Arcos Journey Abroad to Costa Rica

When I first arrived at my homestay at 6 in the morning, I was greeted by a lovely sweet old couple. Throughout my two weeks staying with them, Carlos and Genia proved that they were the perfect host family. They made an effort to connect with us and challenged us to improve our Spanish speaking skills. They would make jokes and make the most delicious home-cooked meals. They washed our clothes when we asked and it was overall a great experience. As for the schooling, I loved the outdoor learning environment and the teachers were outstanding and very fun. Though it was challenging at some times, having a teacher that only spoke Spanish really helped me. Throughout the program, I made so many close friends that I have continued to stay in touch with and they all helped make the program more fun. On weekends, we went on excursions to different parts of the area. We would take a bus to go zip lining, visit a waterfall, or go surfing at one of the beaches. I loved learning new skills while also having fun and goofing around with my friends. One night we even stayed at a hotel where we each had separate rooms with our roommates. One thing I noticed throughout the Arcos experience was that everyone was so kind and fun to be around. I felt safe in the Atenas community and I loved the freedom/independence we were given. We had to navigate the taxis and speak almost all in Spanish, but I could tell that everyone was having such a fun time. By the last day, I never wanted to leave.