Heading into my Costa Rica trip, I thought I knew what to expect. I have traveled in Central America a lot in the last few years and I feel like I am familiar with the norms of the culture. What I did not expect from Costa Rica was the pleasantness…
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Traveling to Costa Rica as a study abroad trip was the best decision I made all summer. Our group of 13 students dove right into the rich culture of Central America where we experienced new food, new cultural norms, and a new language. I had many new thoughts and takeaways…
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My favorite part of my two-week trip to Costa Rica, besides the zip-lining, was the first night’s stay at La Carolina Lodge and our trip to Finca El Portal. La Carolina Lodge is a family-owned lodge centered around sustainable living. As guests here, we had opportunities to participate in farm…
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I obviously can’t go on a study abroad about chocolate and not talk about chocolate! The purpose of our trip was to learn about the science, history and culture of chocolate. We visited multiple different types of cacao farms, chocolate production factories, we lectured on every part of the process…
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When I was getting ready for my study abroad to Costa Rica, I was thinking about the fellow students that I would be going with and expected that I would probably make some friendships. I was hoping that the group would be fun, nice, and we would all enjoy our…
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A special aspect of my experience on the Choco-Rica Study Abroad Program that I did not originally anticipate was the group bonding with the students and faculty. By the end of the trip, we were practically one giant family. At the departure orientation prior to the trip all of the…
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One of my favorite aspects of the Choco-Rica study abroad program was being able to taste farm-fresh cacao fruit. When I first applied to the program, I was expecting to learn about chocolate and the process of making chocolate, but there was so much about that process that I was…
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One thing that we got to learn about while learning about chocolate production is the differences in large and small cacao farms in Costa Rica. The first farm we visited was owned by a man named Edwin, who owned and operated his farm with only the help of his wife…
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The study abroad trip that I had the amazing opportunity to participate in this summer was the Choco-Rica program which focuses on the study of chocolate/cacao in Costa Rica. There were many opportunities for excursions on this short study abroad trip, including sight-seeing, hiking, exploring the city, and zip lining…
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Going into the trip, I believed I was in for a relaxing two weeks after a grueling past semester. I expected to learn bundles about the country and birds and enjoy every moment, but I did not expect the experience to change my outlook on my future. I have always…
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