Costa Rica: Kyle Cech
Program: UW Spanish Language in Costa Rica, Summer
Major: Environmental Sciences & Spanish
What did you learn about yourself or the world because of your experience?
Being in Costa Rica for six weeks truly exposed me to another culture and way of life, helping me learn more about the world. Having lived in the US all my life, I rarely questioned things I viewed as normal. But, living under a different set of cultural norms made me wonder about why certain things are the way they just are in the US. While I was abroad, I saw how the people there viewed time and deadlines differently, attitudes were more positive, the importance of family and friends, and many other things. I also saw how many things were similar, even with all these differences. In the end, it helped me realize that culture drastically impacts our ways of thinking, but it doesn’t mean that we don’t share common experiences that can connect us.
What is your most memorable experience from your program?
During my last two weeks studying abroad, I took a class studying Afro-Caribbean culture in Costa Rica, where we visited the Asamblea Legislativa, the country’s legislative building. There, we met Rosalía Brown, an Afro-Caribbean legislator, who answered some questions from my classmates and I about her issues concerning the black community in Costa Rica. This included a lack of educational and economic opportunities, subtle racism, and a lack of awareness about their culture. After interviewing Brown, we toured the legislative building and the room where they discuss projects.
How did your identities impact your experience? What advice would you give to students with similar identities who are considering a similar experience?
I believe that my identity as a white American impacted my experience the most. As I explained earlier, being American definitely caused a bit of a culture shock when going through my daily life and seeing how things like time, family, and food are viewed differently. Additionally, being white and dressing like an American in Costa Rica makes you stand out a little. In my experience, it didn’t affect me negatively much; however, I have heard from locals that it can make you more prone to petty theft or pickpocketing. So, my advice would be to be open to immersing yourself in the Costa Rican culture to make the most of your experience, but also be aware that being American can sometimes make you a target for theft.
Interacting with my host family and teachers daily helped build my confidence and skills with Spanish, but going to the artisan’s market and being able to barter with the vendors made me feel like I was confidently able to navigate almost any situation in Spanish.
What challenges or barriers did you face as you prepared to go abroad and/or during your time abroad? How did you work through them?
One challenge I faced while abroad was getting used to Costa Rican food. I am a vegetarian and I feel like in the US there are many vegetarian or vegan foods available at restaurants and grocery stores, especially in Madison. So, being exposed to an entirely different type of cuisine and trying to figure out which foods I could eat and enjoy was a struggle. To overcome this, I asked my host family and professors about popular Costa Rican dishes to learn about new foods to try. By doing this, I found new vegetarian foods that I enjoyed, like patacones, gallo pinto, and maduros, that helped me fall in love with Costa Rican food.
How will your experience benefit you in the future? How might it affect your future career or studies?
As a Spanish major, studying abroad in Costa Rica greatly helped me to improve my Spanish, especially my conversational skills. Many Spanish classes I took at Madison didn’t have a strong focus on speaking, so I didn’t feel as confident in that area. But speaking Spanish every day definitely helped me with this. Improving my Spanish will also help my future studies as I take more Spanish classes and feel more confident with my abilities. Also, it will help me with my future career if I have to communicate with any Spanish speakers in my field.