Costa Rica 2019: Students Find “Pura Vida” in the Rainforest

Blog 1: Orientation & Introductions

It’s been one week since 10 amazing student travelers set off from the Newark Airport to spend one month in Costa Rica with our amazing Program Leaders, Liz MacNeil and Pablo Salazar.

Big shout out to all the parents and supporters who helped get this incredible crew ready and packed up for their day of departure!!!

Documentation: At Global Routes, we always strive to put students in a leadership role. Each student has therefore signed up for a specific “crew” to help document their journey. This includes blog posts, photos, videos, journaling, and other forms of creative expression.

Moving forward, approximately twice a week, we’ll be posting updates from the group right here on the blog. Check back often and stay tuned!

This group has really taken it upon themselves to make their blog extra amazing! They wrote, designed, and formatted the blog below.

“They’re doing really well and are excited for the homestays and community!”  – Liz MacNeil (Costa Rica co-leader) 

COSTA RICA 2019

We started our journey in the Newark Airport with awkward hellos and simple conversations; however, I am proud to say that after our orientation in the beautiful rainforest center, we have surpassed the initial awkwardness and are having fun and bonding as a group!

From sauna to river, we have reached a level of comfort amongst each other, which has fostered interesting conversations (sometimes even in Spanish!).  In our time in the rainforest center, Mauricio taught us about healing plants, Doña Rosa taught us how to make tortillas, and Don Albino helped us make chocolate.

We also climbed trees and repelled down waterfalls, challenging ourselves physically and supporting each other through it all. Overall, we are embracing the Tico culture and are excited for our homestays.

Con Amor,

Los Diez Corazones


Want to experience this program for yourself? Applications for Costa Rica Summer 2020 are now open! Learn More by visiting our Costa Rica Program Page or go ahead and submit your Early Enrollment, and we’ll be in touch!

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