Program Overview
Pre-Departure Reflection
As an agribusiness and applied economics major, my fascination extends beyond nature and into the economy, what drives purchasing decisions of people and how nature and consumerism are related. Costa Rica has the mix of economic stability, a relatively small population, and specialized agriculture that all together, forms a perfect place to spend some time studying and seeing these links firsthand. On a more personal level, my desire to go to Costa Rica comes from my enjoyment of exploring new things and traveling to places that are rich in history and culture. To the modern day person, Costa Rica is one of those places that tourist enjoy going to escape the fast paced work life and travel to sleep little resorts on the Caribbean coast. For me, exploring and traveling the road less traveled allows me to immerse myself more in a different lifestyle and creates longer lasting memories. One other factor that made me decide to participate in a study abroad was the experiences I have had with international students. In high school, my family opened our home for a very short stay for a Brazilian student. Her name was Mariane, and she was a college student at ESALQ, the College of Agriculture in Sao Paulo, Brazil. I was absolutely fascinated by her love of agriculture, her passion to teach us more about her lifestyle and primarily the food she prepared and shared with us. Her visit, among other international friends I have, put the desire in me to learn and expand my horizons and become more aware of the world outside the United States.
While Abroad Reflection
This trip is going really well. It is just so beautiful here! All I do is learn wherever we go- to farms, at the beach…My opinions on organic and sustainable agriculture have changed completely, as the way they do it here makes sense. Living on “tico time” is relaxing but sometimes stressful as we run behind schedule. EARTH University is such a wonderful place for students to learn and accelerate themselves in order to pay it forward to their respective nations, I feel lucky to even visit. There is so much more to explore and I cant wait!
After Return Reflection
As the plane taxied down the runway after a long bout of turbulence, we were finally in
Costa Rica. The first thing I noticed from the window seat of the plane was the people preparing the plane for us to get off the plane. They were part of the K-9 unit and the grounds crew. As one person walked up, they hugged and kissed each other and had friendly conversation as they carried out their duties. Even the guy throwing the cones to mark the wheels was smiling. This prettily painted picture you have in your mind is even better in person. After our nine day trip wheels were up and we were headed back towards home. Our customs destination: Newark, New Jersey. Now, I’ve never been to New Jersey but it’s always seemed like a cool place as I heard from others. As we saw the runway drawing nearer, and New York City building skyline lighting up, the wheels of the aircraft hit the ground and we were back on American soil. Again from my window seat of the plane, I looked down to see a bundled up man rigidly throwing the cones to mark the wheels of the plane as if it were just another long shift that he was ready to get out of the cold as quickly as possible. It hit me then, the people in America aren’t as happy as those in Costa Rica. Not only did I think this (as I did not share this observation with the group) but over the course of the next couple of hours, many others seemed to pick up on the change in atmosphere as well. As I laid in bed, finally back from my crazy adventure it hit me, the food they eat, the happiness they share and the pace of life they live is better than ours. How could a just slightly less developed country be happier than a more developed country? They are all educated people, using the money that should be spent on the military, on education instead. As they are all educated, they have a greater understanding of the world and how it provides for us. They believe being a steward for the environment isn’t a conscious choice, its natural. The food they eat is almost all homemade, from produce and plants found in their back yard, so fresh that its still warm from the sun. They eat together and laugh, most don’t work the 8 to 5, but instead remain on the land to earn a living. The food they eat powers them to have more energy to tend the land and plant more trees and crops. Photosynthesis carried out by these plants and trees reduces the amount of CO2 in the air, creating a cleaner and brighter place. Cleaner air leads to a longer life and less medical needs. Less medical needs requires less money spent on healthcare, and in turn more money for infrastructure, thus increasing tourism and accessibility for citizens and non-citizens. More money spent in their country allows for a higher standard of living. This realization and more have effected me immensely and to this day, I am still internalizing these differences.
