Sol Education Abroad: Study Abroad in Heredia, Costa Rica

I had never been out of the country on my own before traveling to Costa Rica last spring semester with Sol Education. I was nervous, especially for the home stay, but my time spent abroad was one of the most incredible experiences of my life and something that has impacted my day to day since I returned. My host family was generous and kind, my program directors were supportive and amazing resources, and the friends that I met through the program changed my life. Throughout my four months in Costa Rica, I attended regular classes, both focusing on the Spanish language with students in my program, as well as classes with locals at the Universidad Latina. After class and on weekends I spent time with the people in my program, either in formal organized activities by Sol or extra trips planned by my friends and I. I am so thankful to Sol for the opportunity to get to know a different culture and immerse myself in a variety of experiences I would never had dreamed possible in the U.S.

At the end of this trip, I told everybody that this was the greatest three weeks of my life. By far the best decision that I have ever made was studying abroad with Sol Education Abroad in Costa Rica. I began the program not knowing to much spanish but that changed exponentially by the end of the trip. I plan to pursue an internship in Costa Rica because I fell in love with the country and I owe this great experience to Sol Education Abroad and cannot thank my program directors enough for this opportunity.

Sol study abroad was an amazing experience and being in high school still, people in the program did a fantastic job with helping me along the way. I became a family with my host family and I always felt welcome and safe. The director made one on one relations with her students and truly cared for us. I had great teachers, enhancing my spanish language and culture by challenging me to learn and broaden my horizons. Also, the excursions were some of the best times of my life.

The SOL abroad program in Costa Rica is phenomenal.
The Staff: The program directors are amazing. They offer 24/7 support for anything from homesickness to difficult schoolwork to travel recommendations to the flu. They are personally invested in making sure that the students have what they need and that they get everything they can out of the program.
The Students: While I'm sure this varies depending on the group, my particular bunch of students got along great. The students come from all over the Unites States. As the directors put it, each student is a unique ingredient in the "SOL soup." This program brings together people with different experiences and backgrounds, and gives them the space to explore this new culture together.
The Country: Costa Rica is unlike any place on earth. The people are warm and welcoming, and "Pura Vida" ("Pure Life") is not just a catch phrase: it truly is their way of living. For a $20 round trip ticket, you can travel anywhere in the country, going from vibrant city streets to virgin rain forests to sleepy beach towns in under an hour. Costa Rica is a place of infinite exploration, and everything is easily accessible and often extremely affordable (especially if you don't mind staying in hostels).
The Excursions: SOL picks a variety of excursions and cultural activities that presents the students with the best of the country. The activities and trips are well organized, and they are enriching experiences for all those that chose to participate. The directors ensure that the students have all of the necessary knowledge needed to gain everything they can from each outing (a testament to their devotion to the experience of the students).

My study abroad experience with SOL education abroad was an adventure of a lifetime! All of my directors were amazing and provided us with a bunch of opportunities to maximize our experience. My host family was very welcoming and made me feel like part of their wonderful family. I made some really great friends that I still keep in touch with and plan to forever. Not only were the classes fun and engaging, but the excursions allowed us to see and experience so much of Costa Rica. Saying goodbye to the directors, my host family, new friends, and Costa Rica was one of the hardest things I've ever had to do. I will never forget my summer abroad with SOL!

I was never sold on the idea of study abroad because of the price tag, but now having done it, I can 200% say, it's worth it. Traveling by yourself or just with friends/family, you will not get the experience of living with locals, meeting other students with similar interests from all over the country, and doing the cultural activities as a group and guided by wonderful directors and Ticos.
I had an amazing Mama Tica who blessed me (she's Catholic like the majority of Ticos) every single time I left the house. Along with Costa Rican food, she made me pancakes and spaghetti, to try to make me feel at home.
My program was led by some incredible directors, Yessenia and Angie, who you can tell love their country, and love showing it to us students. They encourage us to buy products from the locals to support families rather than corporations, which I love. They also give great recommendations for activities and places to go on our free afternoons and weekends.
The excursions to La Fortuna, Manuel Antonio, and white water rafting were so much fun. Costa Rica is a stunning country, and I couldn't have picked a better program.
Quick recommendations: if you go in the summer, I would recommend a reusable poncho, because honestly umbrellas just don't cut it--my shorts were soaked every time. Take lots of tank tops! The humidity is insane, and you'll want to wear the least amount possible. I wore Chacos every day, and I was so glad. They're waterproof, and super comfortable for walking to/from school and around the city. The classes have homework every night, but the professors are very nice and understanding. They know you're there to explore too, so don't stress if you can't get EVERY single thing completed. Most of all, just get out and enjoy every second. You're going to meet a ton of great people and have some really fun adventures.

I really enjoyed my time in Costa Rica with Sol. I tried a bunch of new things (foods and activities), I spent some awesome time in nature, I met some really cool people, I lived with a kind host family, and I improved my Spanish. I really appreciated that the first several weekends had arranged travel, but then the weekends after that were open for us to travel as we pleased. This arrangement worked well because it gave us time to get acclimated to our surroundings before sending us off on our own. By the end of my time in Costa Rica, I felt that I had grown a lot in independence and courage. I was more willing explore new places on my own, and this is a skill that will serve me well in the rest of my life.
My favorite memory of my trip is swimming in the bottom of La Fortuna waterfall. It was so gorgeous that it almost didn't seem like real life. I'll never forget it.

I spent 3 weeks of my winter break in Costa Rica with SOL Education Abroad. We spent New Year's Eve there, one of the coolest experiences I had on the trip.

We went to la casa de la hija de Mama Tica where we met her daughters, son-in-law, and grandchildren. They only live about 2 minutes away. The house was still decorated for Navidad. Era bellísimo y la familia tambien. Kylie and I felt welcome at Mama Tica’s daughter’s house, the whole family greeted us with a kiss on the cheek which is customary in Costa Rica, but still much appreciated. We ate dinner at about 10:00 at night. I had steak and chicken on tortillas with chimichurri. Interestingly, the chimichurri wasn’t like the sauce I had tried before en los Estados Unidos. It was chopped tomatoes with onions and cilantro, but still delicioso!

We counted down for el año nuevo and Mama Tica literally jumped out of her seat and ran out of the room when we reached zero! We followed her outside to watch fireworks and celebrate in the street. I’ll never forget the view. We stood halfway up a steep hill overlooking downtown Heredia and San José. The lights of two cities were joined by sparks of fireworks on the mountain. The night air was cool and a couple other families in the neighborhood celebrated with drums and firecrackers. We came back inside to have “gelatina” which is jello and rum cake with caramel vanilla ice cream.

Soon we would return home, eager to get some sleep. Before we went to bed, Mama Tica told Kylie and I that we were gems, so close to in such a short amount of time. She is so happy we are able to communicate well with her. She drew the sign of the cross on our foreheads with her thumb, as she does most mornings before we leave the house, and off to bed we went. I hope to stay in touch with Mama Tica for as long as possible! She taught me so much Spanish, sometimes we would talk for hours after dinner (which was always delicious.) This was just one of the many meaningful experiences I had in Costa Rica, I'd be able to fill a whole book with the rest.