The word I would use to describe my first 48 hours in Costa Rice is “refreshing.” Throughout my airport adventure, I met fellow SFS students in Boston, Orlando and . The bus ride to the Center for Sustainability in Atenas gave me a jaw dropping glimpse of the lush forests and mountain ranges of Costa Rica. The towns we drove through each had colorful gated houses that were painted hues of pink, green and blue. The climate here is said to be one of the best in the worlds and does not fall short of that. It is hot, humid and sunny in the morning but the shade from the trees and constant breezes cools you down. Before the temperature hits a high in the afternoon, it is overcast and eventually rains for a short period of time making the evening cool. I was actually a bit cold during my first nights sleep under my sheet and mosquito netting. The center where I am staying is a 10-minute taxi ride from the heart of Atenas. The center sits on a cliff overlooking a vast valley and canopy of the forest. At the center we live in a communal lifestyle sharing bedrooms with three other people, communal bathrooms, a library, computer lab and living room. A two-minute walk from the dorm is an outdoor classroom, pool, kitchen and professor’s offices and houses. Between the buildings are fruit trees, gardens and a chicken coup.  Besides the physical layout of the place, our schedule is also set up so that we all take the same classes and eat the same meals three times a day. Groups of five students called “pandillas” help out with farm chores, cleaning and cooking daily to keep the center clean and running smoothly.  

Without a cell phone and good Internet connection, I feel a million miles away from my life in the United States mentally and physically. Every person I meet, view I see, meal I eat and cultural difference I identify is absolutely refreshing

Location: Alajuela, Costa Rica, Atenas, Costa Rica