Studying abroad in Costa Rica was challenging. It was not only my first time studying abroad, but traveling abroad too! Luckily, my university prepares students for this new experience and reviews general cultural dimensions through a globalization class. Its purpose is to aid in identifying our own cultural tendencies and prepare for different ones. Going into Costa Rica, I brought with me a certain understanding of ‘Latino culture.’ However, the country proved to be unique while retaining many cultural stereotypes that encompass Latino countries.
At first, it was harder to decipher whether Costa Ricans lean more towards direct or indirect communication. However, I began to realize that Costa Ricans are more indirect even though many of them also have direct tendencies. Generally, the younger they were, the more direct. Even though most conversations begin with informal dialogue, including business discussions, Costa Ricans are not afraid to discuss incorrectness or critique other people’s work. In fact, in one of my classes, my peers and I gave critical and constructive feedback to groups after presenting. Within my chosen community, navigating this dimension was fairly easy; a more flexible dimension within the culture allows room for both direct and indirect communication to be understood. This made it easier for me to communicate with locals coming from a direct communicating culture. Nonetheless, I learned more about the context of words used in Costa Rica, such as using the subjunctive mood when ordering food is more pleasant and kind than yo quiero. Studying body language as well as social norms helped me communicate effectively and easily with my amigos ticos.
Ecology class trip to Cerro de Buena Vista, Grace Goulding
One cultural norm that was very difficult to overcome was a more collaborative, expressive environment. When doing something simple as texting a group partner for project updates or a friend for a favor, Costa Ricans almost always ask how the person is doing, and maybe catch up on the past few days. This was more difficult for me as I am habituated to flat out asking a question. It feels like in the U.S., our conversations never start or end with goodbye or hello, especially electronically, but in Costa Rica, starting and ending a conversation became very important. Although I became comfortable with responding to this new form of greeting, I would often forget about it at the beginning of my journey.
I think the hardest part of being analytical abroad is being observant enough not only of other people, but also yourself. It’s easy to judge others but figuring out what you are doing that might not be ‘normal’ to others is difficult. Realizing your faults and how your actions are a product of your culture can really help in shifting attitudes and behaviors to reach a more integrated place within the culture at hand.
Overall, during my time in Costa Rica, I grew not only academically, but personally. Jumping out of my comfort zone, I was able to adapt and use cultural values held dear to the Costa Ricans. No matter how different their tendencies in the cultural dimensions, pushing myself to use them and integrate more into the culture allowed me to understand Costa Rica more in depth and connect with the people there. I am so grateful and appreciative for the opportunity to become a part of this rich, beautiful community for a moment of my life and build a connection for a lifetime. Costa Rica taught me lessons I’ll never be able to learn in a classroom, such as relaxation, appreciation, gratitude for nature and humans, and, of course, pura vida.