Adventures in Costa Rica

2016 Student Field Reporter Project:  EcoTeach has enlisted the help of several students to share their 2016 Costa Rica experiences with us. Over the coming months we will regularly feature their posts, photos, and reflections – letting them tell their amazing stories of Costa Rica and it’s impact on their lives!  

Reporter:  Emma, Palisades Middle School

I have never seen 10 days go by so fast. Typically, in school, I want the days to go by as fast as possible, but not in Costa Rica.  I never wanted this adventure to end, but all of a sudden, we were back at the airport saying “goodbye.”

On our last night, we met together in a circle. We all told stories about our favorite things on the trip, and how the trip was meaningful to us. Everyone shared a serious thing about the trip and how it impacted them, and then we each told a funny story.  This gave us time to reflect on the ten days we spent in an amazing country that most people don’t even have the opportunity to go to.  I am very thankful I got to go on this trip.  It was the best time of my life!

The following day we headed to the airport. The trip seemed to be a blur and it went by so fast.  I was excited to go home to see my family and my friends, but I never wanted to leave. Everything in Costa Rica is so peaceful and I felt calm and relaxed when I was there. There is not even an army in Costa Rica!  Though, when I returned to the United States, I walked past a TV in the airport and all they were talking about were terrorist attacks, which made me very unhappy. Why can’t the rest of the world be peaceful and positive like Costa Rica?

Based on all of the stories I have told my family and friends, they all want to go to Costa Rica. It truly is a great place to travel to and if you ever have the opportunity to go there, I encourage you to do so. There are so many things you can do.  For example, we netted and measured pacific green sea turtles and hawksbill turtles, planted mangroves as a part of a reforestation project, and saw fascinating animals such as sloths and macaws.  Our activities included white water rafting, a Tarzan swing, zip lining, and several environmental hikes. In addition, there are so many other things I did in Costa Rica, and I enjoyed them all, and I hope anyone else who will go there in the future enjoys these activities as well as the amazing Costa Rican culture.

This trip was life changing, because it opened my eyes to a new world. I realized that there are so many unique things outside of the USA and I am now motivated to experience other cultures too! Traveling to Costa Rica has made me want to see and experience so many different things in different countries. So, I now say goodbye to Costa Rica, as I continue on to the next journey in my life.