Aero: Ana Northrop – Costa Rica 2016 – Biodiversity

… When on the airplane the thirty minutes before when we were going to land I was just looking out the window in amazement at the mountains and green forests. In the airport you could see that we were in a valley surrounded by those mountains and no matter where we went outside of Alajuela […]

Aero: Ana Northrop – Costa Rica 2016 – Food and Dining

… At home we would have breakfast every day.  It was usually fruit, toast with jam, butter or cream cheese, juice, and tea.  Occasionally Maria would switch it up and make breakfast sandwiches or cheese tortillas.  She would do all of the cooking at breakfast and dinner, I would offer to help but she said […]

Aero: Ana Northrop – Costa Rica 2016 – City Life

… Most of the cities in Costa Rica we saw if not all of them are centered on a church and a park.  The church faces east which is how directions are given by people who live there.  There are not really any street names so you go by blocks and direction from the church […]

Aero: Ana Northrop – Costa Rica 2016 – Life at Home

… One of the most significant things I noticed about families in Costa Rica is the large amount of love they show publicly.  The children lock arms with their parents or hug them at an older age where here in the U.S it wouldn’t be considered “cool” to do that in public.  Here that could […]

Aero: Ana Northrop – Costa Rica 2016 – Learning the Language

… Before I left I thought language was not going to be as hard for me due to the amount of people that speak it around me all the time.  However, when I observed people speaking I noticed they talk much faster than who I hear at my job. … … I managed to pick […]

Aero: Alysa Halsey – Costa Rica 2016 – Travel

… This trip was the first time I have ever traveled out of the country. Actually, it was only the second trip I’ve ever taken a plane to get to. So not only was I scared about flying in general, but it was quite a long plane ride to our destination. The first time I […]

Aero: Alysa Halsey – Costa Rica 2016 – Life at Home

… Before leaving for the trip, I honestly didn’t think too much about what it would be like to live with a host family; I had enough to worry about. Nevertheless, the sooner it got to meeting them at the airport, the more real it became, and the more worry I felt. Despite my sudden […]

Aero: Alysa Halsey – Costa Rica 2016 – Learning the Language

… Traveling out of the country is one of the best experiences I believe a young person can have. Living in a place other than the comfort of my home was frightening enough, and when I add in the fact that I couldn’t speak Spanish fluently, it was a nightmare of mine. However, these feelings […]

Aero: Alysa Halsey – Costa Rica 2016 – Food and Dining

… I came to realize that when dining at a restaurant in Costa Rica, it really would be helpful if I knew more Spanish. When we went out for meals, which we often did as a group, it was easier when we needed help because we had our professors who spoke Spanish very well. But […]

Aero: Alysa Halsey – Costa Rica 2016 – Epilogue

… Making the decision to travel to Costa Rica was one of the best decisions I have made so far. Looking back, I am very content with my experience and what little expectations I had before we left, were definitely exceeded. I could not have asked for a better host family to spend my time […]