I'm one day away from reaching the halfway point in my LiA, and my experiences so far have been full of joy, learning, discomfort, challenge, and connection. This is my first time visiting Costa Rica and Latin America as a whole, so every day is a new adventure for me! 

My LiA work so far has been incredibly interesting. I'm working on a research team here at INCAE Business School that's specifically focused on Health Management and Innovation. My area of focus is specifically the rapid aging of Latin America and the Silver Economy (the goods and services utilized by seniors.) I spent the last two weeks researching and writing a 30-page paper on financial services, housing adaptations, and workforce re-entry in the Silver Economy, and I'm moving on to a market sizing simulation this week! This is a topic I've never learned about before and a brand-new work style, so I am definitely learning through challenge. I enter every meeting with my supervisor nervous to show her my work, but always leave with lots of constructive feedback and a sense of pride. 

A beautiful sunset outside my office. The sun sets very early here, around 6pm every day! 

On the weekends, I've spent my time getting to know the country. It's almost impossible to get around without a car, but the hospitality of my tico colleagues and a lucky connection through a Cornell friend have enabled me to see some sights. So far, I've visited the Museo Nacional de Arte Costarricense in the capital of San Jose, and the Poás volcano, the Starbucks Hacienda Alsacia coffee farm, and La Paz waterfall in the province of Alajuela. I also travelled to the city of Cartago, where I attended mass at their historic Basilica and got to see the statue of Costa Rica's patron saint. Everything here is steeped in history: buildings are French-inspired because of coffee-enriched architects headed to study abroad, the central market was once a World War 2 concentration camp for Nazi propagandists, the Basilica is the gathering place for an annual, countrywide pilgrimage on August 2nd. My Costa Rican friends are always eager to share those stories with me, and I am always happy to listen. 

Me at the Poás Volcano! It was a very foggy day, so the volcano basin was sadly not visible when we visited. 

Adaptations are a constant as I try to integrate into everyday life, with language being the most significant. From the get-go, I quickly discovered that the Spanish skills that helped me succeed in the classroom most definitely did not translate to daily life. People here speak with a flowing ease that speeds through words before I can process them; they adorn their words with sayings that make no sense to the non-tico brain. I am building my language skills through daily practice, but the disconnect is still there. Not being able to speak my mind frustrates me, especially because words have always come easily to me in my native language. In English, I am an avid reader and an articulate speaker; I write to clear my head and to express my creativity. Here, I am a kindergartener. Just two days ago, the National Orchestra visited our campus for a special event, and they played with incredible talent and beauty. As a violinist myself, I wanted to go up to a musician and give them my compliments, but they left before I could put the words together. On my walk home today, a kind staff member offered to give me a lift home, and I couldn't think of anything beyond a simple thank-you to express that it wasn't necessary. I wish I could give every single person here the gratitude they deserve, but my language barrier will not allow it.

I've resolved to work as hard as I can to improve at Spanish while I'm here. It's a humbling, uncomfortable experience, but I'm trying small steps. Last weekend, I made a grocery trip and went to a traditional restaurant for a solo lunch to practice my language skills. Though there was some confusion trying to pay the bill and find my Uber afterwards, I'm proud of how I made it through successfully. I even chatted with my Uber driver and found out that he liked to sing Ariana Grande songs! 

For the second half of my LiA, I'm looking forward to connecting more with the people I've met here. The World Cup is on, and though Costa Rica sadly didn't qualify, spirits are high for the country's favourite sport. I've enjoyed cheering on Canada and seeing my home cities of Vancouver and Seattle on the big screen as my colleagues analyze every play to a tee. Though I'm sad that I can't be home for such a special time, it has been energizing to be here too, where everyone cares about "fútbol" with their heart and soul. Additionally, I'm excited to take my colleagues up on invitations to meet their kids and check out their favourite hiking spots in the next few weeks. I've already had the chance to meet a colleague's adorable baby girl and her niece, who's the same age as I am. She's quickly become a friend--we listened to the new Olivia Rodrigo album together over homemade spaghetti with burrata this week. It's amazing to me how much our generation has in common through the Internet, even though we've grown up in completely different countries! 

Up next, I'm headed to San Jose this weekend with a friend to see the museums and artisans market. I'm so excited to keep exploring the country with the time I have left! Thank you to everyone following along and much love to my friends and family at home. I'm looking forward to seeing all of you soon. 

With love,

Alex