It wasn’t easy. We arrived in the dark maybe making some wonder if they had just stepped into an episode of Survivor. At the end of that boat ride stood Jason waiting in the glow of his flashlight. Like the ninja that he is, he helped carry bags and led us through the brush to what we would call home for the next five nights. He would come to teach us about the land, the community, and the true meaning of hard work.

A lot of other beings came to greet us upon arrival. Most of them flew at our heads and clung to our clothes. Others feasted on our skin, leaving a remembrance of their visit. The first few days were tough – it was H-O-T, we were caked in DEET and sunscreen, it was hard to keep up our energy level in the humidity. But we channeled our inner sloths and took naps in the hammocks. We exercised our competitive natures with endless card games. We took farm and mangrove tours, gathered for mentor groups, played with the local children, drank fruit shakes by Olga, and indulged Lazy/Lacy and Kila all in preparation for our true purpose in coming to Parismina: the night patrols. They didn’t disappoint, as we got to see a few leatherbacks.

It was the best we knew to be able to truly understand PURA VIDA!

-Paz

 

Feeling nostalgic? You can experience that same sense of friendship and adventure abroad again! Check out all our new destinations for Summer 2018, or enroll now.

For most students, spring break is a time to kick back, chill, and hang with friends or catch up on Netflix. For others, flying to a foreign country and helping protect the nesting habitat of endangered turtles is more their speed. It was a true pleasure to spend a week with such hearts and minds in Parismina, Costa Rica. Students arrived with a mix of excitement, curiosity, and anxiety. Students left knowing their perspectives of the environment, of other cultures, and of themselves were forever changed.

There will always be a selfish element to the night patrols – seeing a turtle would be such a great experience.  But the actual reward in walking in the dark in heavy sand for hours on three nights was knowing that our presence might help keep the beach safe for the turtles to come and nest, thus giving the species a chance to increase in number. It’s a strange thing to work for something that isn’t entirely tangible, but we learned that often success isn’t measurable. It’s a feeling – satisfaction and fulfillment in the effort.

-Paz

 

Feeling nostalgic? You can experience that same sense of friendship and adventure abroad again! Check out all our new destinations for Summer 2018, or enroll now.

 

Feeling nostalgic? You can experience that same sense of friendship and adventure abroad again! Check out all our new destinations for Summer 2018, or enroll now.

 

Feeling nostalgic? You can experience that same sense of friendship and adventure abroad again! Check out all our new destinations for Summer 2018, or enroll now.

 

Feeling nostalgic? You can experience that same sense of friendship and adventure abroad again! Check out all our new destinations for Summer 2018, or enroll now.