Costa Rica: Summer Service Adventures

When I signed up for this trip, I wanted a chance to get up close to nature, hike and see amazing views, and get to kayak by animals. I was fortunate to get to do all of this and more on the trip! The itinerary was the right amount of urban and outdoors. We stayed in the city to do all the touristy stuff and service work, but still got to see the pacific ocean and pretty rainforests. The leaders, Adam and Sarah, were absolutely fantastic. They gave everyone a sense of support on the trip and made me feel safe and comfortable. Both were just very likable people. During the trip I noticed a lot of the kids here went because they had enough money to blow 6 grand to get community service hours. They were all from upper class and private school backgrounds, and said some very questionable things (Including many slurs, derogatory terms, and LOTS of homophobic, misogynistic, and antisemitic jokes). The group made me feel downright unsafe at some points. The leaders did everything in their power to help, and I appreciate that a lot. Being that almost everyone was like that, I sense it might be a pattern throughout various trips by Global Works. Just proceed with caution, and be prepared to stick to yourself for two weeks!

My Global Works trip was truly inspiring, the leaders were great, and I had an amazing time. When I think of my Global Works trip, it’s my home stay that comes to mind. It was really fun to go through your day with another family from another culture, eat food with them, play with their kids, even go to work with them...it was awesome to be part of a Costa Rican household. I never thought I would learn to catch 20-pound tilapia or harvest star fruit, avocados and mangos on my host family's farm (and, I didn't know that limes could be green on the outside and orange on the inside!). I thought the kids in my group were all really authentic, creative, and open-minded about trying new things and activities. I felt like we really built a community together. I would do this trip again...a thousand times over!

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!