About Me

My name is Maura Smyles.  I'm 15, and I just finished my sophomore year of high school.  I live in Maryland (near DC), but this summer I'll be spending six weeks in Costa Rica with AFS Intercultural Programs!  I've always had big dreams of traveling the world someday, and what better way to start than by living like the Costa Ricans do for a summer? And not just living like a Costa Rican, living as a Costa Rican.  This blog will serve to 1) update my friends and family in the US, 2) preserve the memories I make with my new friends and family in Costa Rica, and 3) hopefully give next year's AFSers some insight about what they can expect abroad.  I hope you enjoy this little taste of my adventures!