Costa Rica day 10

So I know it's definitely not day 10, but coming back home I definitely needed sometime to settle down and unpack before I wrote this last post. The last clinic day I really focused on taking notes about all the different patients we saw. It was a great day to do this because we really did see a lot, including a vaginal infection, a hemorrhoid, and even emphysema. The man who had emphysema had started smoking at the age of 9!!! It was crazy hearing the reasoning behind him smoking. He had said that his father used to give him cigarettes because it would cool him down when he was working on the farm. The man had also had time to tell us a lot about his life, like the fact that his first wife died giving birth. And his son was now living in Texas and he misses him a lot, even though his son doesn't really make an effort to come home a lot. It was heart breaking to see the tears in his eyes as he talked about his family and how much he missed his first wife and his son. You could tell through his face that it still broke him a little inside every time he talked about his past. And yet he still lived in the same small country village where his past remains with him. He seemed like a humble, calm man who was still living life and moving forward. His personality, like so many other patients, was inspiring. Although there were many other patients that I met that I loved talking to, he was one who definitely stood out to me. For the rest I have written notes on my medical guidelines packet so that I can remember their stories in the future. An important thing that the doctors also taught me was that as a doctor it isn't about being buddy buddy with your patient. Although we are supposed to help comfort, it is important to be straight up with the patient and the patients have to meet you half way in the situation, you can't force them to tell you things or explain their problems. For example, there was one lady who was really embarrassed about going in the back to show the doctor her vaginal infection or fungus that she had described. The doctor said we couldn't prescribe any medicine until we could see it and we also couldn't force her to show it to us. In this situation that patient wasn't coming half way and that made it difficult for us to help her. Luckily in the end she decided she would let only the doctor check her and it did help her because she did have a fungus. It was definitely a learning experience to see the patient doctor interaction. Lastly, as the day was coming to and end, our translation Matt mentioned how my spanish had improved a lot since the first day we had been in Costa Rica. It definitely put a smile on my face to realize that my Spanish was improving and I already felt a lot more fluent than I was coming the first day of clinic. This trip helped me move forward in learning such a beautiful language and I can't wait to go again to a spanish speaking country to keep improving my spanish! I really felt immersed in the language, the food, the culture, the people, and even the dancing and music! As the summer begins with a busy schedule, I have made goals to keep improving my spanish and staying involved in the spanish culture here in America. I can't wait to see how this trip has helped me grow as a person and as I experience more in my life back home! This trip has been amazing and helped me realize how much I appreciate traveling! I can't wait to go out and explore the world more but until then I'm going to enjoy every moment as the Costa Ricans would do!
Quote of the day: Pura Vida! :)

Costa Rica Day 9

Today was our first day at the rural clinic in Cariari! I was definitely expecting a lot worse with the poverty, but it's good to know that the poverty in Costa Rica isn't too bad. I also found out that out of all the Latin American countries, Costa Rica is one of the nicest. Today and tomorrow's clinic is all about the stories for me. I want to leave this trip with some great stories about the people we're hanging out with and the people we meet in the clinics. Some of the greatest stories come from the amazing people we have met on this trip including Santi, Julio, Alejandra, Mateo (matt), Caesar, and Stephan. These people have been so humble and really have taken the time to get to know us. Santi was one of the nicest, sweetest trip coordinators I have ever met. He really gets along well with us college students and knows how to keep us happy. Julio is one amazing bus driver! I really love his quiet personality, but he also is very relaxed and knows how to have a good time. Seeing his face every morning always keeps a smile on my face. Alejandra y Stephan were great doctors who really took the time to teach us in the clinics. I really learned a lot from them and they also took the time to hang out with us after clinics at the bars and clubs to really get to know us. Mateo is definitely an interesting guy! I loved his passion for Costa Rica, even though he is native to California, and I really admire his respect and love for this country. And Caesar was one interesting guy. As we laughed and talked at night, one of the girls looked over at something weird that Caesar was doing and just admired how great and unique each person on this trip was. Caesar is definitely a unique guy with a lot to say. He has a love for other cultures as well and really is a worldly person as he speaks Portuguese, knows a lot about Bollywood, and listens to Arabic music. I'm really going to miss all of these wonderful people on this trip and although I can't wait to do laundry and sleep without the fear of bugs, I really am going to miss Costa Rica and the amazing things that I've gotten to do. Tomorrow is the last clinic and I'm really hoping to cherish each moment. Today I shared the stories of the main people I met in Costa Rica, but for my last Costa Rica trip post (which will be either tomorrow or the day after because I want to enjoy the last few days without a computer) I will talk about the stories of the clinics in Cariari and a reflection of the trip overall. Until then I'm going to enjoy the last days abroad and soak in the clinic, the food, the people, the parties, the language, and la pura vida!
Quote of the day: “To my mind, the greatest reward and luxury of travel is to be able to experience everyday things as if for the first time, to be in a position in which almost nothing is so familiar it is taken for granted.” – Bill Bryson

