Spain and Colombia

Kristiina Napritson, Spain and Colombia 2015-16

I spent my Year Abroad in Spain, Costa Rica and Colombia (4 months in Costa Rica and 3 months in the other two countries). I did an internship in a youth hostel in Barcelona. It was a great and valuable experience, but my most memorable time was in Latin-America. I did an internship in a 5-star hotel in Costa Rica, in a small town called Santa Ana near the capital San José. It was one of the best experiences of my whole life. I met amazing people and got to try different departments in the hotel, as well as improve my Spanish. It was very difficult to understand local people at first, because they spoke really fast, but over time my listening comprehension improved significantly and I became more confident.

I worked 48 hours a week, but found some time to travel and see the country, too. The highlights were seeing a volcano, walking along picture-perfect beaches and having wild animals all around (monkeys, iguanas, raccoons), horseback-riding and zipline in a rainforest. But most of all, it was the people who made it so memorable and I will never forget them. In Colombia, I spent my time volunteering in a hostel in Medellin. It is a great city with lots to do and discover. I met really great people again and spent Christmas and New Year’s Eve with a local family in one of the poorer neighbourhoods which was probably the highlight of my time there.

It was culturally a very new and exciting experience for me. I loved immersing myself with the local people and seeing what the real life is like in this side of the world instead of staying in a tourist bubble. My year abroad was really all about stepping out of my comfort zone and trying new things. I am so much more confident now, not only with my Spanish, but as a person, too. It was a really valuable experience, a dream come true, and I recommend everyone who are about to go on their year abroad to just go for it and make it count, take every chance to step out of your comfort zone and grow. You will not get a year like this again.