Everything is in Spanish and I love it.

I successfully ordered my food in Spanish and navigated my way through customs. On the flight, I actually sat next to a girl from Atlanta who was coming home after a two year bible school program in Charleston SC. She lives just north of San Jose with her family, who was greeting her here at the airport.

It was such an interesting comparison in perspectives – both of us were so excited to be going to Costa Rica, but for nearly opposite reasons. Her, because she was returning home, to something familiar. And I, because I was leaving America behind for an experience completely new.

Already we’ve had a few lessons in flexibility – our professor’s flight has been delayed and won’t arrive until 6:30pm, and our bus bumped another tourist van when it came to pick us up at the airport. We’re only waiting on one other girl to arrive, and until then we’re just staying at the hotel where we’ll have dinner later tonight.

Today is the last class we have together before we all board our separate flights in a few days. We most likely won’t see each other (a whopping 8 students total) until Monday afternoon in San Jose, Costa Rica (not San Jose, California, as I found out after buying the wrong ticket the first time). The past five classes have been spent going over the geological formation of Costa Rica, what makes it ecologically unique, how Costa Rica promotes sustainability as a country, and how the United States compares to it. But that’s not what I’ve been thinking about.

This is my first time traveling out of the country, and while I’m going to be out of my comfort zone and away from routine, I’m beginning to realize that it’s actually going to happen. I’m actually going to Costa Rica. I’m going to be tasting coffee, fresh from a plantation, hiking through national parks, ziplining through the trees, horseback riding along trails, kayaking across Lake Arenal, and whitewater rafting along the Sarapiqui River.

And the only thing in my way is a seven hour plane trip – not even that bad, considering I’m leaving the continent.

…And packing.

#ASCintheField

A drawn map of our expected route, starting in Costa Rica.