Costa Rica Day 6,7,8

The last three days we were in Puerto Viejo for the vacation part of the trip. Puerto Viejo was beautiful! Our hotel was really relaxing and I have never felt so great in a hammock. We spent time going to the local clubs, the beaches, and restaurants. Although I absolutely loved Puerto Viejo, it definitely was completely tourists. The town had no native people or culture that defined it. It seemed like a lost island that people from all over the world came to for vacation. It made it kind of eerie, but it was also fun meeting people from all over the world! We also got the chance to go zip lining, which is something I missed out on last time I came to Costa Rica, so I’m really glad I got the chance to check that off of the adventurous things I’ve done! Hopefully next summer will be bungee jumping, which we never ended up doing here in Costa Rica. Relaxing in the ocean and lying on the beach was just the perfect way to relax and start the summer off on the right note. Although some really crazy things happened at the club the second night, the overall nightlife experience was really great. We all had a great time dancing and since the bar/dance club was right on the beach, you could look out and see the waves. One thing I kept noticing when we were at Puerto Viejo was the “pura vida” signs. Pier, the really nice host at the hotel also said goodbye to all of us by sing pura vida. Pura Vida is a saying that they use in Costa Rica to basically celebrate life and show their appreciation for life. I love the saying because it seems so calm and peaceful, just like the people of Costa Rica. I love that the people are so much more relaxed here in Costa Rica because then time goes by slower and you are able to take in each moment. So as we move on to Cariari and work at the rural area clinic, I leave these beach days hoping for a pura vida.

Quote of these last three days: “We live in a wonderful world that is full of beauty, charm and adventure. There is no end to the adventures we can have if only we seek them with our eyes open.” – Jawaharial Nehru

Costa Rica Day 5

It was the last day of clinic here in San Juan and tomorrow it'll be time to move onto Puerto Viejo for two full days of touring and the beach! Although I'm excited to explore and hopefully bungee jump, I'm also sad to be done with the first three days of clinic. Today at clinic we took the time to sit in a circle when the crowd died down and talk about the interesting things we learned. We talked about a lady who came in and had her tubes tied but still was able to get pregnant. We also talked about the health system here in Costa Rica and although it looks perfect on paper, here in this urban poor setting you could see the flaws and the suffering the immigrants of Costa Rica have to go through. One interesting thing that one of the translators, Matt, who is originally from California, mentioned was the connections between different parts of the world. I loved that he helped us notice that although we might think Costa Rica and the United States are very different places, we all have similarities as well. For example, we all have immigrants who are suffering from health are, we all have a desire to make use of emergency medical help, along with many other similarities. The beauty in the juxtaposition is also finding the not so noticeable similarities. As Matt phrased it, sometimes living in America, we forget about the rest of the world because we're so focused on ourselves. But there's a whole world out there for us to explore and understand! And it's important to discover the differences, but also the similarities between the cultures to really grasp the meaning of life. As we move onto Puerto Viejo, I'm excited to hold clinics in the country side. The leaders told us to expect a different type of poverty than the urban poor that we have been with for the first three clinics. After our night at the discoteca and the bar I think I've learned one main lesson, respect other cultures, especially when you're in their country. As the days go by, I make it a point to assimilate myself and not take away from the culture, but really put myself into it. I wish I could write more about the day and explain the last thought in more detail, but we have a long day of traveling ahead of us and I think it's just time for me to relax and go to sleep.
Quote of the day: “What you’ve done becomes the judge of what you’re going to do – especially in other people’s minds. When you’re traveling, you are what you are right there and then. People don’t have your past to hold against you. No yesterdays on the road.” – William Least Heat Moon

