At our final meeting this past Monday, we asked the team to reflect on what goals/expectations they have for the trip. Here are some of their responses!
Summer: I can’t even begin to explain how excited I am about the trip! I’ve been thinking about some goals I have for myself for the trip. The zip line is sure to be awesome, but I am pretty terrified of heights. I know I will love it once I’m up there, but it will definitely be a challenge building up the courage to pull on that harness. Something else I hope to do is learn a little about the culture and language in Costa Rica. I want to come back with an idea of how the locals live. I also want to learn and successfully use three or more Spanish phrases while I’m there. I’ve never spoken Spanish in my life, so…this should be interesting! The last thought on my mind right now is just me hoping there won’t be any incidents with giant spiders…I’m shuddering as I type this. Still, I am looking forward to all of the adventures that are sure to come!
Issac: Isn’t the week before spring break always the busiest week of the semester? I swear they plan it that way. Well I know I expect to not sleep a lot Friday night, not neccessarily from the 3:00 am depature for the airport, but just from sheer excitement. Seriously though, I expect to meet a lot of interesting people on this trip, have some good laughs (and fun), and make some lasting memories. My goals for the trip are: to have a interpretable converstation with someone who speaks as little English as I do Spanish, take some amazing photographs of Costa Rica’s fauna, flora, and people, make an impression on the locals we serve with, and learn a lot about the tico’s sustainability practices (specifically the biodigestor method to create biogas, fertilizer) and how I can take them back to the US and implement them. Can’t wait, pura vida!
Kelly: Goals are to: make a Costa Rican friend, speak as much Spanish as possible, learn what a biodigester is and how to make one, and see some awesome animals! I don’t really have many expectations though… I’m expecting to have an amazing time. I also expect to return from Costa Rica having learned a lot about the rainforest and sustainability efforts. I hope to make a lot of new friends, both within our group and among the people we interact with in Costa Rica.
Lena: My top two goals are first to learn as much as I can about the culture of Costa Rica and brush up on my Spanish while I am there. Secondly, to learn as much as possible about sustainable and conservation practices used in the country and look for some that could possibly be used in the United States. I am really excited about building a biodigestor and learning what it is, along with building a playground out of recycled materials. I cannot wait till Saturday when we finally arrive in Costa Rica, but for right now my first challenge is to get the pile of clothes and other items off of my floor and packed! !
Emily: As Saturday approaches, I cannot get our upcoming trip off of my mind! I have so many hopes and anticipations and yet no concrete expectations. My goal is to keep an open, curious mind and simply take it all in. I hope to make new friendships within our group as well as with Costa Rican citizens. I am especially looking forward to working with the school children- I feel that through them I may get a better glimpse of what the culture is really like. Also, the wildlife (especially the insects!) is another aspect I am super excited about. Few times will I ever have the opportunity to experience such biodiversity and I plan to soak it up. In fact, few times will I ever have the opportunity to experience any of this! Costa Rica will impact me, I’m sure of it, and I can only hope that I can create a positive impact upon it in return.
Megan: I’m extremely excited for this trip! Today I even had someone tell me my face turned a bright red while I was talking about all of the amazing things we will be doing in country. While I am looking forward to all of the amazing activities and learning opportunities we have planned, I am really excited to learn about recycling in Costa Rica. I am very much a recycling nerd, so I am stoked to see how Costa Ricans have implemented it and maybe bring some ideas back to the states. I’m also excited to be going to Costa Rica with such an amazing team. I can only imagine the amazing memories and friendships that will be formed!
We are t-minus two days now and everyone is raring to go. Just think…next time we post, it will be from Costa Rica! Pura Vida everyone!