Study Abroad: Costa Rica

Everyone who’s just returned from a study abroad trip with Gatton will likely tell you the same things. They’ll say, “It was amazing!” or “I want to go back!” and “I had so much fun.” I hate being a cliché, but I must fall in with the masses when it comes to the study abroad programs that Gatton provides. My winter term study abroad trip to Costa Rica was amazing; I had so much fun, and I want to go back! Our cohort consisted of 16 students, Pokey, Cheryl, Dr. Keith Philips, and his wife Linda. We arrived in sunny, warm Liberia and began the first leg of our trip at Goldring Gund Marine Field Station, helping patrol local beaches for nesting sea turtles. After four days at Playa Grande, we traveled south to Poor Man’s Paradise, located on the Osa Peninsula. There we spent time enjoying the beach, snorkeling, and visiting Corcovado National Park, one of the most biodiverse habitats on Earth. Our last week was spent at Cloudbridge Nature Reserve, split into four research teams with four students each. My group studied carbon sequestration in trees; the other groups studied Bromeliads, Birds, and Dung beetles. We enjoyed our exhausting hikes through the dense primary forest each day and the chance to learn more about our selected topics throughout our week in the cloud forest.

The educational experience the trip provided was a great one, but I might say that the opportunity to connect with staff members t I didn’t know very well, grow even closer with those I did, forage new relationships with classmates, cultivate old ones, and see a new part of the work was the part that truly made a lasting impression. Being with such a small group made me branch out and make new friends with people who I’d never spoken to before, which was one of the highlights of my trip. In ten years I may not remember every detail about the plants and animals we studied while in Costa Rica, but I will certainly remember the experiences my peers and I shared!