Who would’ve thought that two strangers from across the world would meet at a TEFL school in Costa Rica and instantly become travel besties and roommates? Well, at Costa Rica TEFL it’s more common than you think! Alice from New Zealand and Catriona from Scotland are a prime example. They met back in October 2023 where they started their journey in Costa Rica. They both completed their TEFL certifications that month at Costa Rica TEFL in Samara beach and began traveling together right after.
Alice and Catriona’s Costa Rica TEFL experience
Catriona highlighted that her best experience at CRTEFL was meeting new people and friends. She also noted, “The teachers at CRTEFL made the experience so much easier and more enjoyable”.
Alice agrees! She said that the people she met were the highlight of her experience, along with the support she received from everyone and the fun celebrations.
Why become TEFL certified?
A question that trainees often get asked is, ‘why get TEFL certified?’ We hear a ton of answers. For Alice, she wanted to have a more rewarding career. Ditto, Alice! For Catriona, she wanted to make money while traveling. Sounds like a perfect plan!
Itinerary of the travel besties
After completing their TEFL certification, Alice and Catriona began their travel journey. First stop: Costa Rica, duh! They had already spent a month on the beach in Samara, so they were ready to adventure through the jungle. It began with swimming in the waterfalls in Montezuma and ziplining through canopies in Quepo. Then they hiked abandoned buildings in Jaco and went wildlife sightseeing in Manuel Antonio where they saw sloths, toucans, monkeys, crocodiles and more!
Then, they made their way to Guatemala. They hiked the incredible Volcan Acatenango and spent some time surrounding the breathtaking Lago de Atitlan. Here they went paddle boarding on the lake and hiked the Indian Nose.
The next stop was Honduras. Alice and Catriona took on an extreme sport: white water rafting! They did this in La Ciba and then made their way to Utila. In Utila they did scuba diving. Alice completed her rescue dive certification and Catriona completed her open water qualification. Nice one, girls!
Lastly, they hit up El Salvador. They spent a few weeks volunteering at a shelter with therapy dogs in Santa Tecla. When they weren’t volunteering, they were exploring the coast of El Zonte and El Tunco. Their top priority was to eat as many pupusas as they possibly could! Yum.
Now where are the girls?
Alice and Catriona made their way back to Costa Rica where they are living together. Not only are they travel besties, they are roomies as well! They are living in San Carlos, where Alice has just begun a teaching job in a private bilingual school and where Catriona teaches online and works as a swim coach for children.
What advice can they give to those considering getting TEFL certified?
Catriona said “Do it! It’s a brilliant qualification to have! She also advises that anyone appreciates the opportunity and enjoys the process, especially with the new friends that you meet along the way.
Alice stated, “You’ll regret it if you don’t do it! Don’t leave yourself wondering ‘what if?’, just take an opportunity to meet like minded people and experience a whole new culture. It’s challenging but rewarding- as all the good things are”.
Wise advice, girls!
Could this be you next? Is it your turn to meet a travel bestie? You never know who you will be at Costa Rica TEFL!
Send an email at info@costaricatefl.com for more information or for an application form!
By: Alexis Lattin
Administrative Coordinator CRTEFL