My friends told me that they thought I was brave…brave because I’m a “mature” person…not a traditional university student going abroad…I’m a wife, a mother, an early retiree from a successful professional career, and a grandmother. Personally, I don’t think I was brave. I think I was fortunate. Going to Costa Rica to study Spanish was, without a doubt, one of the best decisions I’ve ever made. I’d do it again in a heart-beat. I’ve travelled a lot in my life…to Europe many times, to Asia, and all across the United States, but I had never ventured off by myself with a life goal in mind…to get closer to becoming bilingual. I won’t deny that I was nervous and apprehensive about being away from my home, my husband, my town, and my native language. I know ... read more