I am writing this last blog post from the comfort of my own home back in Florida. I had such an unforgettable and amazing experience and I am very thankful for that. I got to travel abroad and gain valuable work experience.

During the last week I continued to assist with different weekly reports and analyses and feel that I left with a good understanding of what a business analyst does on a weekly basis. Also, we had a meeting to go over and outline the future productivity by member project that they will be doing over the next few months. I am grateful for the experience and exposure I received during this amazing experience.

At this point in time the internship is officially over. I am hoping to land a job as an Accountant I as I feel that the experience I had gained through my internship as well and my education and wants from a career perfectly match up with this.

Overall, I could not have asked for anything different. I see great things ahead of me and I am extremely thankful for everyone at both St. Petersburg College and Tech Data who have continually supported me through this journey.

I just completed my 5th week here working in Costa Rica. It has been a long journey but I am now starting my last and final week here before leaving back home to Florida.

This week I am getting more and more tasks and projects to work on at work and I am feeling more comfortable and confident with what I am doing. I really enjoy working as a business analyst because I have always enjoyed working with numbers and I feel like the work I am doing is making a difference in the company. This has been an overall great experience and I could not have asked for a better opportunity shortly after graduating.

Over the weekend I went to the beach with my co worker and his family and it was a great time. This weekend was the biggest reminder of home, being at the beach. The only difference was being able to see the mountains which was an amazing view.

We made a short stop at Puntarenas, Costa Rica to do some shopping for souvenirs and also stopped for lunch. We stopped at a small kiosk along the beach where we had vigarones. Vigarones is fresh cabbage topped with yuca, chicharrones, and fresh salsa. They also had homemade chili sauce to put on top. It was so fresh and flavorful. It was amazing!!

After that we started to head towards Jaco Beach which was where we were staying for the night. On the way there we stopped at a bridge where you could so a bunch of crocodiles. We counted more than 30 in total and some of them were absolutely HUGE! It was definitely an experience.

Once we were finished there we made it to our final destination of the beach. It was very similar to the beaches at home but the sand was a little darker than ours and we were surrounded by mountains. We relaxed on the beach, watched the sunset, once it was dark we made a fire, and then ended the night at our condo with sushi and jenga.

On Sunday we went to a different beach and relaxed for a little while. Once we were finished there we stopped in town to do a little more shopping so I could buy some stuff for my family and friends. While we were there we got fresh coconut water and it was extremely fresh and delicious.

We then returned to the condo to get cleaned up and leave back to San Jose. It was definitely a nice way to end my trip and spend my last weekend in Costa Rica. I am now starting my last week here and will be leaving back home this Saturday which I am very excited about. I have had a great time here but I am ready to get home to see and spend time with the ones I love. The next time you hear from me I will be back home in Saint Petersburg, Florida. Until then…..

Another week here in Costa Rica has come and gone. It seems that every week I am here the experiences and memories are becoming greater. I am settling in just a little bit more than before and the end is nearing.

In the office, I am getting a little bit more to do and it is all becoming a little more comfortable. I am getting better at pulling different information and I am getting better at maneuvering Excel. I really enjoy what I am doing here because I have always liked working with numbers and I can really analyze different aspects of the business. It is really rewarding what I am doing because some of the work I am doing is going straight to the VP and senior manager to work on key areas of focus for the last quarter of the fiscal year. I am so thankful for this experience and for everything that I am learning.

I played soccer two nights this week and it is still very fun and exciting being in an environment where soccer is big.

This week was probably the toughest week since I have been here aside from the first weekend because Thanksgiving was this week. I have never been away from home or my family on a major holiday so I was really missing home towards the end of the week. On Thanksgiving I found a hotel that serves Thanksgiving dinner so I went there to somewhat maintain the tradition. It wasn’t a very traditional meal but it was Thanksgiving nonetheless.

Then on the weekend was probably the best time I have had since I have been here in Costa Rica. I went on an overnight white water rafting trip. We started on Saturday morning. We had breakfast then headed to the river. We rafted, stopped a couple times to hike and see the waterfalls and swim, stopped on the river bank for lunch, then ended up at our lodge for the night in the middle of the rainforest. Once we were here we hiked, relaxed, and had dinner before turning it in early for the night.

The second day we all met for breakfast and coffee at 8 am. Then at 9 we all did zip-lining on the property which was extremely beautiful and quite the experience. After that we all got everything packed and ready for the second part of our rafting adventure. This day consisted of class 3 and 4 rapids and they were very exciting. Along the way we stopped and saw a very big and beautiful waterfall. The pictures I took on the rafting trip are still on a waterproof camera that need to be developed. This will be an experience to always remember of my time in Costa Rica. Below is a pic of the group that did the overnight rafting excursion with me. There were two couples from California, one couple from Boston, one couple from France, one couple from Germany, and three people around my age that worked for the company. I am thankful that everyone was super friendly and nice because I was apprehensive about doing the trip by myself but I am very glad that I did.

I had another great week full of new and exciting experiences. This week my business partner and I finished our productivity project for the last quarter of business and presented it to the VP of the Costa Rica office. It could not have gone better in my opinion. I am learning so much and the exposure I am gaining is irreplaceable. I am also learning a lot working with Excel and how to pull reports and analyze information. Some of the work I am doing in translating directly into the business to the VP and senior managers. It is very rewarding and exciting to know my contributions are playing a role in the pursuit of this business.

