Despite the hours of research, planning and preparation that went into my LEAP adventure to Costa Rica this summer, no itinerary could have readied me for the moment I arrived in the middle of the night, during a rainstorm, to a stranger’s doorstep in San José. I admit there was a brief moment after I rang the doorbell where I thought ‘what on earth am I doing here?’ but as soon Felicia, my ‘Mama Tica’ (Costa Rican host mum), opened the door with a smile and a hug, any doubt subsided.
As I was going to be in Costa Rica for five weeks, I decided that a week of language immersion would be a good start. I arrived equipped only with the very basics from Duolingo, meaning my first conversations with Felicia were heavily google-translate reliant, but as the week went on and I attended lessons at the language school, I started to make progress. Though I can’t claim to be nearly fluent in Spanish now, I began using what I’d learnt at school to navigate buses, order food and speak slightly more coherently to Felica. Whilst I soon realised that explaining the basics of the British political system as we watched the general election results was beyond my Spanish ability, Felicia had me practicing my counting as the votes came through. Being alone in the capital city was daunting at first but I soon gained confidence solo exploring. After tiring but fun days at school I visited bustling markets, art galleries and attended the Costa Rican cooking and dancing lessons offered by the school. It was a great way not only to learn some of the language but make friends and understand more about Costa Rican culture.
Just as I had adjusted to my school routine, I was again pushed out of my comfort zone when I started my internship, still in San José. I spent the next two weeks working at satis.Factory, an independent cultural space rooted in the community. This appealed as I’d enjoyed learning about Latin American artists as part of my art history degree and looking toward my future beyond university, I was eager to get some hands-on experience in a gallery. During my stay, I created and organized databases, helped with the setup of an art fair and the installation of the Kim Torres exhibition “Florece La Sombra”, as well as the daily care of the space. This gave me a unique insight into the practicalities of running a gallery and I particularly valued being involved in curatorial decision making. The community-centric ethos of the gallery meant I often shared dinner with the artists, curators and other creatives connected to the space. Erika who runs the space regularly caters for those collaborating as she sees sharing a meal as an important way of facilitating a more informal environment where ideas can be exchanged and projects discussed. This was very insightful for me, as engaging in those conversations built my confidence and allowed me to make connections. It also enabled me to understand more about the art scene in San José and beyond, learning the importance of spaces like satis.Factory in forging strong connections within Central America. I was truly immersed in the city’s arts scene and explored it further though activities such as the Art City Tour, visiting or attending events in spaces such as the Cultural Center of Spain, the Jade Museum, the Museum of Contemporary Art and Design, TEOR/ética, Cinema Magaly and the Shorts Costa Rica International Film Festival.
I spent the final two weeks of my trip hiking and hostelling around Costa Rica. The national parks were a highlight for me with the two-day group hike being an incredible opportunity to get as immersed in the jungle as possible. I was already sweating before we started walking in the thirty-degree heat so was very grateful that the hike involved a few river crossings to cool off! Once we made the steep ascent into the jungle on almost untrodden paths we encountered all sorts of wildlife from monkeys to toucans, helpfully pointed out by our local guide. Soon the weather turned and the ‘rainforest’ truly lived up to its name as small droplets rapidly turned into a deluge. Having never trekked further before or experienced such challenging terrain, by the end of the day the sight of the basic cabin we were staying in was very welcome! Hot Costa Rican coffee and biscuits awaited us and we spent the evening drying off, learning about the local area and watching the fireflies. Being in the middle of the jungle, we were totally off-grid, eating dinner by candlelight and drinking water from a spring. Though this hike was beyond my comfort zone, I absolutely loved it and realised that I was capable of more than I imagined.
My first solo trip was a jam packed five weeks full of new experiences and environments that vastly grew my confidence and independence. Relying on new language skills and having to quickly build relationships within a team, my ability to adapt to change and navigate different situations was fostered. I am very grateful for the opportunity LEAP provided for me to have experiences that both directly related to my degree and future career as well as those opportunities that were enriching in other ways. It’s been an immensely valuable experience from the process of planning a unique adventure for myself to now reflecting upon it. I have come away with a newfound confidence for future adventures and know that I have the flexibility to thrive in diverse environments.
