano could easily swallow most of campus.
I woke up the last day of the trip feeling as though I woke up from a long dream, sad yet excited to come home.
My advice would be to spend more time doing things that make you happy while abroad, because every moment is precious.
Haidar Bin Hamid is a sophomore studying International Business at Ohio University. Where do you plan to study abroad? Let Haidar know by emailing him at hb988914@ohio.edu