Costa Rica Day 4

Today was the second day of clinic and along with feeling more comfortable with the routine came a better understanding of spanish and of the diseases. For example, I learned how to check ears for infection, and I also became pretty familiar with what medicines are used for what sort of diseases. I loved practicing my spanish, even though it did make the day more tiring. At this point I feel that my small group doesn't even need a translator because we all have a good understanding of what they are saying and are able to communicate with the patients and doctors without our translator. I loved the atmosphere in the clinic today because everyone was a lot closer and since there weren't as many patients, we could spend time talking to everyone and getting to know them better, including the doctors, the translators, and even many of the patients. Again, every day it astounds me how the people coming to the clinic can be so patient and kind. It amazes me that they don't get annoyed with the line and the wait. But as one of the translators, Mike, told us, the clinic is better than the public health care. Surprisingly, even though the health care is free here, that's only if you work legally for Costa Rica and you pay taxes. However, the majority of people living in these small, poor towns are immigrants who don't have official jobs and don't pay taxes. They are mainly from Nicaragua because over there there is a high poverty rate. They could all pay about $12 a month for private insurance, but even that isn't affordable for some families. And there is always a long wait for going to the hospital and getting an appointment. And most of the time they just end up diagnosing you acetaminophen (a simple Tylenol). Even though the health care here seems great when you think about it, it's actually not as perfect as some people perceive it to be. After the clinic we ended up going to dinner at a chinese place. At dinner we talked about all the amazing natural medicine that the doctors told the patients at the clinic to use. Like one of the doctors today told a patient to cut a water bottle in half and heat it and close one side to use as an inhaler for babies who can't use real inhalers. The doctors also suggested two drops of breast milk in the babies nose to get rid of a cold because the baby was too young to get any medicine. I appreciate this other form of medicine and really do believe it makes a difference. I think it's important as a doctor to know both methods because sometimes it is better to go about dealing with the disease with natural medicine. Another crazy fact I learned about Santi today was that his older brother died when he was 20. I feel like there is so much I don't know about Santi, but I want to keep learning more because his life is just so interesting and intense. We ended the night by playing some games and laughing late into the night...in our bus...in the hotel parking lot because we couldn't disturb the other guests. We all bonded and got closer as we laughed about silly jokes and shared our crazy childhood stories. I am really thankful to be on this trip because each and every person is unique and interesting, and I love learning something new every day. One patient that I loved seeing was Gloria, the grandma. She was just a great person and reminded me of my own grandma! She was social and really spent time getting to know us and talk to us. She was also hilarious and came back to the clinic both days to see us. I hope to have more stories of patients that I can remember as memorable because that connection with patients is what will help me grow as a person who wants to work with people for the rest of their life. What a day. :)
Quote of the day: “Travel is more than the seeing of sights; it is a change that goes on, deep and permanent, in the ideas of living.” – Miriam Beard

