Blog 1: Pre Travel 5/17/13

I am going on this study away experience to Costa Rica in the hopes of gaining an experience that I could never get in a college classroom. I want to experience another culture and how they live their day to day lives, what their schools are like, and how their culture differs from my own. Up until a couple days ago I was super nervous and scared about going on this trip. This was because I have only been on a plane once in my life, I have never left the country before, and I am extremely nervous about living with a family that does not speak English as their first language and that I have never met before. Now today, as I am sitting in the Chicago airport, I am extremely excited and my nerves are slowly starting to fade. I am anxious to get to Costa Rica to immerse myself in all aspects of the culture such as the food, housing, transportation, entertainment, education, nature, and much more. I know there will be some things I will experiencing that are out of my comfort zone, but that is also why I am excited. I want to do things that might not be easy or comfortable for me because these are the things that will help me grow as a person and become a better teacher for my future students.