I played soccer three times this week. Twice with people from the company on Tuesday and Thursday and once on Friday with my business partner and his friends. I am really enjoying playing here and really like how big soccer is here. I will be playing tonight with the company again and am looking forward to it.

On Saturday, my business partner took me to a few different places. Our first stop was to the oldest church in Costa Rica that was destroyed by an earthquake. It was very cool looking.

After that we headed to a lookout where there was an amazing view. It was very nice, peaceful, and relaxing. The views here of the mountains are just breathtaking. Here is a glimpse of the view we had. The picture does not do it justice.

After that we headed to our final destination where we planned on hiking. We tried a few different routes and couldn’t find the right way to go. Then we found out the trail was closed… Here is a little look at our small hike.

After that we headed to the last part of our trip. There is a restaurant where you fish for trout and once you catch them they clean them for you and you take them to the restaurant to be cooked. This was very cool and the food was great. You couldn’t get any more fresh.

It was a great week. I am now in my fourth week here. This is the week of Thanksgiving and the first time I will be away from home for a major holiday. I have found some restaurants that serve Thanksgiving dinner I am considering to try it out. I also just finished booking an overnight white water rafting trip so on my next post will be an update of these adventures!! Until next time!

My second full week of work here in Costa Rica has come to an end and my third week is starting. The longer I am here the more I feel comfortable. I am really starting to settle in and make some friends. If I had not taken four years of Spanish in school and not been a soccer player my whole life, I feel this experience would be totally different.

Tuesday after work I was invited to play with the company for their weekly supervisors vs employees soccer match. I really shocked everyone with how well I played. They all said they were surprised how good I played for being a gringo.

Thursday after work was a big soccer game. It was Costa Rica vs Uruguay and a rematch from the World Cup. After work we left and headed to a local spot which was owned by the uncle of who I am working with. We watched the game and had some great food. The atmosphere was great and the passion they have for their country is just amazing.

Here at Tech Data I share an office with Jason, who I am working with my entire stay here and Carlos, the IT supervisor. Friday for lunch we headed to a small steakhouse and the food was unbelievably amazing!! To say the least. I had the steak Argentine with vegetables, pureed potatoes, and fried yuca. Grab a napkin for your drool when you see this pic…

Saturday was one of the best days I have had here so far. I was picked up in the morning to head to Volcano Irazu! I have never been to a volcano before so this was an exciting experience. We were high in the mountains so it was pretty windy and cold but well worth it because it was breathtaking!

After the Volcano we headed to an abandoned hospital. This was also an experience to remember. I have never done anything like this before so it was very interesting to see and to imagine how life was there when it was running. And yes, it was just as creepy as it sounds.

It was definitely a great week and I am looking forward to what is ahead of me on this journey! More to come…

At this point in time I am starting my second week here at Tech Data in San Jose, Costa Rica. This first week as been a whirlwind of new and exciting experiences. I have experienced two weekends and a full week of work.

The culture… The culture here is very loud, friendly, and passionate. Everyone that I have met here in the office has been extremely friendly and more than willing to help a “gringo” (person from U.S.). Soccer or futbal is huge here. If they are not watching it they are playing and if they are not playing they are talking about it.

The location… First and foremost, the weather is amazing! A high of 75 during the day and it gets down to about 65 during the night. The low is important because the apartment I have has no air conditioning and contributes to very comfortable nights. Some parts of the city, compared to U.S. standards may be considered dirty but with a positive outlook you can see the beauty in it all. I am surrounded by mountains which is a great change when being from Florida.

Traffic… Traffic gets its own section because it is something else. Something I have learned so far is that no matter how nice Costa Ricans are once they enter their cars it all goes out the window. Lets just say I am thankful a co worker is driving me to and from work everyday because I think I would have  a heart attack if I had to drive in this city. The motorcycles weave in and out of traffic and basically do what they want. If you have your turn signal on and want to get over, GOOD LUCK! Unless you make eye contact with the other driver they will most likely not let you in. It definitely gets your heart pumping!

The FOOD!… I am a sucker for good food and it is all around me here. From the local small bakeries, to small authentic restaurants, to the food at work… it is GREAT! Another perk is that I get a free lunch my entire stay here while at work which you can’t beat.

Misconceptions… I should have brought better walking shoes because I did not realize how much I would be walking. Also, you would think that it would be cheap to live here but it isn’t. Shopping at the local supermarket is almost twice as expensive than back home. Costa Rica does not produce anything so everything is more expensive.

At work so far I have met all the leadership from the VP to all the managers and supervisors. My task here is to help the Business Analyst with tracking productivity of the different departments so they know if they are being productive or not. Today we will really start getting into the project and making some progress.

Here is to a great next week and the remaining 5 weeks I have here in Costa Rica! More to come later…

My first two weeks at Tech Data, here in Clearwater have come to an end and my departure is approaching. As a recent graduate, (May, ’14), I am an international intern as a business analyst for Tech Data heading to Costa Rica for six weeks.

The first two weeks were intense. Over the course of my first two weeks I shadowed approximately 25 people in the company at various positions. Not only is this a big transition from retail type jobs but, Tech Data is a very large and complex business in a fast paced industry.

At this point in time I have met a lot of different people, made some good connections, and witnessed the business from many different levels and angles. My time here in the Clearwater office is done and soon I am heading down to Costa Rica for the next part of my internship!

More to come later…….  

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