Coming into the trip, there was quite a bit of a buildup and nerves before the arrival date actually came. I had never travelled alone, let alone gone to a foreign country on a continent I had never been to. However, this is what I signed up for and this is what I wanted to do. At no point did I regret the choice and most of the nervousness stemmed from the pure excitement of getting an opportunity to do something like this. All the previous years of watching and reading about wildlife experiences like the ones that can be found in Costa Rica had sparked an interest that I knew could be seen during this program. During this trip it has been my goal to get the most out of everyday in order to get a more holistic view of the biodiversity as well as climate impacts in a tropical setting. 
Then came May 23rd, the day that had slowly been approaching for many weeks. The travel experience was completely different from what I’m used to doing. I was completely on my own, but luckily I was able to find some classmates during the boarding for the flight to Miami. The flights were smooth and I was able to get some sleep. The only trouble came on the flight to Costa Rica when the San Jose airport was shut down due to the First Lady of the United States being there. It was a bit of a delay, but it allowed for more great views out of the window. After finally landing in San Jose, it was apparent just how different the landscape truly was. The green mountains were easily within view from the airport and the bus ride showcased winding roads between huge walls of green to enclose them. A long night, but one that exceeded expectations.
The first night of sleep within La Selva was one of many noises, but the white noise outside is actually peaceful to sleep in. All of the people in La Selva were very kind and encouraging of enjoying the environment around us. This came into full effect that night. Our second hike of the day was a night hike which was much different from the morning experience. I noticed much less bird noise than in the morning but instead was fully engulfed with the sounds of bugs. Spiders like the golden orb spider were insane to see. The spider itself was beautiful as well as the gold shimmering web. Dr. Wasserman mentioned that at one point the military actually studied these spiders with the hope that they could replicate the tensile strength of the web for some use in the military. It was awesome to see that something I saw in the wild had such a direct correlation to something at home. Of course, the hike went out with a boom as the guides saw a Ferdelance snake which scared everyone. I personally thought it was great to see as no one got too close. Finally, the food at dinner was extremely good. Fish with rice and beans along with cooked veggies hit the spot after a long and eventful first full day.
May 25th had a specific theme. This theme was to expect the unexpected here in La Selva. As part of the lesson plan, we split into groups and took a hike after to find mammals and didn’t expect to find much. However, my classmate Tommy and I were surprised to hear lots of noise all of the sudden from above. A family of spider monkeys came climbing through right above. I had thought they were more slight in their build but they are actually quite thick looking with tails capable of gripping like an extra hand. It was awesome to see the mothers carrying the babies as they went directly over us. Directly following this, we saw capuchin monkeys which were much smaller. These little monkeys seemed more curious and perched in trees to look at us with curious dark eyes emphasized by their light colored face. It was interesting to notice the commotion from them climbing as it was much more extreme than I thought. Small branches and leaves were falling all over, and overall it really was an impressive experience to have. Later in the day, yet another example of the days theme came into play. A bullet ant managed to climb on me from the boot up to the torso. Thankfully this potential pain bringer felt no need to sting and my classmates were able to swipe it off me. It was a surreal experience that reminded me of the potential of a place that I know so little about. No matter the seeming wildness during the action of a day, it is always peaceful to sleep and the rumble of a storm outside only helped.
The morning of May 26th was one of the first of early mornings.I woke up at 5:20 to go on a bird tour and was able to see some really interesting birds. Specifically, I learned that many parrots and macaws are actually very monogamous. This is to the point where they actually will remain alone for the rest of their lives if their partner were to die. This makes me wonder about the weakness of human relationships in comparison. I’m not sure if that is a good or bad thing but just food for thought. Regardless, it reminded me of the red tailed hawks that lived outside my dorm room that were also monogamous. Late at night, I was able to stand on the bridge for a moment which was a unique moment for me. I don’t normally stargaze, but I did spend a solid amount of time looking at everything above me. It seems possible that the light pollution is less extreme here compared to Indiana. It’s amazing to realize what you miss living in such a distant place.
The May 27th experience definitely raised the difficulty for hiking. I was asked to be part of the bike group to get to an area needed for the howler monkey census. However, today when we went to practice getting to the area, we had to walk the distant trail. It was really interesting because at the end of the trail it wasn’t paved and it felt much more real to hike in that area. Adding to the experience was the fact that it started to storm while we were in there. We got to see some animals I hadn’t seen anywhere else while we were deep in the forest which definitely had me wanting more. My group was able to see an anteater that was smaller than I thought it was going to be, but the major find was some sort of cat. It had an orange coat of fur with a white underside. About 3 feet long with a long tail and distinct cat ears.
assume arboreal as when we apparently spooked it, it came sprinting down the tree and into the forest. It turned out to be an amazing experience and worth the long hike.
May 28th started extremely early at 2:30 AM when my group and I (Vijay, Rowan, and Eric) rode bikes to the site for the howler monkey census. Along the way we had a bit of a close call when I noticed a ferdelance that actually poked out its head at Vijay while on the bike. The patterns on these deadly snakes are perfect to blend into the environment, and I was only able to see it because it moved so suddenly. The most interesting thing about the snake is that it doesn’t react to people in the same way as other animals. It stands its ground and protects itself which is scary but also earns it respect in my book. Of course, not that any animal cares what I or any human thinks, but it is definitely interesting that these snakes are not skittish. In addition to this, waking up so early puts a different perspective on each day. For example, taking a nap at 9 in the morning is not typical for the average college student, but my lifestyle has drastically changed since being here. Things like eating three meals a day at the same time everyday and going to sleep early are things I have learned to appreciate since being in La Selva.
Here in Costa Rica my perception of time is much different and my internal clock has changed immensely. The hours seem shorter and the days begin much earlier. This idea relates to the creature the group was able to spot in the morning of May 29th. This creature was a caiman down on the bank below the bridge that we use everyday. With this caiman came a new thought that I hadn’t previously known about. Michael, one of my classmates, told me about the idea of brain recharge rate that is different among many animals. What was interesting was the fact that he said that since reptiles regulate their activity depending on temperature, the caiman may be able to react to many more stimuli and perceive time slower while warmer. This idea was foreign to me, and I don’t claim to understand it completely, but it was extremely interesting to me nonetheless.
With everyday comes a plethora of new ideas and new experiences with wildlife, but to me they have something in common. The common theme is that no matter the lifeform, these creatures within the jungle are so much more interconnected to us as humans. It is important to realize just how these behaviors or even just the will to live are so similar to humans. The first week of this program has opened my eyes to so much in a way that no other experience possibly could.
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