Costa Rica Day 3

This trip just keeps getting better and better. Today was our first clinic day and I loved it! We spent the entire day from 9am to 5pm working at the clinic taking patients and diagnosing them with diseases. In just one day I was immersed in the language, the people of one of the poorest villages in Costa Rica, and medical terminology. I learned a lot from the doctors and spent a lot of the day challenging myself to speak and listen to patients and the doctors in spanish. I really did learn how much I could understand by listening to the patients and the doctors and I also learned how nervous I was to speak back. I think that's a barrier that I never really understood when people came to America and yet kept speaking in their own language. It's definitely a hard change to make and speaking in a different language can definitely be embarrassing and intimidating. The children at the clinic were wonderful and all so cute which also made the day a lot more exciting and interesting. Talking to Santi afterwards, he mentioned that this was one of the poorest towns in Costa Rica, and that people from this town were so poor that they couldn't even pay for insurance and most of them were immigrants so they couldn't get insurance for free because they weren't technically working for the country. It's hard to imagine a life without all the luxuries that we take for granted, but when you see a mother with three children who can't even afford to buy the kids milk to make sure they stay healthy, you realize the things you take for granted. The best part of this day is that we also talked about how Costa Rica holds the happiest people in the world (except I don't know for sure if it's the happiest). I love that the people in Costa Rica are so patient and kind and always happy about life. It's their positive attitude that makes me feel excited and welcome. Even the poor families that came to the clinic who had to wait for hours to get a turn to see us were all waiting so patiently in line and weren't complaining at all about all the time they spent coming to this clinic. Some of the people didn't even get medications because they didn't necessarily need them; however, they weren't angry or upset with us even though they had to wait in an extremely long line. I also learned more about Santi's family today and how his father grew up so poor that he didn't own his first pair of shoes until 14. He also had to raise all his brothers and sisters because his father died when he was really young. I definitely can tell that Santi got his hardworking, humble attitude from his dad who seemed like a great guy! Ending the day off we went to dinner at an italian place and then got gelato which was a great way to relax. It was great being with the group and just talking and laughing, even though we all seemed dead after a long day at clinic. As I reflect back on this day I love the amount of experience I got with medicine. I really did love helping the people and I loved seeing their smiles when we were able to provide them with support and medicine. It also didn't hurt being called doctor and having authority because then I felt obligated to do my part and help. Overall this day was amazing and I can't wait for another clinic tomorrow!
Quote of the day: “Travel does what good novelists also do to the life of everyday, placing it like a picture in a frame or a gem in its setting, so that the intrinsic qualities are made more clear. Travel does this with the very stuff that everyday life is made of, giving to it the sharp contour and meaning of art.” – Freya Stark

