I've been in Costa Rica for almost two weeks. It didn't hit me that I was leaving home for 17 weeks until I was at the end of a four hour layover in Miami, Florida and our lay over was extended. I was exhausted, nervous and ready to go to bed. But where was I going? I had no clue about the family I was about to live in, not to mention which house or how to even pronounce the family's address. I quickly learned that addresses are different here, to say the least. I arrived at my new Costa Rican home around midnight, central time. The next day was full of new faces and new names, just like orientation all over again. I instantly made friends, which is one of the best parts of my trip so far. After two exhausting days I went to my first class here at Veritas University. It was spanish. The class is intense. It is four hours a day, five days a week. I never thought I would even become close to getting used to that but it was much easier than I thought. This spanish course made me appreciate the opportunity to learn a language in the country where the people didn't speak my native language. I was terrified that I couldn't read the road signs, let alone speak the language. I also had my first big culture shock- going to the mall. It seems silly but it was the first time I realized I wasn't home anymore. I couldn't tell you hardly anything that the signs were displaying all over the mall, and I could barely order. This trip (to the San Pedro Mall) made me appreciate the millions of visitors that brave the US not knowing our language and feeling completely lost just like I was in the food court of a mall in Costa Rica. The first weekend we went to Manuel Antonio, which was fantastic. To say that Manuel Antonio is pretty would be a complete understand. Being able to go there was another humbling opportunity for me. I felt blessed and was experiencing pure bliss. These first two weeks taught me how important it is to appreciate and try to learn a second language. Living in a country where the residents speak another language can be very frustrating but it definitely helps to build independence. You start to appreciate small things, like being able to go to Quiznos and order without even thinking about it. This experience so far has helped me to take learning spanish more seriously. I'm very excited to see what the next 4 months has in store for me in this beautiful and relaxed place. Pura Vida!