Mi Vida Aquí

Thought I´d take the time to reflect on my first two weeks in Central America..

The ICADS program is very, very intensive..with classes from 8 to 5 every day, and not much time for rest. It has, for me, been a great success so far. The Spanish professors here have literally transformed my ability to speak the language. Concepts that seemed vague and incomprehensible are now very clear, and I find myself making more mental corrections, shedding my ¨gringo¨ understanding of Spanish! Initially, I hated the idea of spending this much time learning a language, but is so rewarding to be able to communicate and really engage with everyone here.

The afternoon class is filled with intensive lectures and readings (I have a hard time finding a better word than ¨intensive¨!) which are also very rewarding. The guest speakers have spoken richly and about a number of important Latin American issues. I´ve also had to tap into my pathetic capacity for science, to perform hands-on research in sustainable agriculture. We traveled through the mountains to see firsthand how stringent regulations are for organic coffee.

But I digress. As much as I´ve learned in class so far, actually living with a family and becoming part of this culture (if only for two weeks) has been a life-changing experience. I feel so lucky to have this opportunity...every day meeting someone new, hearing an incredible story. I´m convinced that studying abroad is hugely important, but to do it in this manner is very different--and much more significant than living in an American dorm overseas.

The first five weeks here are dedicated to living around San José, learning as much Spanish as possible. It´s broken up by a trip to Nicaragua during the third week. We´re leaving on Sunday and it´s something we´re all looking forward to..all the ticos here say it´s a totally different world. Already we have heard that many of the American myths about Nicaragua are not true, but I´m interested in seeing that firsthand.

We´ll be traveling to Managua, Matagalpa, and Grenada..including some stops in between. I am looking forward to seeing all three of these cities, but particularly Matagalpa, because there are some internships there I am seriously considering.

After the five weeks of class have finished, we all move to different homes for 7 weeks to work at the internship site we´ve selected. I´m going through that process right now, looking at an activist group for sustainable development, an international radio program for peace, and a few organic farms scattered around the area. It makes up the vast part of the program, and as much as I´m cherishing San José, it will be good to find new work, a new home, and a new set of interesting challenges.

After those 7 weeks, we return to our families here for about ten days to write papers and present our work to the program. I hope this blog post wasn´t too boring, but I know I was confused before I started the program. So hopefully this will clarify some things for any students that are interested...

I´ll be sure to check in after we get back from Nicaragua! But that may not be until late Saturday or Sunday. Thanks for checking in!