To begin our unit on diet sustainability, we visited pineapple farm, which might have been my favorite excursion of the trip. I have never been a big fan of pineapple… or any tropical fruit, really. Hence, I was not expecting to enjoy eating and numbing my tongue (they have protein-eating enzymes) from an entire pineapple fresh from the farm. Within this new world of pineapples, I found some points our tour guide made strikingly familiar. Someone asked why they used plastic to cover the fields when plastic is historically bad for the planet. His response was something I could cite word-for-word from an education course I took in the spring. He explained the three types of sustainability: environmental, social, and financial. Even though plastic was not the best for the planet, it was the most financially sustainable, which is just as important for society to continue functioning. Something I also found interesting from our guide’s monologues is that Costa Rica defunded their army in the 1940s and put all of those funds into education. That is why it is so easy for Costa Ricans to obtain scholarships for education, which I find absolutely fascinating as a future educator. With my entire teaching philosophy being rooted in the universality of education and mathematics, I found so much joy in learning about these familiar subjects while in a place and program of such newness to me.
Additional to our food tours at pineapple and banana farms, Dr. Libby gave lectures over sustainability in human diets. Now, I am not one to typically think too deeply about what I eat. Growing up, my parents and I were often out super late at sports activities, so we did not eat homemade dinners together. For this reason, I did not learn to cook many things and developed an anxiety when it comes to cooking nutrient-dense meals for myself. Luckily, I have always had a cafeteria or dining hall to use up to this point in my life. Therefore, when Dr. Libby asked us to dissect our diets back home and talk about the food system, I was intimidated. From my perspective, my peers seemed very educated on the agricultural system of the United States, so I was initially scared to speak up. Pretty much everything that was being discussed was new to me, which caused my brain to get overwhelmed quickly. However, I did find a familiar spot to contribute to the conversation. When the non-stop working culture of the States was brought up, I knew it was my time to shine. I added the educational perspective of students and teachers only receiving a 30-minute break within a 7–8-hour school day to use the restroom, get subpar food from the chaotic cafeteria, eat the meal, and get back to class. It seems as though most Americans have an issue with the way we treat food and meals in the States, but we are raising children to have the same mindsets and attitudes toward food that we do. I was so proud of myself when I did not shy away from our conversation but actually contributed and vulnerably shared my own relationship with food to the group.
About half-way through this unit, we left La Selva. Oddly enough, I felt considerably sad leaving the rainforest. Compared to the feeling I expressed in my last blog, this would not be an expected emotion from me. However, after spending 10 days in one place, it starts to grow on you. The data collection that was so challenging for me at the beginning became the most familiar routine on our last day of hummingbird watching. It is possible I might even get a hummingbird tattoo upon my return to Indiana. Despite the accomplishments and new-found familiarity, time moved on nonetheless, and it was our moment to depart.
The next event we conquered was the La Fortuna Waterfall. I had never swam in a waterfall before, so I was psyched for the new experience. It was raining our entire drive there, so we were nervous we would not get to see it. Dr. Wasserman pushed for us to anyway, and we were so glad he did! After walking a million stairs down to the waterfall, we all took the plunge into the small, wavy, freezing cold pool next to the waterfall. Once I went fully under, I was suddenly transported back to Lake Michigan where I would be slammed by waves trying to make it to shore. In other words, the feeling of trying to balance in the rough waters was familiar. This was an awesome day.
Skipping ahead to our 3-hour bus ride to Monteverde, it was rough. Everyone was feeling ill by the end. Adding onto the discomfort of a rough drive, we were in a new place, which meant new roommates, new climate, and new living conditions. All of it was a big change of pace. I found myself getting grouchy quickly for several reasons, but one them was that I was shivering after living in constant heat for so long. (If you are future student reading this- yes, you do need all those pants, shorts, short sleeves, and long sleeves, and bring a rain jacket and an umbrella!) Additionally, there was the unfortunate circumstance of there being lots of bugs with very little space for 5 girls in a room. I felt really uncomfortable our first night here, but after getting a good night’s rest, I woke up determined to have a better day. On our first morning hike, the first animals we saw were Resplendent Quetzals!! This was a big deal because it was the end of the season to see them in Monteverde, they are super rare, and, extra especially, they were my species I chose for our natural history presentations! Dr. Libby and Dr. Wasserman were doubtful we would see one, but that event of the morning proved them wrong and made my day. It was odd to automatically feel a sense of familiarity upon seeing these foreign birds I had never seen before, and that was because I had educated myself so much on them before we even arrived in Costa Rica. I was overwhelmed with excitement and comfort at the same time. Now, we have come to this moment where I am writing this blog in a sweatshirt (last week me would be sweatily appalled). I cannot believe there is only a week left of this trip; it is so exciting to wonder what will happen!
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