Hi! I'm Lane Decker, and I am an incoming freshman at UO! I identify as a lesbian woman from the United States, specifically from Texas. Through my blog posts, I hope to highlight the importance of studying abroad, learning new languages, embracing different cultures, and the unique experience of studying abroad as an LGBTQ+ person.
The GEO study abroad program I am currently on is called "Advancing your Academic Success: Pre-Freshman Studies in Heredia, Costa Rica", which essentially means that I am studying abroad before Fall of my first year of college. I chose this program because I intend to double major in Spanish and Human Physiology, which means that I need more credits that a traditional single major student at UO. This program gives the opportunity to obtain nine credit hours through taking a Costa Rican History Spanish class, Food Studies classes, and an Academic Success lecture that is facilitated by a UO professor, all in four week's time.
Before studying abroad, I wanted to know more about the safety of LGBTQ+ people and women here in Costa Rica, as well as other places in Latin America. Now that I am here, I have learned on my own about the roles and perception of women in popular society. Unfortunately, it is not always safe to travel alone as a young woman here, but as they say in Costa Rica, "there are always good and bad people no matter where you go." It is highly recommended here to always travel in groups during the day when walking around, and to never walk outside at night. In Costa Rica, it is common to travel by bus or in an Uber for long distances or if after sunset. Public transportation is very safe, convenient, and much cheaper than transport in the United States. Costs can vary, but rides are often around $5 or less per trip.
When I arrived at the Costa Rican airport in San José, I had expectations that immigration and customs would be a challenge, based on my experience traveling internationally prior. However, it was a very quick and easy process to navigate. My advice for those who haven't travelled internationally before would be to learn how to say the reason for arriving in the country, your address in the country, and your return flight information back into the United States in the country's primary language to make things easier. My thoughts going into immigration were that my bags would be searched and that I would be questioned heavily, but for my experience, this was not the case.
To the outside world, I am perceived only as a woman, and I am straight-passing, which can be a privilege to experience as others might not have that luxury. People in Costa Rica are typically kind in private social settings but are not always kind in public. I have experienced being cat-called every day that I have been in public since I have been here. It's not exactly a dangerous situation as much as it is an uncomfortable one. As I walk to school around a group of young women in my program, it is very common to get honked at and yelled at from cars passing by. I'm sure it differs from city to city, but in the province of Heredia, it is something I have experienced quite often. Though it varies from place to place in Latin America, same-sex marriage is legal here in Cost Rica. However, the country is predominately Roman Catholic which doesn't always share accepting beliefs toward LGBTQ+ people, which is something to consider before traveling here.
To summarize my first couple of days in Costa Rica, I have been having lots of fun! I have been learning Spanish very easily because of how immersed I am in the language wherever I go. The classes I am taking are challenging but are up to par with a college-level course and are very interesting. I feel like this experience is preparing me for college by giving me a chance to meet new people and learn an entirely new place which will be a similar experience for me at UO. I can't wait to learn all there is about Costa Rica and share with GEO in the coming weeks!
Lane Decker, Diverse Ducks Ambassador
Advancing your Academic Success: Pre-Freshman Studies in Heredia, Costa Rica