I am very happy with how this experience played out. I was weary to apply to the program in the first place because I have had the opportunity to visit Costa Rica before. But this trip was different in every way. I went to knew places, learned new things, and made new friends!
I loved being able to learn about the country before hand and to understand how the region came about and what lead to the biodiversity of this region. I was also happy to go in with the perspective and goal to learn more about the sustainability and green effort that Costa Rica is trying to implement. They are different from the US in many ways when it comes to this. Every bathroom or hotel room you are in there are signs reminding you to turn off the lights or conserve the water. You can see the effort they are putting forth. But like every cause not everyone is behind or supports this push for sustainability. This happens because being able to live a sustainable life is in my opinion a privilege.
This trip showed me how I can personally make a difference in my life and try to influence the others around me. The change won’t come overnight and it will be a long and slow process but I think given enough time and support that here in the US we can start to learn from Costa Rica and put into place some of the things they are already doing.
Pura Vida!