Things I Learnt In Costa Rica

Learning From Your Travels

I had a wonderful time in the Costa Rica, visiting the capital of San Jose and the beach town of Jaco. It's a truly beautiful country and well worth visiting but, as with any trip, I learnt a few things both good and bad that will make future travels much easier. So grab a cuppa, and settle down for a few of Liza's life lessons from Costa Rica. 


Going Through Security As Boarding Starts Will Make You Miss Your Flight

Trust your anxious instinct. Do not trust (ex-)boyfriend, even if he is Costa Rican (note: we didn't break up because of this, don't worry!). Do not trust airport officials who tell you 'it's fine' when you're still in the queue at the time boarding ends. Trust me, I had to learn the hard way (on the plus side I did get to spend an extra 24 hours with him.. Was this his plan all along?) 


It's Possible To play Cheat In A Language You Don't Speak 

Even if you do badly mispronounce words. You will also learn new ways to swear, which is always interesting. In fact I enjoyed this so much I think I might always play cheat in other languages: fun and educational!


Tomatoes Are An Excellent Cure For Sunburn

I'm not kidding. Put the tomato in the freezer for ten minutes, cut in half and rub the juice and pulp all over the affected area. It was extremely embarrassing and hilarious to have Andres' brother's half-sister (who I met that day) rub tomato all over my shoulders and I half-thought it was an elaborate joke, but that little red fruit made my even redder shoulders feel a million times better and by the morning they were brown. It's worth smelling like a salad. 


Speaking A Second Language Is Often Useful, Even If It's Not That Country's Language

I can't count the number of times I spoke French on this trip, and last summer it was the only language that I shared with an old Italian grandfather. Since my Spanish is terrible, it's very useful to find that the language that I can passably speak will come in handy even outside of France. When you meet someone try to find out what languages you have in common, it's a great way of bonding and practise for your knowledge of that neglected foreign language in your brain.


Goodbyes Are Hard

Unfortunately at the end of the trip we decided that not only was it time to say goodbye to each other, it was also time to say goodbye to the relationship. Although not entirely unexpected, and definitely the right decision, it really made me realise how difficult it is to let go of somebody. It wasn't my first heart-breaking airport goodbye but it was still incredibly upsetting, and I just have to remember that at least we had an enjoyable last week together.



All of my experiences add up to making me the person I am today, and I think the ones we experience abroad especially so. Whether it's hilarious tomato wearing to heartbreaking farewells, it's important to remember them all and learn from everything. Now who wants to play cheat?

2 comments:

  1. Totally agree with the lessons you've learned, I'd love to learn a new language!

    Anika | www.anikamay.co.uk

    ReplyDelete
  2. You should try to learn one, it's such an enjoyable experience :)

    Thanks for commenting xx

    ReplyDelete

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