Sitting in a coffee shop with a good friend of mine, we read the email from the study abroad office advertising "Winter in COSTA RICA". hey, that sounds kind of fun. You wanna go to costa rica this winter? Yeah, do you? YEAH. ok let's do it. - and that's how it started.
The Course
Sustainable Development: The Costa Rican Experience
We are here to learn about sustainable development in Costa Rica. There are 9 students in the class separated into four groups. Our topic that we've been assigned to write our final paper on is Sustainable Agriculture. What is sustainable agriculture? Which agricultural practices
in Costa Rica are sustainable? Is sustainable agriculture always practiced on a small scale and is
it an economically viable practice? These are all of the questions we've been asked to investigate, and at the end of the trip we begin our paper that will be due in February. Our final topic has not been decided yet; we have to come up with something much more specific than the one we've been given. Our only task during our trip besides have an awesome abroad experience is to keep a daily journal. Done. Easy. I live for that. Between rainforests, scorpions, rain, monkeys, rain, mountains, volcanos, rain, hiking, rain, 14-hour-long bus rides (and did I mention rain?) I'm not sure where I am going to find the time and place to keep a blog on my laptop, but I will do my best. And you, my beloved reader, get to live vicariously through my words.
We have had four Tuesday night classes from 7-9pm to learn about Costa Rica and Sustainable Development. I went from having 4 classes on Tuesdays to having five. The difference seems small but felt significant. I always tried to grab dinner right before class and bring it with me, and I managed to forget my name tag every. single. class. The first day we talked about the Sustainable Development Goals. They just released the new ones for 2015 - 2030. Check those out here. Then we watched a video by Jeff Sachs (the ultimate guru of SDev) for an hour. Unfortunately for Dr. Sachs, his voice is like an elephant dart to the face, albeit the most knowledgable elephant dart I've ever been shot with.
The subsequent weeks we were given topics to make a brief powerpoint on and explain. My groups topics included Costa Rican History from 1949 - present, Deforestation and it's effects in Costa Rica, and Costa Rica & USAID, IDB, and other loans used for development. In the last course we went over a lot of the packing lists and some logistics of what will happen.
OPTIONAL
Leatherman
Binoculars
Calculator
Spanish dictionary/ Costa Rica guide book (optional)
** This is required because at 1-2 locations you will leave your large bag behind and use your day pack as an overnight bag. Remember that every 3-4 days we have access to laundry facilities.
I do not own all of these things, so it looks like this year's Christmas list will be strictly things from this packing list.
The other night I was at the mandatory orientation program and they gave us a bunch of information. Career services, Health Center Services, ISOS (insurance people), Counseling center, and the study abroad office all had presentations for us. Just incase someone goes abroad that's mentally unstable, they don't want you to go bat-shit crazy while you're in another country. Somewhere between international health insurance and getting mugged whilst I'm abroad, I learned that the study abroad office was looking for bloggers! So I hopped on my laptop, created a blog domain real quick, and here we are.
After that meeting, I was beginning this blog in one of my professors' office and we were chatting about vaccinations I'll need before going abroad. He wanted to make sure I got them all so HE wouldn't get sick when I got back. We were talking about how much they cost; turns out, they're pretty expensive.
Ha ha, very funny.
The trip won't be for another month and a half or so, 44 days from today, but I hope to keep you all updated intermittently up until the trip actually happens. Between frantically buying everything on the packing list, to calling Wells Fargo to tell them I'm going abroad so they don't freeze my bank account, I will keep you updated on everything I'm doing and we can go on this big scary exciting adventure together. It'll be like you're coming with me! Keep a look out for future posts.
The subsequent weeks we were given topics to make a brief powerpoint on and explain. My groups topics included Costa Rican History from 1949 - present, Deforestation and it's effects in Costa Rica, and Costa Rica & USAID, IDB, and other loans used for development. In the last course we went over a lot of the packing lists and some logistics of what will happen.
Women’s Packing List for Costa Rica compiled by former students /*edited with notes I took in class*/
- 2-3 Long pants (jeans not recommended, maybe one pair if we are being casual).
- Include light hiking pants (1-2 pairs) and light sweat pants (athletic leggings are okay!! praise lord)
- 4 Shorts (no shortie-shorts -- nike shorts are okay)
- 6 t-shirts/ tank tops (more t-shirts than tank tops)
- 1-2 long sleeve shirts
- 1 sweatshirt/ fleece
- 1 rain coat (has to breathe or ur gonna die)
- 1 rain pants (if rick doesn't need them, then I don't either)
- 1 umbrella (small)
- 2 Swim suit
- 5-7 days worth of underwear and socks (ALL THE SOCKS AND UNDERWEAR)
- 3 Sports bras Hat/visor
- 1 Pair of Tevas/Chacos or equivalent (somewhat heavier for light walking).
- 1 Pair of shower flip-flops (but beware of the scorpions)
- 1 Pair light hiking boots (DO NOT TRY ON DAY OF - break them in first!! Keens let the ants in, try Bean Boots, Hunter Rain Boots with tall socks are okay too, etc, anything with rubber bottoms)
- 1 Pair sneakers (only if you wish them imminent death)
- 1-2 nicer outfits- black pants, 1-2 going out shirts (not gonna need this at al)
- 1 towel and 1 washcloth (For the beach)
- Toiletries (as few as possible - non scented, you'll attract the bugs, we're all gonna smell like monkeys anyway)
- Sunscreen (at least SPF 15, preferably SPF 30 or higher)
- Bug spray (& after bite)
- Garbage bags and zip lock bags (gallon size -- bring a lot)
- Day pack**
- Water bottle (Nalgene works great)
- Good flash light (extra batteries -- probably bring 2 flashlights)
- Camera
- Small first aid kit (BENADRYL -- and after bite)
- Money belt (somewhere safe to keep passport, plane tickets, etc.) Passport (and copies)
- Photo copies of credit cards, etc.
OPTIONAL
Leatherman
Binoculars
Calculator
Spanish dictionary/ Costa Rica guide book (optional)
** This is required because at 1-2 locations you will leave your large bag behind and use your day pack as an overnight bag. Remember that every 3-4 days we have access to laundry facilities.
I do not own all of these things, so it looks like this year's Christmas list will be strictly things from this packing list.
The other night I was at the mandatory orientation program and they gave us a bunch of information. Career services, Health Center Services, ISOS (insurance people), Counseling center, and the study abroad office all had presentations for us. Just incase someone goes abroad that's mentally unstable, they don't want you to go bat-shit crazy while you're in another country. Somewhere between international health insurance and getting mugged whilst I'm abroad, I learned that the study abroad office was looking for bloggers! So I hopped on my laptop, created a blog domain real quick, and here we are.
After that meeting, I was beginning this blog in one of my professors' office and we were chatting about vaccinations I'll need before going abroad. He wanted to make sure I got them all so HE wouldn't get sick when I got back. We were talking about how much they cost; turns out, they're pretty expensive.
"I can't afford these diseases" he said.
Ha ha, very funny.
The trip won't be for another month and a half or so, 44 days from today, but I hope to keep you all updated intermittently up until the trip actually happens. Between frantically buying everything on the packing list, to calling Wells Fargo to tell them I'm going abroad so they don't freeze my bank account, I will keep you updated on everything I'm doing and we can go on this big scary exciting adventure together. It'll be like you're coming with me! Keep a look out for future posts.
