The trip to Costa Rica was wonderful! I learned so much about coffee and my luggage and clothes still smell like coffee beans. Costa Rica was stunningly beautiful and I am so fortunate to have had this opportunity to study abroad there. Talking with the local farmers there gave me a new perspective of how Costa Ricans view nature and their responsibility to keep it intact. Everyone there was very adamant about practicing sustainable farming practices to reduce their impact on the environment. There are even laws in place that ensure that large hotels reduce their carbon footprint by planting trees to offset their carbon emissions. While talking with family and friends after this trip, I tell everyone about their different views of sustainability and being responsible for protecting the environment. In America, we don’t always have the same respect and feeling of responsibility toward the environment like they do in Costa Rica.
I thoroughly enjoyed this trip and I look forward to using the information I gained about coffee and Costa Rica in my future studies as a graduate student and in my future career in food science.
