The following post features student writing.

Hi, this is Macy and Juliet!

Today was heaps of fun! After a hearty breakfast of eggs, rice and beans, and fruit, we went on a long scenic hike to the beach. On our hike, we saw a pavo (turkey), two hawks, poison dart frogs, and lots of other exciting wildlife. On the beach, some of us skipped rocks while others admired the breathtaking scenery before we commenced the first part of our orientation. It was a good rest after our sweaty walk.

Afterwards, we took a shortcut to the zip lining area near our cabins. We broke into two groups, one with Nina and one with Chris. On our trek to the first zip line, we saw more wildlife such as a three-toed sloth, a woodpecker, and a poison dart frog. There were so many steps to get to the zip lines, but on our walk, we stopped multiple times to learn about the ecosystems, such as the ants, cocoa beans, spiky trees, and flora. When we finally got to the first zip line, it was a little difficult at first, but it ended up being really fun! After several zip lines, we got frozen towels to clean off all of our drenching perspiration.

We hiked down to lunch, where our nice waiter Edier served us a variety of foods ranging from cheeseburgers to quesadillas to casados (a traditional Costa Rican meal of of rice, beans, salad, and a choice of meat). Two of us went to the market with Nina to get some miscellaneous necessities while the rest went to the pool with Chris. After Nina and the two returned, we finished orientation in the pool, did a lot of name games, and discussed fears and goals. Then we had a short break and went to dinner, where we will have similar food to what we had at lunch. And now we’re just waiting for dinner. Thanks for reading our blog! Ta-ta for now!

– Macy & Juliet