TCNJ’s Michael Cacoilo ’11 Reflects Upon His Time in Costa Rica
I can’t believe it’s been five months since I left Costa Rica – the beautiful Central American country that I called home for a semester. As my time abroad was coming to an end, it didn’t feel real. I had made such amazing friends – both from Costa Rica and different parts of the US – and my host family had become real family. Looking back on all the experiences I had, all the places I saw, all the people I met, I felt so grateful for this incredible opportunity and everything it had taught me. My time volunteering at the clinic was one of the most valuable parts of my experience, and it helped me to realize that I want to pursue medicine as a career. I have to say that my Spanish has improved tremendously – through interactions with my host family, coworkers at the clinic, Costa Rican students at my university, and people I met at the bus stop.
I’ve had the entire summer to get re-accustomed to life in the US, but not a day goes by that I don’t think about my time in Costa Rica. I keep in touch with the close friends I made there as well as my host family. Every time I hear Latin music, my mind wanders back to the dance floor at Castro’s, the bar the my friends and I loved to go to. I’ve spent hours looking through the pictures I took of my neighborhood, the sunsets, the mountains, and my friends. I find myself constantly telling people stories about my trip, always with a huge smile on my face. I can’t wait to go back and visit. But in the meantime, emails, pictures, stories, and music are a few of the little things keep me connected to the amazing place, experience, and people that changed my life.
