Before I leave

I leave for Costa Rica on Friday, and so far, my procrastination gene has prevented me from packing, but I have thought a lot about my coming trip. I’ve thought about what I will see, and the people I will meet.

In one of my favorite books, The Art of Racing in the Rain, Enzo the Golden Retreiver, explains, “What you manifest before you will be your reality.” If I could talk to Enzo, I'd tell him that my eyes are firmly fixed on one prize, learning.

No doubt the country is full of beautiful scenery, but to tell you the truth I’m more interested in the people I will meet. What I like about my coming trip is that the locations are set, but the script has not been fully written. Those details will be filled in as I go.

Between the big city of San Jose and the smaller towns where my host families live, and the schools I will visit, is where I'll really learn about Costa Rica. This trip is about cultural immersion, so as I pack my bags I'll also be remembering to pack my curiosity so I can absorb all that comes my way.

I think being in a country where you don’t know the language, and trying to learn about its culture, will be similar to racing in the rain. A race-car driver has to be able to absorb the changing conditions. He actually has to slow down to speed up.

For me, I’ll be learning Spanish while I’m trying to learn about Costa Rica. This will be a challenge, but I'm looking forward to it. In order for me to learn about the people, history, culture, economics, education system, and politics of Costa Rica, I have to learn the language. I’ll have to slow down. By doing this, I’ll also learn many things about what it is like for a non-English speaking person to be in the United States. I’ll learn to race in the rain.