Costa Rica reunion

It’s been a bit quiet around here lately—but I can explain. I’m just five weeks away from my college graduation ceremony, and I can hardly believe it.

And since it’s coming up so quickly, I’ve been haphazardly finishing projects or maintaining a social life—and visiting with the woman who became our adopted mother/aunt while we Spanish majors went to Costa Rica!

There we are, all twelve of us who returned from Costa Rica about a year and a half ago. Four have already moved on from MNVU, and two are student teaching this semester, so I see only half the group regularly. And then there’s Grettel! Whom I had not seen for a year and a half, so not only did I get to spend a few hours chatting (in Spanish!) with her, but I also helped to surprise her at the airport when she flew in.

That was last weekend. The reunión gave me a renewed passion for Spanish, and for how I could use it in tandem with my passion for communication. And then the day after, I had an unexpected treat of gallo pinto—the fantastic rice-and-beans staple of the Costa Rican diet—courtesy of Rob, who had some left over from a potluck he’d helped cook. Like icing on the cake, ¿verdad?

I talked to a prospective student this week who asked me what has been the most important or valuable experience that I’ve had as a Spanish major. I had to pause before I answered that question because I’ve had so many wonderful opportunities—besides going to Costa Rica, I’ve been able to lead a Spanish small group/Bible study, and my job working in the Spanish department has been a blast. Plus I can help out with the ESL classes for about an hour each week.

But I still have to say that being in Costa Rica, taking the classes, volunteering at the children’s center, was the period in which I grew the most, spiritually and academically. God changed how I viewed the Latin culture and how I understood myself through that trip.

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