“Argos: Study Abroad” offered our school the opportunity to go to Costa Rica for a nine day trip, led by Joy Lewis-Mendez and Lindsay Reid during this year’s Short Term 1. Visiting Costa Rica was a life changing experience for us, and we believe it’s something all students should consider in future opportunities. 

The goal of the Costa Rica trip was to expose students to the differences between healthcare in Costa Rica and the United States. The most memorable activity that showed the culture and health care system in Costa Rica was visiting the nursing home. When we arrived, the first thing we noticed was the amount of sunlight and biodiversity shown in the home’s backyard garden. The vibrant colors of the flowers and the greenery gave the people living in the home a beautiful place to stay. The engagement that the participants showed during activities like bingo and tea making truly showed the caring nature of the Costa Rican people. 

Although the primary purpose of the trip was to learn about the disparities between the healthcare in Costa Rica and the U.S., the most crucial parts of it were the experience getting to know our host families, and bonding with the other students.

From what we have heard, everyone had a nice family, and they enjoyed their time with them. Our host parents spoke no English whatsoever, so it forced us to become better at Spanish in order to communicate with them. They made great food, were fun to talk to, and never got frustrated if we did not understand them. They were so hospitable and willing to help. I feel that having a good host family can make or break the trip, and ours was great. 

Another fantastic part of the trip was the camaraderie. We got to know Paideia students with whom we had not interacted before. Specifically, we spent time with three students whose host family was in the house right next to ours. They were people whom we had little to no relationship with, and we found out that the preconceived notions that we had about some of them were not true, and it was cool to see. 

Another one of the best parts was the freedom. After we finished our activities we were able to go to the mall and just hang out with our trip mates. We could buy whatever we wanted and further immerse ourselves in Costa Rican culture.