…that I was touring a coffee farm, listening to how it was planted, cared for, harvested, and processed. But in reality that was last week and I am in Athens preparing for finals. Coffee to cup was full of fun learning, cultural experiences, and pura vida (I’ll explain). In terms of fun learning, our classroom was an actual coffee farm. We weren’t sitting in a room while someone reviewed a PowerPoint. Gilbert (farmer) walked us through his estate and explained how diversifying his crops was beneficial. We took turns cranking gears to squeeze out the juice from a sugar cane and we ended at his home where he answered all of our questions. He even brewed coffee using a chorreador, a coffee making device used in Costa Rica in which hot water leaches through coffee grounds held in a cloth filter mounted on a wooden stand. Our cultural experience included cherry picking and salsa lessons. Trust me it not as easy as it looks. Last, but not least, pura vida is Spanish for “pure life”, a Costa Rican philosophy that encourages the appreciation of life’s simple treasures. Some of the pure life that I already miss is the camaraderie, the beautiful views, and of course coffee at every meal 😉
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