Honors Junior and communication, public relations major Kayla Hall spent this spring semester in San José, Costa Rica studying at the Universidad Veritas. Kayla received an Honors College International Education Scholarship Award for her semester abroad. About her experience Kayla relates, “I fell in love with the country and the pura vida (pure life) way of living the Tico and Tica people preach. I had the opportunity to travel around the country every weekend, exploring the various natural landscapes and Costa Rica preserves in its national parks. This small country the size of West Virginia has active volcanoes, gorgeous Caribbean beaches, untouched rainforests, and mountain landscapes all within the distance of a bus ride. Living with a host family in a small neighborhood outside the central city, I had the chance to know Costa Rica from a perspective I never would have known otherwise.”
Kayla is pictured below second from right with her host family (Mama Tica, Papa Tico, and sister Maria). Photo submitted. Kayla shares, “My host family made my transition to Costa Rica easy and have become my second family.”
In her last week in Costa Rica, Kayla reported "I never expected to feel at home in a foreign country where I did not know the language, but here I am, wishing time would slow down so I could relive these beautiful memories for a little longer."
Top photo shows Kayla in Costa Rica at a natural hot springs heated by Arenal Volcano. Photo submitted.
