Costa Rica Mini Semester | Pacific Discovery

Pacific Discovery and their partner travel coordinators have been amazing! This is the first time I have sent one of my children on a gap program and it has been everything I could have hoped and dreamed. My child not only received college credit for this adventure, but she developed invaluable social skills, worldly knowledge, self-reliance and independence that I am already seeing make a positive impact on her interpersonal relationships and self-esteem.

Joined this trip as a 22-year-old on a year off of college and had an absolute blast with an amazing group. We hiked, kayaked, ziplined, rafted in the Pacuare river (one of the top five in the world for it), surfed, took yoga and dance classes, and stayed in several beautiful, small-scale rural family farms and eco lodges as part of the program that were truly unforgettable!

I really feel I grew as a person on this trip. I learned so much about myself, my strengths and weaknesses, and local cultures. Both mentally and physically I feel like a stronger person! My main lesson was learning how important it is to look on the bright side of every situation. If I could tell my pre-program self anything, it would be to be positive. Make sure not to let negatives consume you. You’re in these beautiful, unique places - Make the most of it. I’d recommend this program to grow as a person and learn about yourself, and to make friends for life. I feel like some of these people I’m gonna stay in touch with for years to come.

This program was awesome! It was a once in a lifetime experience that i will never forget where I got to travel to awesome new places and make life long friends! and the leaders were awesome! I’m so glad I got to experience something so incredible and eye opening like this.

My experience was truly once in a lifetime. I was able to meet amazing people and see amazing things as well as learn so much more about a new culture. I would recommend this program to others because you will learn so much about yourself and about a new beautiful place.

I definitely think I grew as a person on this trip. This program has made me a tougher person both physically and mentally. There were a lot of physical challenges for me on this trip which forced me to toughen up mentally and keep pushing. I think this program has also given me a greater appreciation for the environment and simpler ways of living. Overall, I feel more grateful and grounded coming out of this trip.

I loved the activities in this program! From hiking 10 miles to kayaking to swimming in many bodies of water to rafting through class 4 rapids, this trip has brought out a new self for me. I’ve discovered who I am in hard core activities with amazing people. I am beyond proud of myself for getting through all of the challenges!

This is an amazing opportunity for anyone who wants to explore the world and enjoy there time doing it. Everyday is amazing and different, the people and places are wonderful and you will love every second of it. The living situations can feel difficult at times but it is worth it for all of the life long experiences.

I absolutely loved my pacific discovery mini semester in Costa Rica. I felt my instructors were fully prepared and helped us all feel engaged in learning about new communities and new locations while on this trip. I felt supported by my instructors and that they were there to help us discover new versions of ourselves as we challenged our mindsets and shared our experiences.

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Participating in the Pacific Discovery gap semester programs has been the best experience of my life. Apart from seeing parts of the world I never thought I’d get to see, I have learned so much about myself, and grown to be a stronger, more open-minded person. Throughout the program, I was challenged mentally and physically; although it can be an uncomfortable experience, I have noticed so much growth within myself. I learned how to push myself to do hard things, how to communicate effectively with others, and how to be aware of my place in the world. I honestly believe that Pacific Discovery has changed my life.

I would recommend the program to others to challenge yourself, make new friends, do amazing activities, meet new people, and to immerse yourself in a new culture! You really get to learn about yourself and who you are as a human on this program! I would tell myself that I can do anything so I got this and I should just enjoy myself! My trip to Costa Rica was truly life-changing. I made deep connections, did amazing activities, and I really gained clarity as to what I want out of life. I came out of this experience with more confidence and a greater appreciation for life!

This trip exposed me to so many new people from different places. I really value getting to meet all of them while also getting to experience an amazing new country. I loved honing my Spanish skills and getting to be adventurous and so crazy stuff.

I wouldn’t have traded this life experience of mine for anything. I met 13 other people that I can now call family. I am eternally grateful for all the conversations I’ve had, the ups of the trip, and even the downs because it makes the trip more real and not on the surface

This program is great if you’re looking to get out of your comfort zone and make new friends and challenge yourself. I feel like I have grown a lot as a person throughout this trip. I definitely have become more independent and I feel a lot more confident that I can rely on myself to get me through hard times and I feel a lot more prepared for college. My leadership skills definitely grew a lot during this trip and I also feel just mentally stronger overall than when I started this trip. I am a lot more confident in myself as a person and I am proud of my values. I feel a lot stronger and I’m so glad that I did this trip.

Over the course of my 6 week trip to Costa Rica I learned so much about respecting other people’s cultures and being a global citizen. This trip changed the way I look at important issues at home and in my own life such as consumership and sustainability. I highly recommend this program to anyone who is looking to enrich their knowledge and experience traveling in a foreign country. It’s a trip I will always appreciate and never forget!