By Katie Mitchell
Staff Writer
Junior Belah Ellis has officially begun her newest adventure of spending the rest of her high school career living in Costa Rica with her family.
Ellis and her family have settled into their new home of Playa Guiones and plan on living in Costa Rica for two years so Ellis can attend college in the United States; however, nothing is set final, according to Ellis.
“I moved to Costa Rica because my family decided that it would be fun to try something new culturally,” Ellis said. “My parents are big believers in exploring different places in the world to get different experiences and learn about different lifestyles.”
Ellis has been able to travel to many countries growing up, including Morocco, Mexico, parts of Europe, Australia, and now Costa Rica.
“Each country I have visited has a distinct way of doing everyday things such as cooking, practicing religion, and speaking,” Ellis said. “Throughout my travels, I have been able to notice the differences between each country and [its] cultures.”
According to Ellis, she has made friendships in her new school that are helping her to acclimate to this new way of life and make this transition easier for her.
“I love the newness of the culture in Costa Rica, and the food is delicious and the traditional clothes are beautiful,” Ellis said. “Even though I’ve only lived here for a few weeks, I am really looking forward to getting to know this beautiful country as well as its people.”
Ellis joined a small high school that has about 300 kids in total. She is one of eight juniors that are a part of the international baccalaureate program. So far, Ellis has made friends within her grade which helped her navigate the school and learn how her program works.
“It can be scary getting out of your comfort zone [by moving to a new country], but in the end, I find it so beneficial to take the time to learn about different parts of the world.”
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