Zuleima Noriega

Biodiversity:

Costa Rica has immense biodiversity, something that is hard to recognize the value and beauty of when we live so separately from it. Everyday my friends and I walked to classes past mountains of trees of different shades in all directions. We listened to bird calls from the classrooms and watched them perch on the roof beams of the outdoor seating. The insects were so beautiful it was hard to be freaked out or scared of them, some of them anyways. My friends saw monkeys on their rooftop peeking over at them, or swinging around behind cafes. It can make life so rich and exciting to know that a stunning view or sight awaits you in your backyard or out your window, and its even more rewarding to know that it is the efforts of the community to keep these places alive and safe from deforestation.In Costa Rica we contributed to fighting deforestation by packaging and planting saplings and plants in fincas and preparing them for transport from Monteverde Instituto (MVI). These saplings were delivered to local farms and businesses to assist in reforestation and food security by providing a stable source of fruits and vegetables. They were completely free of charge as well, the only thing MVI asked in return is that they are planted. In Monteverde, you'll find this mindset of giving and shared community to build and to preserve the progress the country has made toward environmentalism. It's an honor to be a part of.The history of the biodiversity, and the rich wilderness in which it thrives is the subject of many excursions and events! During your time there you will get to visit cloud forests, endangered animal sanctuaries, bat exhibits, hikes by volcanoes, and so much more! The program is structured so that every single day you are doing or learning something new about Costa Rica. Not a single second is wasted, and by the time you go to bed each day, you will be content, satisfied, and looking forward to the next.

Sustainability and Community:

Scalding hot showers and me were inseparable before Costa Rica. But going from being there for 30 minutes to 10 was a pretty transformative experience. I definitely got some time back, but more than that I was reframing a resource that I saw as private, into something shared. I started to see the impact I left on the environment as something substantial, and that anything I could do to mitigate it would be meaningful for the global community, even if I did not see the exact change being made.In Costa Rica you will learn about the power of living sustainably, and how they are fighting to reduce the amount of hard water and gray water left after things like washing dishes, showering, or using the restroom. The containments left behind damage the environment. By making ourselves aware of the impact we leave, we are more likely to not only treat the world with more respect, but also to engage mindfully with how much resources we use. This mindset has passed on to other resources, like electricity, or compost, every effort counts and while we may not have been taught the importance of living sustainably, we can make efforts to learn and live with community in mind, not out of a sense of obligation but to protect and preserve one another and our planet.

Growth and Friendship:

Growing up my family and I always made safety my top priority, so when my Costa Rica group proposed the idea of traveling to La Fortuna without any guides from MVI, I was genuinely pretty nervous. What if the hostel wasn't safe? What if something happened to our transport? But new questions started to emerge, what if I never get the chance to study abroad again? What if I have a great time? I took the plunge into traveling as a group, trusting my friends to book the best options, and putting in the money for it.I've had some of the most memorable experiences in my life thanks to this. We ziplined hundreds of feet in the air over tall tree tops, spinning in circles as we did because we didn't know how to stop it from happening. We stayed up late in the hostel making jokes about the creaky beds and tripping into the tiny bathroom. We rode horses that were passionate about leaving compost behind. We did hikes past waterfalls and mountains in record time so that we could catch our flight back right after, and so much more.I never thought we had enough time, or knew enough to go, but gradually that worry I'd held for much of my life subsided and I found myself full of gratitude to have met so many funny, generous, and brave people in such a new place. We still meet with each other and make plans. While we were there, we shared jokes and stories, and made new ones together. I had no idea that when I met them the first day that we would end up forming such strong friendships.Studying abroad taught me the value of taking risks and above all that many things are possible once we allow ourselves hope. We can travel much more than we realize if we apply to the right resources and in doing so we open doors to new people, cultures, and opportunities.Each time we feed hope it blossoms a little bit more, until one day we are accomplishing goals or reaching for heights we would have never even thought of before.