Bienvenidos a Costa Rica

A dear friend described the feeling of anticipation of a new adventure (and I hope he will not mind seeing his quote here): "I am in a very odd mood today, completely clueless about what tomorrow will bring. I am really looking forward to [it] but there is also a kind of disbelief and suspense... We will see..." I can't summarize how I feel more accurately. There is the feeling when parents linger to say goodbye. I feel guilty for leaving and causing them worry, guilt for not taking them with me, and a touch of eagerness brushing in my chest. Apart from this there is the absolute disbelief and suspense!

Tomorrow we depart for Costa Rica, and I wonder at how this experience will differ from my experience at the IAAS conference in Sweden. Traveling with a larger group and for touring several farms each day will be different from my experience in Sweden. 24 of my classmates from the tropical soils and crop production class will travel together, and these will be 24 new, ISU faces. Despite traveling with 24 fellows, I hope the trip will expose me to Costa Rican culture and the Spanish language. My largest worry for the trip is to be more of a tourist and less of a student. Therefore, I would like to set several goals for myself:

1) speak only in Spanish whenever native-speakers are present
2) do not project my preconceptions/assumptions onto the people I meet
3) try new experiences and take the road less traveled whenever possible
4) be completely engaged, mentally and physically, in learning about the culture and environment
5) reflect regularly

Besides the group, there is a drastically different climate to consider! Never have I visited a climate warm or rich in biodiversity as Costa Rica. Tomorrow's high in San Jose is 73 F, or 23 C. I don't know if I even remember what this feels like.

Below is my traditional suitcase photo. It is considerably lighter than my baggage for Sweden; no squashing required! Again, I've packed my homemade American flag pins to give away if appropriate. As you can see in the photo, I am excited to put my Spanish skills, and Spanish dictionary, to use. I made a list of agricultural vocabulary words to study on the plane and refer to throughout the trip.

Writing the name Costa Rica is even unbelievable. It doesn't seem like a place I could actually travel to. I can't imagine what emotions I will feel when I depart for Peru for two months...

Thanks to Colin Weaver for sharing this.