As much as I enjoyed my time abroad, by the end of a 20-day trip, returning to the United States was a welcomed change. Costa Rica was gorgeous with its impressive mountain ranges, untouched beaches, and abundance of avian species, but it was also significantly different that the life that I am used to back home. We had air conditioning for only five nights in three weeks, and hot water was also uncommon. We traveled a lot in a small bus, every four days at the least and sometimes several days in a row. Since birding was the whole point of the trip, our bird hikes were long and often. Yes, I learned a lot and really enjoyed most of the hikes, but I am certainly not used to hiking that much at home, so it was simply exhausting. So, in the end, we were all ready to come home despite the fun memories, delicious food, and the enriching opportunities to learn. In the end, I was very thankful for this trip, as it revealed to me first-hand how some people live in other countries. I enjoyed getting to experience the culture, as I have a Hispanic heritage myself and many of the people we met reminded me of family members that I do not often see. Therefore, while I was very excited to return to friends and family, I was thankful for all the new friendships that were born in our group and for all the experiences we had that helped shape me into a more rounded individual.
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