Costa Rica Epic Service Adventure
June 28, 2025
What’s up parents! Yesterday night we finally arrived in the beautiful country of Costa Rica after a long day of traveling. We got one last opportunity to say goodbye to you guys before turning our phones in and embarking on our journey. We were all tired but excited to begin getting to know each other as we arrived at the beautiful villa with a steaming hot jacuzzi and swimming pool. We enjoyed eating some pizza and getting to meet each other before going to sleep to get some well deserved rest and prepare for the day ahead.
This morning we began our day when we got out of our beds feeling rejuvenated and well rested. We ate gallo pinto, a traditional Costa Rican breakfast comprised of rice and beans, while also enjoying some eggs, and fruit. Before leaving for our first group activity, in which we explored a coffee plantation, we took some time to discuss the characteristics of a group that we believe to be most important. We did this to set the tone for the trip and to provide general expectations for one another. The coffee plantation tour was amazing and gave us meaningful insights into the agricultural lifestyle and the related social economic dynamics. After the tour we got to explore the butterfly house and eat a delicious meal with s nice view over the finca (farm). We came back to the hotel and enjoyed some downtime together by relaxing in the hot tub and playing some hide and seek. Tonight we enjoyed some carne and pollo for dinner. We’re all looking forward to an exciting day tomorrow with white water rafting despite the ridiculously early morning wake up call. Just kidding 6am isn’t too too bad. Hasta Luego!
By Zach & Lewis
June 29, 2025
What’s up parents! This morning, we woke up at 5:20 (sharp!) to head out on the exciting rafting adventure on the Rio Pacuare. Then we had a long journey on the bus with some naps, music, and amazing views which came to an end with a delicious tico breakfast. We packed ourselves into the jeep for the final intrepid stretch to the shore of the river. Unfortunately, Toby still couldn’t find his water bottle! Then, it was finally time to embark on our treacherous rafting mission. After we bravely faced rapids of classes 2 and 3, we were welcomed by a cozy campsite surrounded my mountains “tickled” by the rain. We spent a relaxing afternoon playing cards and having meaningful conversations about the history of indigenous people in Costa Rica and their connection to biodiversity conservation, gentrification driven by tourism, and our role as conscious viajeros. Eventually, Robbie came over to us looking very calm, cool, and collected to inform us that a rainbow boa had slithered by. Good thing those aren’t poisonous! After dinner with local fresh food, we gathered for an appreciation circle where we acknowledged each other for acts of kindness and celebrated the beautiful nature around us. Finally, we settled into our tents, falling asleep to the sounds of falling rain, cicadas, and the rushing water of the Pacuare. Pura Vida!!
By Layla y Judith
June 30, 2025
Pura Vida Padres! This morning, we awoke in our tents around 7 in the morning, prepared for the eventful day ahead. We began our day with yoga and meditation along with a scenic view of the clouds intertwined among the mountains. After a delicious breakfast of pancakes and eggs, we embarked on the river again. Compared to today, yesterday was a cup of tea. Today, we braved rapids of class 4, and surprisingly, no one fell in! We also lounged down a scenic canyon drifting along a lazy river section, but our relaxing was “rapidly” interrupted by a game of pirates, which resulted with most of us in the water. Eventually, we made it back to base camp, took a rewarding shower, and had an amazing buffet-style lunch. Qué rico! More importantly, Toby found his water bottle! On our bus ride to our next location, after hours of chatting, we all took well deserved power naps. Upon arrival at our rainforest-embedded hotel, we took a dip in the hot (lukewarm) springs. We enjoyed games and dinner together to wind down for the night. Hasta mañana!
By Sadie and Sam
July 1, 2025
Hola Parents! This morning we woke up and were immediately greeted by some classic tica rain. We made our way to breakfast around 8, even though some people opted for a delayed wake up and came around 8:30. But we managed to survive. After breakfast we played some games as a group and enjoyed some downtime at our wonderful hotel. We then packed our bags and made our way to lunch where we experienced a classic Costa Rican meal called Casado and met a very friendly dog. After lunch we embarked on our bus to our first service site at the ecological field station at the Bosque Eterno de los Niños. The bus ride took us up in the mountains and through the beautiful cloud forest, and we even saw an anteater along the way. We then settled in at the lodge, had meaningful conversations with one another, and spent some overall quality time as a group. We are all super excited to start our service work in the amazing cloud forest tomorrow!
