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We live in CA. My 19 year old daughter is wanting to spend the summer in a study abroad program in Puntarenas.
As a concerned parent never having been to Costa Rica, I am very apprehensive.
She will be picked up at the San Jose airport with transportation for her and her group She would be in the town of Puntarenas (the long skinny peninsula) staying with a host family. She will be with approximately 20 other students from around the US who will be with host families also. The study abroad program is USAC. They have the same program in Heredia, and San Ramon. The programs have been around for years and seem to be on the up and up, but we are still concerned.
Can anyone offer any advice on safety for her. I am not worried about petty theft, and she does not drink, and has very good common sense.
I would appreciate any helpful information. Thank you.
[quote=”james007″]We live in CA. My 19 year old daughter is wanting to spend the summer in a study abroad program in Puntarenas.
As a concerned parent never having been to Costa Rica, I am very apprehensive.
Can anyone offer any advice on safety for her. I am not worried about petty theft, and she does not drink, and has very good common sense.
I would appreciate any helpful information. Thank you.
[/quote]Hi James –
When you say “in Puntarenas” are you talking about the town of Puntarenas or the province of Puntarenas?If it is the town, I would be a bit concerned as “port towns” or areas seem to have a higher incidence of crime, not only in Costa Rica but just about everywhere. It obviously has something to do with those shipboard workers that hit the dock after being cooped up on board for weeks at a time. Generally, they know that they will be back on board and out of port in just a day or so, or sometimes a matter of hours, so they are not as concerned with their land-side activities – after all, it’s hard for the police to track down someone that left port 12 hours ago.
If you are referring to the province of Puntarenas, it would be helpful to name the town. Members in that town or area can respond with firsthand knowledge.
If she is thinking of Jaco or nearby my advice would be to turn around and Run, don’t walk.
Seriously though–You really haven’t provided much information at all with which anyone can make any sound recommendations or suggestions. You question is akin to asking “is California safe?”
[quote=”bogino”]If she is thinking of Jaco or nearby my advice would be to turn around and Run, don’t walk.
Seriously though–You really haven’t provided much information at all with which anyone can make any sound recommendations or suggestions. You question is akin to asking “is California safe?”
[/quote]
Thanks Bogino – you said it so I didn’t have to! A 19 year old in Jaco, alone. Even a proper young lady like his daughter would not be safe! Ah, sweet innocence!:cry::cry:Thank you for the helpful suggestions. I have not posted here before but have been reading the forum for years. I have edited my post above.
Having two kids, that as teens participated in foreign exchanges I totally understand your concern.
While there isn’t ‘much to do’ in the town of Punterenas, I did read the USAC website and the ‘field trips’ they include, seem to be varied and hopefully, educational.
The only concern would be with the number of students involved, they [i][b]will[/b] [/i]continue to speak English…and probably not mix much with their local peers.The additional information you provided helps a lot and it sounds like she will be fine since she will be in some sort of a structured setting. Costa Rica, in genera, is quite a safe country especially when compared to most of its neiboring countries. Just following the basic common sense rules should result in a good stay for her. Staying away from drugs is imperative. The temptation to smoke a little weed is always a greater risk with younger kids and I would encourage her to not go there because the legal system to unwind those messes can be very complicated.
That said, having been born as an American and being raised abroad in many different parts of the word, Africa, Asia, Latin America etc. I’m convinced that every young American should be able to experience some time living abroad and becoming culturally more enriched. I think your daughter should go for it and I’m certain she will have a great experience.
Thank you to all who have commented. I do feel a bit better. She is really a good girl and has abstained from all drugs and alcohol and the crowd that goes with it.
