High School Study Abroad in San Jose, Costa Rica

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!

My experience in Costa Rica can't really be accurately described in words. The trip was amazing, breathtaking, challenging, fun, emotional, unique, etc. The words I can use to describe my trip can go on forever, but how much they can really capture of the trip is limited. The leaders were absolutely wonderful, as were my group members and my experience overall. Each leader brought something different to the table that was critical to our trip. Flora was organized and always super positive, Chalo was understanding, caring, and knowledgeable, and Nohelia was hilarious, loving and all-knowing. Our group had a special and unique dynamic that was something I had never experienced before. We were all very close with each other fairly early on; a TSA officer even asked if a few of us were siblings when we were returning from the trip at the Houston airport! The parts of the trip that weren't super fun (like sitting on a plane for two hours that was grounded due to weather or a seven hour layover at the Houston airport) all pale in comparison to the countless moments that I will always remember. Seeing a sloth white water rafting, hiking through the cloud forests, swimming in hot springs, playing cards with my host family and little sisters, and surfing on Playa Uvita. These moments are just a few in an ocean of memories that I hold onto. I miss the community of Cedral and how kind everyone was. I miss trying to communicate with locals through my limited Spanish and lots of hand gestures. I miss the "Pura Vida" lifestyle of Costa Rica's citizens. Global Works provided me with an authentic experience of Costa Rica where I could immerse myself in both culture and language. The service work was challenging, but rewarding; I learned how to make concrete and pour foundation for a cabin we built with the locals of Cedral. I am truly lucky to have been able to go on such a unique trip, and I cannot recommend an experience like this enough. Thank you Global Works Travel!