Staci's Experience in Costa Rica

While we traveled to Costa Rica, I still couldn't believe that we were actually going. It seemed so surreal. The plane rides were good, not much turbulance but there was some. Once we got to Manzanillo, the humidity was incredibly intense. I realized it was going to be hard to deal with because of my asthma, but I got used to it. We settled I our rooms and then went to the beach. The beaches here are amazing. The water is warm and the waves are huge. We would go swimming everyday after our hard days of work at the school. We worked at the school Tuesday through Friday. The kids were adorable and so much fun to be around. After working for about five or six hours, then did activities with the kids. It was also nice to be able to talk to the people we were staying with. Their names were Mommi, Dennis, China, Edline, Natalie, Yail, Aquil, and Blaze. On Friday after we worked with the school and said goodbye, we went on a hike in the jungle. I loved the hike because we got to see a lot of different parts of the beach, and also got to see several animals and plants. There was so much mud, and any hills, which was also a fun experience. I think my favorite part of the hike was when Roo lost his shoe in a mud hole. I jumped right in and dug through it to find it. O Saturday some people went snorkeling, others tanned, and others swam. Saturday was a very fun but sad day because the next morning we left to go to Tortuguero. Over all I have learned so much of this culture and how to live in a place like this. I hope we gave a good impression on the people we met while there. I know they have inspired me lot. I realized while staying with Mommi and Dennis that we don't laugh nearly as much as we should. Every time I saw them, they are laughing and smiling about something. It's amazing how satisfied they can be, when so many people in our group were complaining about something most of the time. I really hope that the kids in our group can get a good experience from this trip and understand that they should be greatful for what they have. This is such a wonderful opportunity and I'm glad I am able to be in the beautiful place!