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A trip abroad can teach a person so much, but I feel that I have learned more than what I expected of myself in Costa Rica. I anticipated learning a lot, but I feel that I learned the most everyday practical information in this class more than in my on-campus classes at IU. All I… Read more »

Anyone who’s been to Costa Rica knows the phrase “pura vida”. Living in Costa Rica, you come to know that this phrase is a lot more than a touristy phrase to put on t-shirts, tote bags, and Instagram captions. It’s a greeting, a culture, and a special way of life. Here, the pura vida way… Read more »

Everyone knows that climate change is a hard-hitting topic in today’s social landscape, but many are still skeptical about its effects. Through my time in Costa Rica, I learned the values of sustainability and simplicity in the ever-changing climate, both from the professors and the host family that I spent two nights with. I left… Read more »

The last few days of the trip have been bittersweet. I have enjoyed every part of the trip so I hate leaving but I’m also excited to see my friends and family back home again. After we left Tortuguero it started to set in that we only had a limited number of days left together…. Read more »

Upon our arrival to Arenal, I was immediately stunned by the massive volcano. This was unlike anything I had ever seen before. From our hotel we had a perfect view of it. The sheer mass of the structure combined with how luscious and green it appeared was what made it so special for me. I… Read more »

Visiting Café Malinche three weeks after arriving in Costa Rica feels like a full-circle moment. I feel different than when first arrived at café. I am much more familiar and comfortable with Costa Rica and being outside of the United States in general, and there’s no more uncertaintity about how the trip is going to… Read more »

The coursework during the last leg of this trip has been primarily focused around climate change as we move away from ecotourism. More particularly, we explored both the severity of the issue and potential solutions. The 6 degrees activity we did as a class, in which we each read a chapter of 6 Degrees by… Read more »

What a month honestly. If you are reading this, I am back home after a stressful day at the airport yesterday. Always make sure to read the date of a flight you want to change to because you might have to wait an extra day to leave. However, having a stressful flight experience doesn’t take… Read more »

These past three weeks have been an enlightening whirlwind. It’s incredible that this course took the overwhelming topic of climate change and carefully and thoughtfully broke it down into meaningful and digestible coursework and experiences (ignore how many ands are in that sentence). I am so so very thankful for every challenge, conversation, and minute… Read more »

During my time in Costa Rica, we stayed at a number of different locations with varying levels of comfort and sustainability. Each taught me something new about Costa Rica and about myself, leading me to experience what I believe was a complex and comprehensive understanding of the country. In this blog, I aim to explore… Read more »

After spending nearly a month in Costa Rica, I’ve undergone a transformation in my approach to environmental sustainability and personal habits. Each week brought new insights into how I can make changes to benefit both myself and the environment. It’s fascinating how interconnected humans are with nature and how small lifestyle changes can significantly impact… Read more »

      On the bumpy bus ride back to the airport, all of us were somewhere in the range of exhausted to asleep. The past three weeks had been amazing, as we hopped from spot to spot learning about Costa Rica, climate change, and the people we met along the way. Gazing out the… Read more »

This week has been full of a multitude of things, amazing and eye-opening. Our tours began from a generational organic banana plantation to a large ecotourist resort on the outskirts of the Tortuguero National Park. Out of all the things I have experienced in this week, the ecotourism aspect stuck out to me the most. … Read more »

We are now closing our second week of being in Costa Rica, and I feel like I have learned so much about this gorgeous country and its people. As we slowly acclimated to life at La Selva, our conversation shifted from biodiversity to agriculture and ecotourism. Dr. Libby started this shift in conversation with a… Read more »

Another week in Costa Rica…this place still seems so unreal. Costa Rica has introduced me to very difficult and unique challenges while also rewarding me with the most invaluable experiences. This week we dove into new topics and Professor Libby’s presentation deeply resonated with me. He talked about the history behind how globalization developed policy… Read more »

Being here in Costa Rica for a week, I’ve started to settle in and notice some things about being here that I hadn’t before. It’s become clear to me that Costa Rica is synonymous with its nature and wildlife, but it is also supported by a backbone of kind and dedicated people. The Costa Rican… Read more »

It has come to my attention that my first blog had an excess of scientific discussion that left much to the imagination about my actual experiences here in Costa Rica. Therefore, I’ve decided to start this blog with a series of stories about my travels, and sythesize their meaning and my feelings about them at… Read more »

It doesn’t feel like I’ve been in Costa Rica for almost two weeks already. If someone asked me how long I felt it’s been, I would say around 5 days and not 13. My attitude about the wildlife shows my experience here, though. During the first week, I would stop and stare at almost anything… Read more »

Studying abroad is a transformative experience, and for many students, it offers a chance to immerse themselves in a new culture, learn a new language, and gain a global perspective. For me, my adventure began with a love for travel and new experiences. Little did I know that this vibrant country would transform my academic… Read more »

We started off our week with three consecutive visits to nearby farms. In their own ways, these farms displayed methods of agriculture that differed from the harmful practices carried out by giants such as Dole and Chiquita, embracing sustainability and organic production. For instance, the organic pineapple farm utilized plastic coverings as a way to… Read more »

The final few nights in La Selva were amazing. We played cards with other groups and got to know each other better. It is very bittersweet to be leaving but I’m super excited to see the new places. La Selva has been amazing with the wildlife and meeting new people. One of my favorite things… Read more »

        For two whole weeks, my belly has always been full of Costa Rican food. The fish, rice, beans, and fruit that I ate that first night at La Selva have been metabolized and distributed throughout my body. All the yummy meals have slowly worked their way into my tissues, and the… Read more »

As we moved out of La Selva, we also started to shift our focus towards more interactions between humans and nature. We specifically learned more about farming practices and the markedly different strategies that organic versus industrial farms use to cultivate the same crops. This started from a lecture Dr Libby gave on Sunday about… Read more »

As I write this, I am sitting in Tortuguero, our first new location on this trip after La Selva. Thus, I would like to take some time to reflect on the research station where we spent the first half of our trip. As I mentioned in last week’s blog, La Selva’s complexity was intimidating to… Read more »

Biology is more than just science. While an analytical perspective is important in any scientific field, biology is unique in its interconnectivity. For example, the human body is a symphony of chemical reactions that build complex processes such as metabolism, respiration, and circulation; each one is useless without the other. In the same way, the… Read more »

Hi! I’m Laurel! That’s what the “about me” board sitting in the trash can of my dorm floor says. After a busy week of finals, the other RAs and I pulled the posters off the wall and the stickers off our doors and headed home from an empty IU campus. I only had one Cinco… Read more »

I arrived in Costa Rica on the afternoon of May 6th. When I walked outside the airport, it was expectedly hot and humid. The group congregated together and shortly thereafter boarded the bus to the La Selva research station. The bus ride was about two hours and it provided a good first impression into what… Read more »

When originally signing up for this trip, Dr. Libby described it as challenging yet rewarding, and he’s been completely right. My goal for this trip is to try new things because it is my first time in a new country and I want to get the full experience. When entering La Selva, I realized that… Read more »

Costa Rica…where to begin? It’s no surprise that I took another summer to travel but man did Costa Rica surprise me. I would describe it as exciting, fresh, and new. It is so vastly different than any experience that I’ve ever had but I’m loving it. For my first blog post, I am going to… Read more »