Long Beach, Calif. — As the days grew closer to my departure from Costa Rica, I began to dread leaving behind my Central American lifestyle that I had gotten to know so well. Although I have been back in California for a few weeks now, somehow I feel like I brought a part of Costa Rica back with me. I had grown accustomed to eating rice and black beans at almost every meal, along with bananas and pineapple that seemed to creep into almost everything. Slowly but surely, I also obtained a new appreciation for insects and their size, as well waking up every morning at 6 a.m. to a phone call from our Resident Advisor, José. But as I look back on my trip, it was these lifestyle changes that made me appreciate where I was. I was stepping out of my Orange County comfort zone and getting to experience another part of the world. The month I spent in Costa Rica studying and traveling is difficult for me to describe because, quite honestly, the experience was completely amazing.

The sheer beauty of Costa Rica is not easy to leave behind. I think our group was very fortunate to be able to travel to such diverse and intriguing areas within the country. Although we spent much of the time during the week in our two classes and exploring centrally located San Jose and Heredia, our weekends took us to places that put learning into a new perspective. From the sandy beaches of Punta Leona, to the Caribbean sea of Puerto Viejo, I was able to relax and see the ecotourism at work. The educational trips to INBio, Arenal Volcano and Guayabo were beautiful and fascinating places to have explored. We saw firsthand what our professors were talking about and were able to interact with our surrounding environment. I realized in a new way that this is the optimum learning experience.

The lecturers, leaders and fellow student participants made this trip very memorable for me. When I finally landed back at LAX, I was very sad to have left such a wonderful place behind. But what I realize now is that this experience confirmed that my fascination for meeting new people and interacting with other cultures cannot be contained within a comfortable classroom. Classrooms are one way to learn, but they really do not compare with firsthand experience. Irvine’s Travel Study program gave me the opportunity to briefly assimilate into this small and unique country, and more importantly, it allowed me to learn about myself, and for that I am grateful.

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