Costa Rica Day 2

What a day. I have a feeling that's how I'm going to feel at the end of every day here, but that definitely isn't a bad thing. In the morning, we went straight to the volcano place and spent the morning hiking through a beautiful forest and then seeing both an active volcano and a lagoon. The sights were gorgeous and even the hike was great because the greenery was lush and looked amazing. I love hiking and so I had a lot of energy getting through the hike and enjoying the long uphill incline. I even got to spend the hike getting to know some of the other girls better which was awesome because that's another reason why I love hiking, it's a great bonding experience. At lunch we went to a great native costa rican restaurant and I had the opportunity to sit next to Santi, short for Santiago, our trip coordinator. Santi is 5'3'' and has a nice round face that matches his loving and caring personality. Once we all started to talk Santi told us more about his family. We learned that there was a girl he was dating who ended up getting leukemia and then dying two days before his next date with her. But ironically Santi ended up meeting his wife and her wake. After dating her for two years they finally got married which is wonderful. The only thing that held them back from having kids is that Santi's wife was born blind, a trait that they could potentially pass down to their kids. They decided to adopt their son, who is now 6 and definitely a cutie with a lot of energy. After hearing Santi's story, I really did learn that you never know what is going to happen, and you always need to move forward, because there's always something awaiting. I loved how happy and sweet Santi is and I could tell his personality is so great because of all the things he has dealt with in the past. I also learned about our bus driver, Julio, at lunch. Although Julio speaks no english we spent time learning about his life and how he has two children and that he is divorced. Julio seems to be one that keeps more to himself, but I hope to use my spanish to hopefully talk to him more on the trip. After lunch we went to the hummingbird garden right outside the restaurant which was amazing! The garden was gorgeous and peaceful and the birds were all intricate and colorful. At night we went to a nice dinner where we really learned the idea that Costa Ricans spend time at dinner, and it takes a long time to get your food. Although some of us understood this culture difference, some girls were really upset that their food hadn't come and started getting frustrated with the waiters. Going to this dinner definitely gave me perspective on what it means to be in another country. I want to respect the culture and traditions of other countries and I want to make an effort to assimilate. Although some girls didn't understand that, I think that's the point of traveling: learning to adopt to new cultures and using these different cultures to get more of a worldly perspective. Even though every culture isn't the same, that's the beauty of different cultures. When you combine all the differences you end up with a mix of cultures that gives you a more real perspective on the world and humans. I want to be a versatile person, and that's why I love studying other cultures and that's also why I chose a major like comparative literature because the idea is to get as many perspectives from all around the world as possible. In the night, we ended up waiting in a line for a bar for 2 hours and then instead just heading back to the hotel. Even though we didn't end up going out, I really enjoyed seeing all the people and the night life. I noticed girls dressed slightly more casual and definitely less provocative than in college, which I definitely had a lot of respect for. I loved that people were more classy in the bars as well. It wasn't about getting wasted and black out drunk, but instead the Costa Ricans were there to drink and converse and have a good time. It wasn't as much about the alcohol as it was about spending time with people to enjoy the night. I also learned that people here don't play drinking games and don't chug drinks because their goal isn't to get really drunk. I love that about the culture because everyone was more chilled out and not as obnoxious. A lot of people when they are drunk tend to scream loudly and not have manners, but everyone in Costa Rica stayed composed, were very quiet even when they were drunk, and knew how to chill out with their alcohol. It's a quality that I definitely admire. As I end the night again by the pool in the complete silence I can't wait to start another day! Tomorrow is our first clinic and I'm excited to practice my spanish and also learn to diagnose patients! But until then, here's the quote of the day:
“One’s destination is never a place, but a new way of seeing things.” – Henry Miller
“Traveling is a brutality. It forces you to trust strangers and to lose sight of all that familiar comfort of home and friends. You are constantly off balance. Nothing is yours except the essential things – air, sleep, dreams, the sea, the sky – all things tending towards the eternal or what we imagine of it.” – Cesare Pavese
.....sorry there's two, I couldn't chose one :)

Costa Rica Day 1

I have officially arrived to Costa Rica. After anticipating the landing in a new country for so long, when I got here I still felt slightly nervous. Walking out of the airport felt like I was in India all over again, with people surrounding me, awaiting for arrivals. It's definitely a different environment than what I'm used to at home, and it took me a second to have that sink in. But as we left the airport and started driving through the streets of San José, I realized the appreciation I had for places like Costa Rica, completely different from my own home. I loved seeing all the small shops, houses, and finally our scenic hotel. As I sit here now on a lounge chair by the pool, the light of the day is slowly fading away. The lanterns have all turned on and there is a peace and quiet as the wind makes the evening chilly. Since it's the rainy season here the weather isn't too warm, but with a blanket and a light jacket, this moment is perfect. I love looking at the landscape that the hotel has at its center with palm trees and green plants giving the hotel an exotic look. I could definitely get used to this. We're leaving soon to go out to dinner and see the town which hopefully will help me work on my Spanish speaking! Coming on this trip has been a dream and I'm so thankful to be here in Costa Rica right now. I can't wait to work at the clinics and learn about the patients, and I also can't wait to explore this beautiful place and the culture! As I end my first year of college, I love this transition into the summer. I hated leaving school because of how great the year was, and who likes it when something great has to come to an end. But coming to Costa Rica was something for me to look forward to and I know this experience will be unique and interesting because I am older and able to appreciate more. As the first day of this trip closes and we celebrate tonight, I'm ready to open my eyes to this view of the world.

Quote of the day: “Tourists don’t know where they’ve been, travelers don’t know where they’re going.” – Paul Theroux