Sydney Baumeister, 2012

Where did you live abroad and for how long?

Sydney:I moved to Costa Rica after I graduated college in October of 2016 and lived and worked there for two years.

What did you do there?

Sydney: I volunteered for an organization called Global Leadership Adventures.

What did you learn from your experience? 

Sydney: The biggest thing I learned was how to be comfortable with being uncomfortable. It’s really humbling to live in a place where you speak your second language and you don’t know how things work. You learn a lot about yourself! It’s like you’re a toddler that’s in an adult’s body and you’re expected to do all the normal things adults do, but you have a toddler’s brain. Things are just hard, and I learned to accept that. Whether it’s navigating a visit to the doctor when you’re sick, being away from the people you love the most during a hard time, or making friends, it’s never going to be easy, but you just have to adapt to the task at hand.

What inspired you to go on this trip? 

Sydney: I wanted to improve my Spanish, and I felt that the best way to do that was by living in a Spanish-speaking country. My senior year of college I applied to about 50-100 jobs in Spanish speaking countries, until I found Global Leadership Adventures.

Do you have any advice for students who are interested in traveling abroad? 

Sydney: Do it! What do you have to lose? Either you find an amazing new home away from home, meet friends you never would have met otherwise, potentially learn a language, and become a better person because of it, OR you realize the place you traveled to isn’t for you, and you never have to return. You win either way.

Would you recommend living abroad and why?

Sydney: YES! First of all, depending on where you choose, you will have the opportunity to learn another language. Learning another language is great for your brain and health, is fun, and allows you to meet and make connections with lots of people you never would have met otherwise. Secondly, you get to try amazing new foods. There is more to the world than Chipotle, Panera, and McDonalds! I love all those restaurants, but I also have expanded my palette and found new foods I LOVE. For example, I have enjoyed rice and beans for breakfast, fried plantains, salsa lizano, and old bread covered in ants (which wasn’t my favorite, but I still tried it). Thirdly, you can immerse yourself in a new culture! Learning about the way other people live their lives will make you a better person. It might cause you to reflect and realize what really matters, OR it might be a confirmation of what you already knew was important to you. Lastly, it’s FUN and the craziest, most transformative adventure you will ever have.