High School Study Abroad in San Jose, Costa Rica

I got to work with kids every day, and I got to practice my Spanish skills. It was really fun. I got to immerse myself in the culture of Costa Rica. This experience made me a more well rounded person.

I am so happy I chose TFT for my first summer trip abroad as a teen. My trip was the Costa Rica Service and Adventure. I was able to go kayaking, surfing, paddle boarding, zip lining, and swimming, while also doing community service and giving back to students at a local school.  It was an incredible adventure; all the staff was nice, friendly, welcoming, and made the whole trip a positive experience. I met a very nice group of friends, and created bonds and friendships I can hold onto forever, as well as tried awesome new activities that I would never have the good fortune to do! I felt such pride in being able to help the children.  I am extremely thankful that I had this opportunity, and excited to take another trip this summer!

Simply traveling to Costa Rica meant that I was going to be having a great time. The Experiment, however, didn't settle for great. The program was carefully planned as month long journey of learning, both by exploring the world, and by exploring yourself. The group didn't just go and see the sights of Costa Rica, we got immersed in the culture of the country and were offered real insight onto why things function the way that they do. We saw the ripples that globalization causes in big cities and in rural pueblos. We were questioned by group leaders in a way that made us analyze similarities, differences, and important distinctions between everywhere we went. We had to think about how our values corresponded or clashed with the values we witnessed in the host country. I came onto the program expecting to learn an immense amount about Costa Rica and about the Spanish language, and left the program happy I had gained so much more. For two weeks on program, there was a homestay portion with a Costa Rican family. While the concept of living with another family feels intimidating initially, I found the homestay to be the most rewarding part of the journey. My family taught me so much more than anything I could have learned without genuine immersion. They brought me happiness and struggles and understanding and I'm glad that I chose to be a part of the Experiment's 2018 Costa Rica trip. I wouldn't have been able to meet them without it. This review is my way of thanking the Experiment for not settling for great. The group was incredible. The leaders were incredible. The nature was incredible. Most of all, my host family was incredible.

My trip to Costa Rica was amazing and unexpected. We hiked in the rain forest, saw sea turtles lay eggs, and built a sidewalk as our community service project. The animals and plants were beautiful, sometimes scary, and always nothing I have ever seen before. We still keep in contact and each know we have two homes and families in this world. Staying with my host family was wonderful and magical, and full of love. Being in a group on the trip gave the best friends that I have ever had. I'm sure we're all still accidently speaking Spanglish. The Experiment trip has been one of, if not the best times of my life.

My experience with TFT has been nothing short of great. I loved my trip, the people, and sharing so many great adventures with everyone. I hope to do it again sometime soon! We went on so many different adventures like ziplining, white water rafting, an alligator tour, and even the community service was an adventure in itself. We visited schools to help clean the walls, we picked up trash in the streets and at the beaches. It was an amazing time. Definitely would recommend.

Traveling to Costa Rica through the Experiment was by far the best choice that I can recall ever making. Between the numerous friendships and relationships that I built with my group members, leaders, host family, and all of the amazing things that we did over the four weeks abroad, I'd 100% recommend embarking on a trip through this program.

I absolutely loved traveling to Costa Rica with the Experiment Study Abroad. It was such a transformative adventure and a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. There may have been ups and downs with my group but in the end, we were one big happy family. My leaders were very compassionate about every individual on that trip and never left anyone out. I was immersed into the culture by the time of one week or even less than that and was able to experience a whole new life. Everyone and everything was just a gift and I would have traded anything for this trip. I recommend getting out of your comfort zone and going somewhere you've never been, because in the end you won't regret it, not a single minute. From zip lining to hiking and seeing wildlife upclose where you could almost touch them was such an amazing experience and I hope everyone gets the chance to do what I was so kindly given by the Experiment. If it wasn't for my scholarship, my summer and myself as an indidvidul would never be the same. I got a lot of bug bites but hey its all part of the experience, so was eating termites, playing soccer with locals, and exploring the many beaches Costa Rica has. Every second I was there is a second I'd like to relive.

