Pre-Game

The countdown begins. Finally. In less than 6 days, I will be on a plane to San Jose, Costa Rica.

Well...to Miami, Florida...then San Jose, Costa Rica. Layovers.

Regardless. I'm getting OUT of the good ol' USA. At least for a little while.

For those of you who don't know, I will be studying abroad with International Studies Abroad in San Jose, Costa Rica for five weeks. I will be living with a host family and two other students in the city, and taking two classes at Universidad Veritas: Spanish Medical Terminology, and Costa Rican Healthcare and Tropical Medicine.

This trip has been a long time coming. I've been planning to travel abroad eventually, I just didn't know how or when. I got a passport last year, and it has been sitting in my desk drawer itching to be used. When I was still a sophomore, my best friend at the time found the study abroad program and recommended it to me (he was very proud of himself). It was perfect, but something kept me from going last summer. I think I just wasn't ready to fund a major study abroad trip and leave the country. But after two college summers stuck at home working mundane jobs, I did everything I could to make it happen.

There are several challenges involved in all of this: First, this will be my first time out of the country. Ever. Like, I haven't even been to Canada. My mother is a nervous wreck, and I'm probably not as nervous as I should be. Second, my Spanish is really not good. So I will have problems getting around and speaking without sounding like an idiot or a tourist or both. Third, I'm not a rice and beans fan. Look up Costa Rican cuisine. This is a problem. Finally, I'm simultaneously applying to medical school. So there's that.

I spent the first half of my summer in Fayetteville, taking Linear Algebra for my mathematics minor and studying several hours of the day for the MCAT, which I took less than two weeks ago. Overall, it was a good six weeks, and it included a lot of personal growth and achievements. And it was definitely nice to spend part of a summer in Fayetteville for a change.

Now I'm back home in Flower Mound, TX for a week, and there is a lot to do. My program gave me a checklist, and I haven't even started it. I start taking malaria pills today (just in case). I really need to sit down and write my personal statement. I just realized I forgot my camera in Fayetteville (half my crap is in storage). I need new shorts and a pair of Chacos to walk around in. And I need to pack rather lightly, which is not easy for me. Packing for me usually looks something like this. Meanwhile, the family is trying to sell the house. The stress level is through the roof.

But I am still freaking excited.

I will use this blog to post pictures (as soon as I find a camera) and updates about my adventures. Get excited. If you follow closely, I might get you a souvenir (bribery always works).

Hasta pronto! :)

Jill