¡Vamos a Costa Rica!

Once upon a time, there were explorers who were packing their bags (at least I hope so) and getting ready to board a plane in a few days to embark on a Costa Rican adventure, full of the beauty of the country's nature, learning about tropical biodiversity conservation, and much more excitement to come.

But first, let me introduce myself! I’m Helena and I will be your narrator.

I love traveling (surprise!). Everything about it. It is a chance to do something different, so I would rather go all in and try something new than regret passing up a unique experience. Discovering customs and foods from a different culture is amazing, but I also love how much I can learn about people; the locals, the people I'm with, and myself. 

I cannot contain my excitement for going to Costa Rica, this green haven full of all sorts of mysteries and marvels. Seriously, nonstop daydreaming for months for this trip. Being a New Yorker, I would argue that we don't have enough nature that we see each day, besides occasional weekend trips to parks, pigeons, and some lonely trees planted along the concrete sidewalks. Skyscrapers can be interesting to look up at but I think forests would be a nice change for once. In addition, I want to develop a deeper understanding of the importance of conservation and taking care of the envrionment, through first hand experiences. Going on this trip will open my eyes to this topic and its issues, quite literally. 

In addition, my five years of studying Spanish will finally be put to good use.  Personally, I am an enthusiast of languages. I know from experience that knowing a language, regardless of if it's a few phrases or fluently, is never useless. Speaking in the native language of someone else helps create a connection with that person. Plus, you can celebrate (as I do) that the sentence that you spent a minute thinking over in your head actually came out making sense. I can't wait to be able to go to a Spanish speaking country and use this skill. And of course, I can use it to order delicious food.

When the day finally comes, I already know that I will shoot straight out of bed, no matter how early (sadly, too early), and I can only imagine how many of my group mates will feel the same feeling of nerves and excitement fluttering around their stomach. What kind of people will I meet? I hope that I can learn everyone's name quickly, but no guarantees. I can't wait to meet all of them and experience this journey with them!!!

And so our story begins...

Helena

\(^o^)/