Georgians often joke that our weather is having an identity crisis. Its not uncommon to go from a sunny 80 degrees on Monday to torrential downpour on Wednesday and a brisk 45 degree chill on Friday morning. While I am no stranger to changes in weather, I am a unfamiliar with packing for all those changes in a carry on.
As someone who travels frequently, my pre-trip jitters tend to be more logistical than mental.
My plan of attack is to take advantage of the laundry facility on UGA Costa Rica’s main campus. Students are spoiled by the laundry service which returns their clothes washed and folded by 3pm of the same day they receive it. I, for one, would not be receiving such a high level of service if I were going home for the Thanksgiving holidays.
After talking to a few acquaintances who have visited the campus, I learned that I would need long sleeves and pants for the evenings, rain gear for the afternoon, and breathable attire for mid day when the temperature rises to 80s. The ability to refresh my clothes midweek left plenty of rooms for necessities like SNACKS!
I am most excited to learn about the economic impact of coffee on the people who grow it. Coffee has more intermediaries than almost any other commodity in the world, which means the growers get a very low percentage of the price paid by consumers. On one hand, the complex process provides many jobs from coffee cherry to brewed cup. On the other hand, the people doing the most work are receiving the smallest piece of the earnings. I hope my time in Costa Rica with farmers provides more insight into the process.
