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Wednesday June 20, 2018
Welcome to Costa Rica!!
Today was a successful arrival day! We spent the day relaxing at our hotel and getting to know each other. Now that every student is here safe, we are so excited to start sharing this experience! As we say in Costa Rica…Pura vida!
-Hannah Calloway, International Director
Friday June 22, 2018
Today was a very eventful day! First we had a 20 min walk to our first service location. We split into groups and tackled a variety of projects. One group built a table, another painted plant beds, while the others transplanted trees into different bags making them ready to be planted by rivers and beaches. Then we headed to whale bay and began our first surf lessons and beach clean up. The surfing was almost as amazing as the beach views! Everyone was pretty tired after our first full day of activity that we had a quiet night at home base to end the night.
Question of the day: How did your first surf lesson go today?
Carla – ” I loved having this new experience. It was tricky learning to stand but at the end of the day, falling is more fun anyway”
Alice – ” It was pretty good. I fell a few times but you just have to learn to get back up again.”
#surfsup #rad #resforestationnation #riceandbeans
– The Student Blog Team!
Saturday June 23, 2018
Today we woke up early and had Gallo Pinto! After breakfast we had our second surf lesson were we learned to control our speed and direction on the wave. It was pretty awesome. While one group surfed the other spent their time planting trees along the beach. Then we all came back and ate lunch and took part in a GLA activity. The debate was very engaging. After that we had a cooking lesson from the amazing chefs at home base. We made and later ate empanadas and tortillas! We also watched the making of plantain chips. Then we finished the night with our casual mentor groups.
Question of the day: What was your favorite meal of the day?
Rachel Starr – “ My favorite meal of the day was dinner because we ate the empanadas we cooked ourselves and it was a really great experience, I learned a lot, and I can’t wait to go home and teach my family how to make them”
Jackie- “ My favorite meal was also dinner because we got to make it ourselves. It was a great experience because Costa Rica empanadas are different from Mexican empanadas. It was really cool learning how to make plantain chips along with everything else!”
Pura vida!!
Tuesday June 26, 2018
Today was an exciting day full of service at the home base. We carved out wooden signs to hang in the local community to provide color and excitement to trash bins. We also made trash holders that prevent dogs from getting into the trash and stop trash from spilling on the ground. We worked in the sun and in the pouring rain. To make service more fun we were surprised with a slip and slide to enjoy during the rain. After we finished an amazing amount of work we cleaned up and headed to a dance class taught by a local dancer. We got a crash course in the salsa, merengue, bachata, and cumbia. Overall it was a really fun and tiring day!
Question of the day: “What was your favorite part of the day?”
Anna – “My favorite part of the day was the surprise slip in slide. I am still soapy!!!”
Daniel – “My favorite part of the day was the salsa dancing! It was chill and a good release from the hard work we have been doing.”
– Written by Hailey
Wednesday June 27, 2018
Today was probably the best day of the trip so far! We woke up at 5:30 so we could eat and make it to the boats by 7. We took an hour and a half long boat ride to Corcovado National Park. We saw a few whales on the way and some amazing sights. When we made it to the park we took a 3 hour long nature walk through the jungle. On our walk we saw white nosed Coati’s, howler monkeys, white-faced capuchin monkeys, an agouti, and so many other animal and plant species. After our walk we ate lunch at the park and boated back where we got snacks!! Everyone was very excited about the snacks! After that we just chilled the rest of the night because we were all exhausted from our long day!
Question of the day-“What was your favorite animal you saw today?”
Katherine-“I had two. The whale was so magnificent because I didn’t expect to see any so that was amazing. I also loved seeing the ants and learning about their relationship with Mother Nature.”
Luke- “I thought the whale was pretty sick, that was something I was really looking forward to seeing. So yeah that was awesome.”
Saturday June 30, 2018
Today was a fun day! We started off with an early breakfast at 6, followed by a 30 minute drive to the canopy tour. We rode 9 zip lines above the river through the beautiful trees and clouds. We headed back to home base for lunch before service by the river. Service included planting trees on the edge of the river while learning how to use new tools. We ended service with a swim in the river filled with splashing and laughter. Our day finished with dinner at the home base and mentor groups before bed!
The last day of the program came with mixed feelings. Excitement about going home and seeing loved ones again, but there’s also sadness of leaving behind what many students already called a ‘life changing experience’ in a country with more shades of green than one could possibly count. Parting with newly made friends was difficult for more than a few.
It fills our hearts to have seen these students bond as a group, create such an inclusive, fun and supporting group culture in such a short time. We are incredibly proud of what this group has achieved; they worked so hard and with an incredible dedication that stood out to both international and local staff. And wow, how these students have grown in confidence, self knowledge, social skills and willingness to take action to protect our planet.
Thank you for taking this brave step in your leadership paths, for your willingness to learn and grow and for caring for our planet. Have a save flight home beautiful friends and a soft arrival, now that you are all safely on your way back.
May you all be inspired to follow your dreams and may they become contagious wherever you go!!