My daughter Stephanie is majoring in environmental science and wants to save the world. Costa Rica should be her kind of place. I have for years talked about Costa Rica to her as I want to visit also, but have not had the chance yet. I work a lot to pay for her college and now a trip to your beautiful country. Thank you againMy youngest daughter (now 25) has been to Costa Rica with (when she was 18) and she did study abroad programs in Thailand and Australia. You need to worry just because she is your daughter. Thailand was interesting because she was in a very remote area of the Iron Triangle and was there helping a school that tries to stop human trafficking in the region – bad hombres involved there. We had some sporadic communication – she too was in a big group and the only thing I was concerned about after she got back is that they went into Myanmar (Burma) and they took and kept their passports at the border!
She survived, learned a lot. Now Australia was just one big party but still she worked with the Aborigines and loved it.
They’re kids they will have a great time – just tell her to be alert, be smart, travel in groups and she’ll love it.
The nice thing is, it is much easier to communicate back to the states from Costa Rica and she would tell you that she felt much safer in Costa Rica than in Thailand and Australia.
Just the fact that your daughter wants to save the world is enough to tell me that she’s a bit naive, but then so was I when I was her age.
We were all good kids at that age, or should I say at that century. That would be the 20th century!
Things are much different now, here in California where I live and in Costa Rica.
The problem is that you have a lot of middle class to lower middle class “ticos’ who would just love to get a ticket to green card land in the good old paved with gold U S of A.
Both my sister and I were born in C.R. of a gringo dad and a tica mother, so I remember when I was 8 or 9, which would have made my sister 17 years old and how the young studs would take the train from San Jose to Puerto Limon to see my sister.
All this with deep concern from my dad who managed a plywood company owned by the president of the Morton Salt Company. In retrospect I can see now why they kept sending my sister to Connecticut to live with my dad’s mom in Manchester. Even then, she still had boy problems!
Just a warning to your daughter to never ever be by herself, and to be aware that young Ticos are very aggressive and sometimes will not take no for an answer, which some gals thinks its their “charm.” Also be aware that the drinking age in Tiquicia is 18 years old. 🙄
Even a very good girl, may get involved with group mentality, as she tries to fit in with her ‘group’….not just the locals.
Yes, Johnnyh you are correct she is a very naive and has been sheltered from the real world outside of California. That is a big part of my concern. Also your advice for her not to be alone is key. I am counseling her on that as I told her that the local boys will know she is not well traveled by her timid actions. I also expressed to her to keep improving her Spanish, as communicating to the locals should help her position.
Luckily any drugs and alcohol will not be a problem. She has experimented years ago and has made a good decision that the drugs, alcohol and the crowd that does them are not for her. She is also very aware of drinks being tainted for the date rape drug. In her school area of San Luis Obispo, CA (CAl Poly) that is a problem there.
Thank you
[quote=”johnnyh”]Just the fact that your daughter wants to save the world is enough to tell me that she’s a bit naive, but then so was I when I was her age.
We were all good kids at that age, or should I say at that century. That would be the 20th century!
Things are much different now, here in California where I live and in Costa Rica.
The problem is that you have a lot of middle class to lower middle class “ticos’ who would just love to get a ticket to green card land in the good old paved with gold U S of A.
Both my sister and I were born in C.R. of a gringo dad and a tica mother, so I remember when I was 8 or 9, which would have made my sister 17 years old and how the young studs would take the train from San Jose to Puerto Limon to see my sister.
All this with deep concern from my dad who managed a plywood company owned by the president of the Morton Salt Company. In retrospect I can see now why they kept sending my sister to Connecticut to live with my dad’s mom in Manchester. Even then, she still had boy problems!
Just a warning to your daughter to never ever be by herself, and to be aware that young Ticos are very aggressive and sometimes will not take no for an answer, which some gals thinks its their “charm.” Also be aware that the drinking age in Tiquicia is 18 years old. 🙄
[/quote]I feel your pain
this country is NOT for a young girl that does not manage spanish well
I wold do everything in my power to not let her come here which may be impossible
good luck
[quote=”davidd”]I feel your pain
this country is NOT for a young girl that does not manage spanish well
I wold do everything in my power to not let her come here which may be impossible
good luck
[/quote]Can you expand on where your concern comes from?
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