Hello! My name is Annika Jonker, and I have the incredible opportunity of attending UGA’s Avian Biology study abroad program May 8th – which is only days away! Throughout my life, I have lived in 3 continents thanks to my father’s job. I was born in South Africa, then moved to Europe when I was 6 years old, and then moved to America shortly before turning 15. Since arriving to the United States, I have been able to travel even more: cross country around America, to Peru, to Ireland, and beyond! I have a passion for travel and a love for learning new languages and cultures, so the idea of leaving the States to go to Costa Rica is not frightening to me at all.

What is, however, of concern to me is the weather and what to I should pack. I know that sounds like a trivial thing to worry about, but I am quite conflicted as to what kind of clothing to bring. Dr. Davis – the professor whom we traveled to Costa Rica with – cautioned us not to bring shorts or t-shirts, for the mosquito population is horrendous in Costa Rica during this time of year, right before the rainy season; but at the same time, he said it is going to be humid and above 90 degrees almost every day during our time there. I packed according to the recommended packing list and tried not to worry about it too much. After I had packed everything, I felt immediately more prepared and excited for the trip. After more thought, I also realize that I am quite nervous about the activities that we will be doing. Our days will mostly consist of hiking and bird watching – I love hiking, but am not much of a bird connoisseur. I am therefore really excited and looking forward to learning more about Costa Rica’s biodiversity and seeing most of its avian species! My parents bought me a book entitled “Birds of Costa Rica,” so hopefully I can use this to my advantage 🙂

Last year, I went to Peru as part of  a medical mission trip. We aided impoverished communities in the mountains and got to explore the towns and meet the people who lived there. I am expecting this trip might be similar to my experiences there. The people were so welcoming and so kind, and very quick to help us with our Spanish, which I loved! I’m hoping that during my time in Costa Rica, I will learn more Spanish and be able to successfully converse with the Costa Rican natives. I hope to learn as much of the culture as possible, too, and eat lots of delicious Costa Rican food!

I am SO excited for this journey and can’t wait to start this new adventure! Hasta lluego, UGA, I’ll see you soon!