Costa Rica
This past summer Riley went on a Spanish Immersion Trip to Costa Rica for two weeks with a group of students and leaders from GSES. The first week was spent in one part of the country and the second week was spent in another part. Each week she stayed with a local host home. The families she lived with didn't speak English and it was a great way for her to learn how to communicate in Spanish. Each day she had 3-4 hour Spanish lessons at a Spanish school. They did multiple excursions including two different zip-lining places, surfing lessons in the ocean, seeing the Cloud Bridge, bungee jumping of some sort, and other things I can't remember.
It was interesting because Riley isn't one to miss home, but she really missed us on this trip. We spent time texting each other on our phones and my favorite were the few times when we could FaceTime each other. She felt like she wasn't really learning much Spanish and that the lessons were boring, but she's finding Spanish incredibly easy this year and that's not what most students say about it. I credit her trip as part of the reason that she finds speaking Spanish to be easier.
I loved hearing her stories about her trip. How she got so much sand in her bathing suit and it was stuck between the two layers and wouldn't come out so she couldn't wear that suit again. How all she ever ate was beans and rice and rice and beans. In fact, she made a list of about 20 restaurants she wanted to eat at when she got home. She was starving (not literally) and longing for our American food. I loved hearing about how she got to know the girls from school better and they are different girls from the ones she usually hangs around. I love that her social group expanded. She seemed older when she returned. I love that she missed home because it meant she was a little out of her comfort zone and you always grow when you're in that place. It's uncomfortable, but it's important.
She had dozens of mosquito bites on her legs when she returned home. It took months for them to heal because she would itch them so much. Almost looked like an allergic reaction?! Thankfully that's healed now. We asked if she wanted to go on the trip again and she's gone back and forth on what to do about it, but we've decided not to pursue the trip again. Sometimes it's nice to try new things. I can't wait to see what her next adventure looks like.
It was interesting because Riley isn't one to miss home, but she really missed us on this trip. We spent time texting each other on our phones and my favorite were the few times when we could FaceTime each other. She felt like she wasn't really learning much Spanish and that the lessons were boring, but she's finding Spanish incredibly easy this year and that's not what most students say about it. I credit her trip as part of the reason that she finds speaking Spanish to be easier.
I loved hearing her stories about her trip. How she got so much sand in her bathing suit and it was stuck between the two layers and wouldn't come out so she couldn't wear that suit again. How all she ever ate was beans and rice and rice and beans. In fact, she made a list of about 20 restaurants she wanted to eat at when she got home. She was starving (not literally) and longing for our American food. I loved hearing about how she got to know the girls from school better and they are different girls from the ones she usually hangs around. I love that her social group expanded. She seemed older when she returned. I love that she missed home because it meant she was a little out of her comfort zone and you always grow when you're in that place. It's uncomfortable, but it's important.
She had dozens of mosquito bites on her legs when she returned home. It took months for them to heal because she would itch them so much. Almost looked like an allergic reaction?! Thankfully that's healed now. We asked if she wanted to go on the trip again and she's gone back and forth on what to do about it, but we've decided not to pursue the trip again. Sometimes it's nice to try new things. I can't wait to see what her next adventure looks like.
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