From the East Coast to the Rich Coast: Let the Adventure Begin

Well, I'm about to embark on the adventure of a lifetime! My bags are packed, and I'm getting ready to set off to Costa Rica for the next four months. For those of you who don't know about my program, it is a Sustainability and the Environment program through Council on International Educational Exchange (CIEE) located in Monteverde, Costa Rica. Monteverde is a region in northwestern Costa Rica that "lies along the continental divide at the crest of the Cordillera de Tilarán mountain chain" (Yeah, I'm not quite sure where that is either--this was taken from my CIEE Student Handbook). Hopefully this map will make it easier. Monteverde is not only a region composed of 10-12 small towns, but it is also the name of the town closest to the Monteverde Cloud Forest Preserve.

My program is extremely academic. We will usually have classes on Saturdays and we will go on several weekend field trips. I know this isn't like most study abroad programs where there is a lot of free time to party, hang out, and lay out on the beach, but I think I will gain a lot from my experience. I tend to do better with a little bit more structure anyway, and I am staying in Costa Rica for a week after, so who knows? Maybe I'll extend my stay a little longer and travel around for a bit more.

When I arrive in Costa Rica on Monday, August 22nd I will be picked up at the airport and brought to a hotel in Alajuela. My first full day in Costa Rica (August 23rd) will consist of a full day orientation, a class about urbanization, and hopefully some ice-breaker activities. The next day, August 24th, we will go to Monteverde where I will meet my new host family!

My host family is the the Varela Brenes family! My new host parents are Alba Iris, a 39 year old receptionist and her husband Roy, a 36 year old waiter. They have two children, a 12 year old son named Roy Steven and a 9 year old daughter named Alina Lorena. I can't wait to meet them! I plan on bringing them some Pure Vermont Maple Syrup, a soccer ball, and some jam. Maybe I'll also bring a doll for little Alina Lorena.

Classes in Monteverde will begin on Thursday, August 25th at the CIEE Monteverde Study Center. I will be taking 5 courses:
1. Tropical Conservation Biology and Policy
2. Sustainability: Environment, Economy, and Society
3. Costa Rican Natural History
4. Conservation and Sustainability Internship (this will be a one-month long internship, but I'm not sure yet what exactly I will be doing for it)
5. Spanish Language

All of my classes will be taken with the 8 other CIEE students who I will be meeting in just a couple of days. We will take two 2-week long field trips throughout the semester. Our first trip will be from September 11-24 around different parts of Costa Rica (more on this later) and our second trip will be from October 22-November 5 to Nicaragua. I wonder if they celebrate Halloween in Nicaragua...

I'm a little nervous about this whole thing because I don't know anyone in my program and I have never been out of the country for longer than 5 weeks, but I know that once I get there I will have an incredible time, learn a ton, and make life-long friendships with the people in my program. Everyone I know who has been to Costa Rica (or who knows someone else who has gone) has raved about the place! Everyone says it is one of the most beautiful and interesting places they have ever been to! I can't wait to experience it for myself! Let the adventure begin!