The first day I started taking Spanish in eighth grade, I fell in love with the language. I learned quickly under the tutelage of an inspiring and passionate teacher, Señora Schwab. Throughout the year, she kept us immersed in the language, refusing to speak English during class, requiring frequent oral presentations, and getting the class involved in games requiring quick thinking in Spanish. By the end of the year, I was all about Spanish. Celia Cruz and Aventura replaced the American Top 40 on my iTunes.

In the spring of that year, my eighth grade class went on a weeklong community service trip to Norogachi, Mexico, a pueblo in the state of Chihuahua. We spent the week making adobe, exploring the village, and locking ourselves out of our rooms at Marta's house. "Mis llaves están en mi cuarto y la puerta está cerrada." Each time, my classmates turned to me to ask Marta to let us back in. By the end of the week, I never wanted to leave. The culture fascinated me and the chance to practice my Spanish with native speakers was exhilarating.

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I am currently living in Bahia Ballena, Costa Rica, for the summer. Bahia Ballena is a small town (about 800-1000 people) on the Pacific coast just north of the Osa Peninsula. I actually first came to Bahia Ballena two years ago for the Thinking Beyond Borders program orientation. During the ten days we were here, we began to discuss the issues we would confront during our travels, and we explored the unique natural habitats the area has to offer. We learned local greetings such as "¡Pura Vida!" and walked around the town to start learning how to approach a new community.

This past winter, I contacted Chris Stakich, Thinking Beyond Borders Co-Founder, to help me figure out a summer plan in a Spanish-speaking country. Chris put me in touch with Travis Bays, a previous Peace Corps volunteer, who gave the TBB group a tour around Bahia Ballena and still lives there now.

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