Should I go to Mexico or Costa Rica ?

July 17, 2012

In three days I leave for Costa Rica!  I am muy emocionada (very excited), but it wasn't that long ago that I felt just plain confused...

When I applied for a passport, I thought I would be going to Oaxaca, Mexico. (Pronounciation: Wah-haw-kah). I had always wanted to go to Mexico. It just seemed logical since Mexico is our closest Hispanic neighbor. I learned about Oaxaca from the textbook I use to teach my first year Spanish students. It sounded like a nice place and the weather seemed to be do-able. Due to their elevation above sea level, it sounds like the weather is not as stifling hot as in other parts of Mexico. I wanted to see Monte Alban, experience the artesanías at the local markets, and improve my Spanish, which I've always thought was more like Mexican anyway.

Then I started hearing horrendous tales of the drug lords and their nasty wars in northern Mexico. One weekend in the spring, fifty people were found headless and mutilated. I remembered that about a year ago a U.S. citizen was shot as he jet-skied  just inside Mexican waters.  Did I really want to go to Mexico?  As I looked for flights and a school to study at in Oaxaca, I just had the hardest time committing to booking a flight.

I spoke with a teacher at our school who was going to Costa Rica with a group of 9 students in June. She had thoroughly researched options and chose Costa Rica because of its stable democracy and lack of negative publicity. I began to think about Costa Rica and started looking at schools there and cost of flights...but, I still just couldn't quite commit.

I prayed about it, thought about it endlessly, kept looking online and talking to people...

I decided:  I AM GOING TO MEXICO!  

         

Then my oldest son, begged me not to go there.

Back to praying, thinking, looking, investigating.

I decided:  I AM GOING TO COSTA RICA!

Another teacher at school said Mexico made more sense. According to her, traveling there would be more impressive to and respected by our students' parents and it is more "real"--whatever that means!

Okay, I AM GOING TO MEXICO!    

More awful stories in the news about Mexico.

Maybe COSTA RICA?  A friend of my daughter went there last summer and loved it.

HELP!  THE TIME WAS TICKING AWAY, TICKETS WERE GETTING MORE EXPENSIVE AND I STILL DID NOT KNOW WHERE I WAS GOING.

HOW ABOUT PUERTO RICO??????? At least it is part of the United States. But the cost of everything there reflects its link to the U.S. (pricey) and I heard it's not safe to go out at night there.

More praying, thinking, thinking, thinking...

Then suddenly one Saturday morning, I woke up and it was as clear as could be:  I am going to San José, Costa Rica!  I immediately went to the internet and booked my flights and registered at the school I will attend. It felt right.

I love it when a plan comes together...




Pura Vida means pure life. It is a common phrase in Costa Rica and refers to their way of life: easy going, happy, enjoying a relaxing life. It is similar to hakuna matata.
From: http://pocketcultures.com/2010/01/26/costa-rica-is-%e2%80%9cpura-vida%e2%80%9d/