I came to learn what I didn’t know, but instead, I unlearned what I thought I already knew. I’m not sure how I feel about Fruit Loops or Mario Kart anymore. When I think about the things I’ve learned throughout these past two to three weeks, I recall some thoughts about how maybe how nature… Read more »
Month: June 2025
Unfolding Horizons: Reflections from Costa Rica
At The Divide: Where Worlds Collide Time and tide wait for no man. The final group hike was to the continental divide, where the gale force winds of the Caribbean side meet the calm and collected Pacific side. Like the flow of the trade winds that explain this near enigma, there is so much more… Read more »
Reconsidering My Comfortability
The third leg of our tropical journey began at the Cloud Forest in Monteverde. Just from stepping out of the bus, I could tell that we were not in Kansas anymore (a.k.a. the lowland rainforest). The cool breeze swept me away, and I was actually chilly for the first time on this trip. We had… Read more »
Applying Sustainability and Conservation to Real Life
How Costa Rica Sets Standards: During our time in Costa Rica, I was surprised the whole time on how they set different standards on sustainability and conservation. From air drying clothes when they had dryers, to set timers on the water faucets. The first day to the last, sustainability measures were set in place such… Read more »
A Trip with Unexpected Turns
I write this as our time in Costa Rica has come to an end. From the beginning, I took this course to get my second Hutton Honors class credit. The timeline of this course fits best with my summer schedule. I could have never imagined I would learn so much about myself and the world… Read more »
Thank you, Costa Rica
Coming back home has been a strange feeling. These past three weeks went by so quickly that it hardly feels like the trip is truly over. One thing I will always carry with me from Costa Rica is the importance of being present in the moment. That lesson found its way to me again and… Read more »
The Many Lessons of Costa Rica
Our short time in Costa Rica taught me so many lessons that I will take home and cherish. A lot of these lessons occurred at face value when learning about sustainability, the environment, or the cultures, but some took their time to marinate in a new experience until they came to fruition. These lessons will… Read more »
A Call To Action
Three weeks gone in the blink of an eye! I cannot believe that this trip is already over, as it feels like just yesterday I got the email confirming my place on the 2025 Planetary health and Climate Change in Costa Rica Hutton Honors study abroad course. The only way I can describe my time… Read more »
A Whole Lot Of Love
If I’m being honest, the start of this week didn’t exactly scream “peace and relaxation.” We spent a few days at a coffee farm, and while the scenery was beautiful and the people even more so, whewww it was work. We painted benches that now look like they belong in an art museum (okay, maybe… Read more »
Costly Change
You know that strange feeling of going home after you moved away for the first time? For most of us, that would probably be fall break of freshman year of college. That’s the best way I can describe what it feels like to return home after a life-changing study abroad trip. I came back to… Read more »
Reflection
The last week of my time here in Costa Rica could be separated into two distinct sections. First, following simple, humble practices with my host family, and second, learning that sustainability doesn’t always have to be followed by discomfort. The time spent with my host family was special and definitely tested my patience. Met with… Read more »
Week 3: A small but beautiful country full of knowledge the rest of the world can not comprehend
Costa Rica might be a small country, but somehow it feels as big as the whole U.S. with how much it teaches you. In such a short time, it shared so much knowledge, culture, and heart leaving a lasting impact on me, hoping it will be carried into America with me like a souvenir. I… Read more »
Take nothing but photographs; leave nothing but footprints
I am sitting in the airport, watching the rain trace soft lines down the window as I try to hold onto the last few moments of these past three weeks. It feels unreal that we only just arrived in Costa Rica, wide-eyed and uncertain, and now we are already leaving. My heart is full, my… Read more »
What We Take From Costa Rica
Our third week in Costa Rica came as soon as it left, and now, as I sit in the airport and type out this blog, about to board my flight back to the United States, I reminisce on what an incredible and life changing three weeks this has been. I have truly never felt as… Read more »
On the Edge of Worlds: Layers of Change from Monteverde to Home
At the crest of the Continental Divide in Monteverde, I stood between two worlds. On one side, the Pacific Ocean. On the other, the Caribbean Sea. The mist was so thick we couldn’t see either, but that didn’t matter. The moment still carried weight. The divide wasn’t just physical—it was symbolic. This week felt like straddling… Read more »
Lessons from the Rainforests of Costa Rica
As this program comes to a close, I find myself holding onto an immense new respect for nature. It is one that stretches beyond admiration into something closer to the sublime. I came to Costa Rica expecting beauty, biodiversity, and maybe a few bug bites. What I didn’t expect was how deeply this place would… Read more »
The Pura Vida Effect
The homestays had a huge impact on my life. Living in someone else’s home, even just for a few days, is not something you can prepare for with a packing list. It forces you to slow down and really see the space you are in. I stopped feeling like a tourist and started feeling like… Read more »