Last summer (July 2016) I went on my first trip with Travel for Teens on the Costa Rica Adrenaline trip. In short, this was the best trip of my life. Everyone was so kind, positively-minded, and energetic! My counselors (Marco, Danielle, Sarah, and Katherine-CIT) were outstanding! They were always encouraging us to try out new things and were all so hilarious! I really can not say enough good things about them. If I went on another trip, I would try to request them for my trip because they made the trip extra fun. I think that by the end of the trip, all the teens and counselors became such close friends because we were constantly spending time with one another, that by the end, it felt like we kinda became one big family haha. I am a shy person and was pretty nervous about meeting new people before this trip especially since I was coming all the way from Los Angeles on my own. However, after only a few hours of spending time with everyone, I felt almost at home! On my last day, I kid you not, I remember we were all at the airport saying our goodbyes and most of us were crying because we just became so close with one another! In fact, some of us started discussing our plans for future trips together. I enjoyed every single part of our trip whether it was hiking to waterfalls, ziplining, or even simply just riding in the busses. We followed the itinerary which had detailed activities for each of the 10 days we spent there. We got to go water rafting, hiking to waterfalls, ziplining, canyoning, horseback riding, visit hot springs, surfing, and so much more. The guides for some of our activities were so patient and had great stories to tell us. I surfed for the first time on this trip and I learned so quickly with the help of the instructors. I also spent my 16th birthday on this trip, and they were nice enough to buy me a small cake and made sure it was well spent. Definitely my favorite birthday yet! Although the hotels we stayed in were, I believe, considered 3 star hotels, they were great. They were very clean and spacious. The first one we stayed in had lots of extra space, a pool, the beds were comfortable, and the food was delicious. They also had really tasty Costa Rican coffee which I would definitely want to have again! The second hotel we stayed in was also good. It was more centered in a local beach town (about a 1 minute walk to the beach) which gave us the opportunity to watch several beautiful sunsets from our hotel rooms. We even got to hang out with some dogs and cats who would wander around both hotels haha. Throughout our entire trip, it was raining every now and then with the occasional thunder storms, but during those times when we had to stay in our rooms, we would all play games, talk, laugh, and oh boy did our counselors have some funny jokes and stories! Throughout our adventure, we were also given a good amount of freedom. The counselors/directors made sure that we were always safe, but still gave us enough room to do what we wanted in our free time. Essentially, they did not treat us like little children who were irresponsible, which I thought was really great. I had been to other camps in the past and most of them didn't respect us and treat us as well as Travel for Teens did. My trip with Travel for Teens made me feel limitless. It's everything you would expect and more. Every single time I get to travel to a new destination, I simply feel invincible and I greatly thank Travel for Teens for introducing me to that feeling. In the future I hope to go on as many more trips with Travel for Teens as I can. I am hoping to do more programs with them such as "Europe for Older Teens: Greece, Italy, and the Islands," "Thailand for Older Teens," as well as "South Africa Service, Adventure, and Safari." I hope to become more well-rounded from these trips and learn more about the rest of the world, while also opening myself up to new experiences and meeting new people. I hope to gain more appreciation for other cultures, make friends with strangers, and to better learn to enjoy the simplest things in life. I believe teenagers are always trying to figure out what they like, what they don't like, or basically trying to find a sense of self identity; it's part of growing up. These trips really helped me personally to learn more about myself and I think they can benefit others in the same way. I think every now and then, it's good for people to take themselves a bit out of their comfort zones and I travelling really pushes you to do that. Travelling just really opens up a lot of new perspectives on many things and takes you to a whole new place (literally).

Good mix of service, fun and bonding. Great opportunity to teach English Costa Rican school as well as exchange dances and food at night. There are quite a few bugs and mosquitoes so put Mosquito spray on twice a day.

As a student who has never ventured outside of the United States, I can say that without a doubt Experiment in International Living's overseas programs have provided me with one of the most inspirational and educational experiences of my life. Each of the different programs focuses on a theme that is well integrated throughout the program alongside exciting activities, informational tours, and life changing home stays. From the moment I arrived at the airport, the group leaders and members all worked to create a safe community among themselves and allowed for the other high school students and me to connect with not only each other but with people of different languages and cultures. The trips are detailed so that in everything you do you are enlightened about the world you are in and the ways of living of other people. Whether you are doing a home stay or simply participating in a tour, you are constantly learning something new while also having fun experiencing the adventure with other students around your age. Though most people come having fears about going overseas, most end up having more fear having to leave the overseas communities that they have grown accustomed to after experiencing their way of life and learning so much. After returning from my own trip I have worked to raise awareness of the program in my high school and even helped some students apply because I believe that without a shadow of a doubt that the lessons I learned from participating were life-changing and not things that can be learned in a classroom. I strongly recommend The Experiment in International Living's programs to any high school looking to widen their knowledge of the world outside of the United States and truly come to understand just how similar they are to young adults their age in other countries. Sincerely, Omar Hargrove

The Experiment in International Living responded to this reviewDecember 18, 2014

"Constantly learning while having fun" sounds like a traditional Experiment program! glad you enjoyed Costa Rica! :)<br/>-The Experiment

I've traveled abroad with other programs in the past, but none compare to TFT!!! I had so much fun even in the short amount of time we had! The leaders were awesome, the country was beautiful, and the group was wonderful! The group was the perfect size (10 people) so it was really easy to get close to everyone! I had so much fun doing all of these amazing adventure things like ziplining, as well as the service projects and Spanish lessons! It's been the best summer abroad for me yet!!!!!