Study Abroad

During the Winter 2022 semester, I studied abroad in Costa Rica with Dr. Melanie Marks as part of the ECON 301 class. Before we departed, we spent two weeks completing online modules, quizzes, and integrative assignments on Costa Rica and sustainable development. While we were in Costa Rica, we traveled all of the country doing all sorts of incredible things, like visiting a sustainable coffee farm, doing a zip line canopy tour, staying in an indigenous community, and so much more.

This trip was my first time ever traveling out of the country (and getting on an airplane), so I was very nervous and had no idea what to expect. Things started off a little rough, probably the first one or two days, I was extremely homesick and was a little upset that I was missing ringing in the new year with my family, but things quickly got better. Part of it was the fact that we got so busy there was no time to feel homesick, but I think the group that went grew a lot closer in that time. The most interesting experience that we had was in the indigenous community of Descanso. We learned a lot of interesting things there, from the process of crafting beautiful masks out of wood, to the history of the community, and even how they produce chocolate from cacao beans, but the lodging that we stayed in made me nervous. The lodges were primitive, and I was worried that I would get eaten alive by bugs through the night, but that didn’t happen and I slept soundly through the night. This really opened my eyes as to how things can never be how they seem, and even if you expect the worse, you should always give something a try, because most of the time it will work out fine and you’ll have a great time!

It was also very interesting to see how the Costa Rican culture differs from our own. In the United States, we are conditioned to run on strict schedules and to always be “ready to go.” In Costa Rica, they refer to a phenomenon called “Tico Time” and have a “Pura Vida Lifestyle.” Pura Vida translates to “pure life,” and that is definitely a great way to sum up their culture as a whole. Everyone that we met was so laid back, and focused on just living life to the fullest, it was contagious. Everyone in Costa Rica is so genuine and caring about everyone in their community, it was almost a culture shock in a way. We would never stop in the middle of something we are doing and strike up a conversation with someone in the United States, but even observing communications there, everyone is like family, and there are no strangers.

I have so many pictures that I could use for this experience, but this one is from our time white-water rafting on our last day in Costa Rica. I have white-water rafted once before, a long time ago, but doing it in Costa Rica opened my eyes to how beautiful the natural environment can be. While rafting, we saw toucans and various other species of birds. I’ve never been bird watching, but there was something so unique about seeing them while on the water that almost took my breath away. The guides also told us about a storm that came through and completely changed the course of the river. This really put into perspective how fragile the environment is, and how important it is that we provide it with adequate protection.