{"id":2681,"date":"2015-08-30T19:38:59","date_gmt":"2015-08-30T23:38:59","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/thediplomaticenvoy.com\/?p=2681"},"modified":"2020-02-05T15:09:49","modified_gmt":"2020-02-05T20:09:49","slug":"avonelle-davis-heredia-costa-rica","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.shu.edu\/thediplomaticenvoy\/2015\/08\/30\/avonelle-davis-heredia-costa-rica\/","title":{"rendered":"Avonelle Davis: Heredia, Costa Rica"},"content":{"rendered":"

\u00a1Hola! My name is Avonelle Davis<\/a> and I am a sophomore Diplomacy major at Seton Hall, originally from Mt. Pocono, PA. I will be spending Spring 2015 in Heredia, Costa Rica, taking classes in Advanced Spanish and a few courses on Latin American History, Literature, and Art at La Universidad Latina. As an introduction to my column in the Envoy, I\u2019m going to share tips that I\u2019ve picked up while preparing for my trip.<\/p>\n

Tip 1: \u201cPre-Immerse\u201d Yourself<\/p>\n

I knew it would be very difficult to keep myself practicing Spanish over winter break. In order to avoid losing any progress in Spanish I have made, I tried to do simple things to keep myself up to speed. Often, we learn the word for items like kitchen appliances or bathroom items early in our language journey, but as grammar becomes the focus of our study, simple vocab words for items you will use abroad every day tend to be forgotten. The first thing I did was to label commonly used items in my house with their Spanish names.<\/p>\n

Another method of pre-travel immersion is to keep up to date with the events in the region you\u2019ll be visiting. A good way to do to this is to skim a well-regarded local news site at least every few days to brief yourself on local politics and culture. While no one actually expects you to be a walking almanac when you arrive, you may find it helpful to have an understanding of current events in your town.<\/p>\n

Tip 2: Make a List<\/p>\n

One of my most important rules for traveling is that no packing list is too detailed. It\u2019s really important to give yourself a week to prepare a proper packing list. I say this because you need time to take note of the things that you use on a regular basis, but maybe not every day. Being able to check these items off of a physical list makes it easier to remember important things.<\/p>\n

But remember, a detailed packing list is different from a large one. Over-packing is a very easy crime to commit. That one face mask that you only use every month or so should stay home along with 12 of your 15 pairs of sunglasses and your perfume collection. Even if you do find yourself with enough room in your suitcase on the way there, you won\u2019t have much room for anything you could buy to bring home.<\/p>\n

Tip 3: Stay Organized<\/p>\n

This should go without saying, but if you are anything like me, organization just isn\u2019t your thing. And that\u2019s okay. My advice for staying on top of things is to try your hardest to keep important documents in one place. Find a safe place away from all of your clutter to store items like your passport, flight schedule, and other study abroad forms. This way, when it\u2019s time to leave, you won\u2019t find yourself in a panic trying to find everything you need. Trust me when I say that you don\u2019t want to be the person who scrambles for their passport the night before they leave.<\/p>\n

Tip 4: Give Yourself a Break<\/p>\n

Leaving everything that is familiar to you is stressful for so many reasons. It is completely normal for you to be freaking out. Allow yourself time to worry about getting through Customs, whether your host family will like you, how long it will take for you to learn a new language, or if you\u2019ll be plagued with<\/p>\n

eternal homesickness. Chances are, none of these things will happen and you will have an amazing time, but since worry is inevitable, just let it happen. Once you step off the plane in your new (temporary) home, the excitement will take over and most of your stress will be all but forgotten.<\/p>\n

Hopefully, these tips help relieve some apprehension anyone may have about preparing for a trip of any length. I will continue to document my trip on the Envoy website, so look out for updates!<\/p>\n

\u00a1Hasta luego!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

\u00a1Hola! My name is Avonelle Davis and I am a sophomore Diplomacy major at Seton Hall, originally from Mt. Pocono, PA.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1681,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"colormag_page_container_layout":"default_layout","colormag_page_sidebar_layout":"default_layout","_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[391,384],"tags":[452],"class_list":["post-2681","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-abroad","category-americas","tag-costa-rica"],"yoast_head":"\nAvonelle Davis: Heredia, Costa Rica - The Diplomatic Envoy<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/blogs.shu.edu\/thediplomaticenvoy\/2015\/08\/30\/avonelle-davis-heredia-costa-rica\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Avonelle Davis: Heredia, Costa Rica - The Diplomatic Envoy\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"\u00a1Hola! 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