(Study Abroad) Typical Day

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1. A typical weekday started with my alarm buzzing at 6:20 a.m. I would roll out of bed, wrap a towel around my waist, and step into the bathroom for a lukewarm shower. I would normally be dressed and at the kitchen counter by 6:35, eating eggs and crackers, drinking fresh juice, and either studying Spanish or chatting with my host mom, Isa. My house was located a good distance from campus, so I took a bus every day. Leaving my house at 6:50, I would meet with a study abroad friend and we would walk 5 minutes to the bus stop. After a bouncy 15 minute ride we would get off in central Heredia, joining the morning crowd as we walked to campus. Traveling from my house to my classroom typically took 45 minutes.

My first class of the day, Intermediate Spanish 1 and 2, consisted of me, two American girls, and our Tica teacher. Class began at 8 and ran until 10. After class the girls and I would cross the street to a café and complete our homework as we sipped coffee and ate pastries. On Monday through Wednesday I had Spanish Conversation from 1 to 3, and on Thursday I had Latin American History from 1 to 4, so after the café I would walk to Heredia’s park and eat the lunch my host mom packed and people watch. On Mondays and Wednesdays I had a Latin American Dance class from 5:45 until 7:00, so I would study a bit after my afternoon class before joining my friends at a bar to prepare for dance. On Thursdays we would all meet at a soccer field at 4:15 and play soccer for a few hours. I skipped class to travel every Friday, which meant that Tuesday was really the only day I was able to make it home before dark (it got dark at 5:30).



I rode the bus home every evening. Each ride cost me about 50 cents, so I probably spent close to $30 dollars riding buses to and from school. When I got home I would exercise and then eat dinner with my host mom and sometimes my host brother. We would watch some television, converse a bit, and then I would retire to my room and study until I fell asleep.

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