I returned from Costa Rica on May 28th. Those who went on the trip with me can tell you that I had a full evolution of emotion during our 20 days there. Excitement for the first few hikes quickly turned into exhaustion which melted into severe homesickness. Missing my family, paired with an unknown illness that hit our group, I found it hard in the beginning to enjoy my adventure. But as I got better, the hikes got easier, the heat lessened, and the food became something I looked forward to, I began to notice I was wholeheartedly enjoying myself. I experienced hiking the Continental Divide, zip-lining over the rain forest canopy, seeing the Resplendent Quetzal less that 10 yards away, and making some of the best friends I have ever had. I saw almost the whole of Costa Rica, and in doing this, I saw the whole of myself. I faced the physical and emotional challenges that came with this study abroad trip and defeated them–with a few tears and lots of sweat. In the days following our trip, I truly miss the country and the constant sense of discovering something new. I look forward to keeping the perspective I developed in Costa Rica with me in the United States. For those you who may be too scared to take the step that is required when doing a study abroad, here’s my advice: Don’t just step…leap with your whole heart!