• Part of studying abroad is learning to navigate challenges. In this week’s #WorldwideWednesday, Natalya Brown talks about what lessons she learned from participating in Meredith’s Costa Rica Language and Culture program this summer. “Costa Rica has been one of the biggest adventures I've had so far in my life. I've navigated living with a host family, speaking lots of Spanish, and finding joy in challenges. One of the biggest challenges I have faced so far was the transportation to Arenal for a weekend excursion. A friend and I planned the trip and went by ourselves. I traveled an hour to San Jose on the bus to buy tickets for the weekend only to find out that they didn't take people on the buses to Arenal anymore! We had to rethink our options. Once we arrived, we had to figure out how to get from our hotel to the places we wanted to go. One day, we ended up taking a bus too far and having to walk back. That experience taught us to speak up and be clear about where we needed to go to the bus driver. Then, on our last day we missed the only bus back into town by one minute and had to take a taxi! The bus was ten minutes early and we hadn't accounted for that. All of these challenges taught me to be patient, to speak up, and to always be early. Overall, our trip to Arenal was one of the best weekends I've ever had. It may have taken us longer to get to our destinations, but I still got to hike around a volcano, go ziplining in the forest, go horseback riding, and visit ecotermales. It was an experience I am so thankful for!” #WorldwideWednesday #GoStrongGoGlobal #StudyAbroad #MCGoingStrong #CostaRica
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    Part of studying abroad is learning to navigate challenges. In this week’s #WorldwideWednesday, Natalya Brown talks about what lessons she learned from participating in Meredith’s Costa Rica Language and Culture program this summer. “Costa Rica has been one of the biggest adventures I've had so far in my life. I've navigated living with a host family, speaking lots of Spanish, and finding joy in challenges. One of the biggest challenges I have faced so far was the transportation to Arenal for a weekend excursion. A friend and I planned the trip and went by ourselves. I traveled an hour to San Jose on the bus to buy tickets for the weekend only to find out that they didn't take people on the buses to Arenal anymore! We had to rethink our options. Once we arrived, we had to figure out how to get from our hotel to the places we wanted to go. One day, we ended up taking a bus too far and having to walk back. That experience taught us to speak up and be clear about where we needed to go to the bus driver. Then, on our last day we missed the only bus back into town by one minute and had to take a taxi! The bus was ten minutes early and we hadn't accounted for that. All of these challenges taught me to be patient, to speak up, and to always be early. Overall, our trip to Arenal was one of the best weekends I've ever had. It may have taken us longer to get to our destinations, but I still got to hike around a volcano, go ziplining in the forest, go horseback riding, and visit ecotermales. It was an experience I am so thankful for!” #WorldwideWednesday #GoStrongGoGlobal #StudyAbroad #MCGoingStrong #CostaRica