Hasta Luego,
By Toby and Logan
July 2, 2025
Hello parents and guardians. Greetings from Global Works in STEM (shoveling, teamwork, effort, makeadifference). Today was our first full day at the field station located in the cloud forest in Pocosol. We woke up at the ripe hour of 7 AM to a succulent breakfast of waffles, eggs, and assorted fruits. We then attended a very insightful presentation about the ecosystem around us, discussing its relevance and related challenges. We then rolled up our sleeves, put on our boots, and got ready for (volunteer) manual labor. Our labor included heading to a lagoon, and collecting sand from the lagoon beach to pave the forest trails, preventing any slippery slope shenanigans in the mud. We worked for around three hours, had an energizing lunch, and headed back to the lagoon with the added “benefit” of a substantial amount of rain. After putting in six total hours of work, we headed back to the field station to take some well deserved showers, and a well deserved break. We closed up our day by surprising Robbie with a birthday cake and a card (it was his birthday today) (that’s why we got him a birthday cake) (that’s usually what you do). We then had a great dinner of chicken tenders with a healthy helping of birthday cake for dessert. After that, we had some downtime and chose to get a game of poker going while listening to music accompanied by the sound of the cloud forest in the background. That’s about it, pretty good day, another one in the books.
By Robbie and Asher
July 3, 2025
Greetings and salutations parents, guardians, and dedicated readers! Today we had an early wake up and traditional Costa Rican breakfast like always. At 8am once again we began our back breaking relentless service. We dug up sand on the foggy beach until we were completely soaked through, and then began the process of transporting and distributing around 200 bags worth of sand on a trail. The system of moving the sand included excellent teamwork and group chemistry, as we tossed the soaked and heavy sacks of sand from one hand to another. Lunch was well earned, and composed of more Costa Rican specialty that is heavy on chicken, beans, and rice. After that, everyone played poker or read until dinner was ready (a thick beef stew that quenched our thirst for meat). Winding down was easy with such a tasty meal in our stomachs, and everyone made it to bed full and satisfied after watching a movie together. (Everyone left early, we have to get the rest we deserve).
By Lewis & Zach
July 4, 2025
Hola parents, and happy fourth of July! Today, we woke up bright and early for a 7 am breakfast of delicious cheese empanadas and fresh fruit. To begin our harrowing service journey of the day, we cleaned the whole deck and balcony section of the common area at the Pocosol field station. We then thoroughly cleaned the stairs and banister of the sleeping lodge, increasing our hours to support the project at the cloud forest and leaving every inch sparkling. After lunch, we left for a 3 hour hiking adventure, where we got to see a massive waterfall, natural sulfur springs, and jump in a cooling lagoon. We finished a rewarding day with a delicious American style dinner of burgers, fries, and iced tea. We had an amazing day of service and views, and we’ll see you tomorrow!
By Layla and Judit
July 5, 2025
Buenos Dias, parents! This morning, we awoke from our final night in the cloud forest to a wonderful sunny day (arguably the nicest weather we’ve had all week!). After a filling breakfast, we made our way to the lagoon (where we had spent the last days working) to complete a group bonding activity in which we discussed our strengths and what we have learned from our days of service. After departing from the lagoon, we packed our bags, ate one last meal, and said goodbye to El Bosque Eterno de Los Niños.
However, this was not the end of our adventures. After a quick pit stop at a drug store for snacks and necessities, we made our way to la Finca de Crisley, a cheese farm, accompanied by a pool and animals galore (including a sloth that we visited on a walk). We took a few hours to relax, played some games, and went to sleep excited for the day ahead. During our dinner, we took the time to celebrate our dear Judit’s birthday, surprising her with her favorite song and some balloons. We ate together a delicious tres leches cake, and headed to bed with a full belly and an even fuller heart.
By Sadie and Sam
July 6, 2025
Good morning, dedicated readers!
This morning, we awoke bright and early to go milk one of the cows on the farm! Afterwards, we enjoyed breakfast and then departed to help around the farm. We began with some weeding, followed by planting corn and beans in the rows that we had worked to clear. Then, after visiting the pigs and chickens, we began to make sugar water out of sugar cane (don’t worry, we washed our hands first!). This process involved pushing the sugar cane through a machine powered by our own hands and sweat, collecting and filtering the water, and garnishing it with a lime to create a delicious sweet-and-sour drink! We ate lunch, and then departed for the nearby wildlife rehabilitation center, Proyecto Asís. There, we took a tour of the center where we learned about all the animals, including those native to Costa Rica, such as the spider monkey, and those that ended up in the wildlife center for other reasons, such being confiscated from those who used to keep them as personal pets. After the tour, we worked together to make lunch for the animals, measuring out specific amounts of bananas and eggs to feed them accordingly. It was clear they enjoyed our meal! After arriving back at the farm, we took a dip in the pool and relaxed. We played soccer with some of the local kids on the farm, got our make up fixed by a local girl named Valery, and eventually ate dinner. Finally, we finished the eventful day with an electric salsa, bachata, and merengue dance class that had us all tired and ready to sleep by the end.
Here is to another successful day!
By Sadie and Sam
