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    I am back in Athens and I am already missing Costa Rica even though it has only been a week. This trip was hands down the biggest highlight of my Fall 2016 semester. I met amazing people during this trip and even made a few new friends- including the girl I sat next to on the plane who was from Australia! I have also developed a new taste for coffee. I can easily identify the qualities of coffee I look for before I buy it from the grocery store.

    Overall the people who we interacted with in Costa Rica live very simple lives and seemed pretty content. The Costa Ricans heavily valued their family and community relations. During a busy harvest season, a small coffee farmer might have his entire extended family helping out. In addition, a famer would let a neighboring farmer borrow a piece of equipment if they needed it, without anything in return, as it is the neighborly thing to do. Everyone seems to be aware of others and they interact in a collective manner.

   This program allowed me to gain life experiences I would have never had otherwise. And it was an added bonus that everyone enrolled in the program got along. Costa Rica is an amazing place to visit and learn about coffee and would recommend it to anyone who wants to participate in a study abroad program. Now I have caught the travel-bug, and I find myself looking online for other places to travel.

Pura Vida!

 

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Sunsets in Costa Rica