Throughout my time in Costa Rica, I’ve discovered the beauty in the small things. From the kindness of a family to the warmth of sharing our culture, it has been an experience like no other. Additionally, learning about the healthcare system in Costa Rica has allowed me to understand health… read more
Costa Rica
Unconventional Study Abroad Destinations You Might Not Have Considered
The world offers no shortage of destinations to consider when studying abroad. However, it seems that many students often favor the same Western European options. While Spain’s assortment of flavorful “tapas” and the romantic atmosphere of France land these countries among the top three on the U.S. News and World… read more
Letting Go of Staying Dry in Panama
There is a point while living abroad where you have to give up on dry feet and let your socks get wet. Metaphorically, this means that there have been many points where I have had to step out of my comfort zone and welcome new experiences and ideas, even if… read more
Finding Peace in Fast-Paced Panama
A picture is worth a thousand words, but a moment is worth a lifetime. There have been so many moments since arriving in Panama during which I must pause and fully absorb my surroundings, snapshotting my experiences like photos in my head. Watching “tortugitas,” or small turtles struggling toward the… read more
I Studied Abroad … Now What?
After planning my study abroad trip for more than three years (thanks to what I’ve nicknamed “pandemic patience”), my four months in Costa Rica passed in a flash. I’ve been back in the United States for a little over a month now, and my time abroad already feels like a… read more
Falling in Love with Language Learning
Spanish Frustrations Between my mediocre high school Spanish program and the intense 6-hour courses at UT, I had taken 7 years of Spanish classes in the United States before arriving in Costa Rica. Despite my good grades, I had little to show for it in the conversation department. As someone… read more
Host Family Life
First Impressions Within an hour of my arrival in San José, I had been dropped off at a papaya-colored house 75 meters east of the Palí supermarket, which I soon learned was as close to an official address as you can get in Costa Rica. As my host mom, or… read more
Overcoming Barriers to Study Abroad
Three years ago, I was applying to colleges with the hope of spending a portion of my college career abroad. As a first-generation student, being accepted into my first-choice college was an accomplishment in itself, but as soon as I stepped on campus, I began planning for my ultimate goal–a… read more
Why I Went Abroad: A Look at Five Moments
This blog post was contributed by Estefania Rodriguez, an Education Abroad peer advisor who helped other Longhorns begin their own transformative education abroad adventures. Every person who has studied abroad has a collection of stories at their disposal for the moment they get asked about their experience. As a peer… read more
Pura Vida! Part #3
Just like that, my time here in San Joaquin, Costa Rica came and went. Tomorrow is my last class day, Friday is our farewell dinner, and Saturday I am on a flight back to Texas. While the assignments for this course have ramped up a bit here at the end… read more