Bridge Year Costa Rica – Fall 2024

When I first explored the streets of Perez Zeledón, I was greeted with reggaeton. Small shops tucked in the corners of streets would blare songs which were all accompanied by the beat. It’s a syncopated rhythm based on historical Latin American clave patterns, the backbone to many hit songs, and is extremely easy to dance to. I can best describe it as a backwards heartbeat or a reggae beat enhanced with steroids. From every bar to social gathering, I found that reggaeton holds a monopoly on every playlist and is a requirement to have a good time.

Back in California, I’m more accustomed to jazz swing. My high school extracurricular list mainly consists of jazz related activities, and my recent Spotify downloads reflects that:

Benny Golson And The Philadelphians

Dance Along with Basie

Walter Smith III – Live in Paris

It’s interesting to see how much music had an effect on my life, especially outside the band stand. When asked what brings me joy in my application for Princeton, I wrote:

Wednesday after-school rehearsal dinners are a much anticipated communion with bandmates. We cry over departing seniors, laugh at Dr. Reynolds’ dad jokes, and reflect on swinging harder the next day.

Music takes a significant role in our lives directly or indirectly and to dedicate myself to local culture, I’ve decided to start listening to Reggaeton. At one party, I “traded” albums with a local youth – recommending No Beginning No End and receiving AfroLOVA’23. It’s always exciting to explore new genres and hopefully it’s a step towards being more Costa Rican.

Music is one cultural difference I’ve noticed, but in no way does it feel off putting. I have not experienced homesickness at all, and I attribute it to having an open mind whilst living day by day. There are a lot of cultural differences, some which I expected like language, holidays, and food. And there are many things that I haven’t anticipated: not refrigerating eggs, emphasis on collectivism rather than individualism, and waking up very early.

Yet, I’ve been very lucky to continue experiencing a taste of home; my internship site is a local music school where I get to play in various ensembles, transcribe music, and help individual students with the trumpet. Participating in a jazz ensemble here also helped me recognize the cultural influence of America. Many of the students I talked to want to study in the States, and English is the primary language taught in schools. There are various stores that advertise genuine American goods, and you can see the effects of globalization through McDonalds and American grocery products.

With around eight months left, I’m excited to continue my journey living in Costa Rica. I’ve already made friends and love my host family. By the end of the year, I’ve made it a goal to stop using Google Translate and be semi fluent in Spanish. I’m also starting to take online jazz piano lessons from the States. And, I really look forward to checking out local beaches when the Summer season starts.