We’re happy to share below some student writing on our experiences so far and the progress in our service work.
– Sarah & Vince
Hi, parents!
On our second day in Costa Rica, some of the girls in the group began the day with a workout in the outdoor yoga room in the amazing resort we stayed in. This was followed by a delicious group breakfast in the outdoor kitchen overlooking the pool area and the lush scenery around it. One of Costa Rica’s most impressive attributes is how eco-friendly the country is, and the group actively composted and recycled after every meal. After breakfast, some of the group went swimming in the pool while others relaxed and got ready for our morning at the beach.
On the beach, half the group began with a super fun surfing lesson where they learned the basics of surfing. By the end of the lesson, most of the class was able to surf by themselves. The other half of our group explored the beach, and participated in activities such as playing volleyball and soccer both with each other and the locals, getting smoothies, and drinking/eating straight from coconuts that locals had picked from a tree and opened for us. After a couple of hours, the two groups switched activities so everyone got the chance to learn to surf.
After the beach, the whole group went for lunch at an outdoor, authentic local restaurant. Lunch was followed by some free time for the group, during which some people went for ice cream/explored the beach town while others relaxed at the resort. The group then had an orientation where we set the standards and created our goals for the trip. We also did team activities to help us bond more as a group. Unfortunately, since it is the rainy season in Costa Rica, we had to cut orientation short due to a loud storm. During the storm, we took the opportunity to make an entry in our journals where we reflected on the trip and what was to come.
We then went to a delicious dinner in a beautiful beach restaurant where our salsa instructor from the night before was DJ-ing. We enjoyed smoothies made from local fruits and rich meals together. During dinner, we learned how to make flower sculptures out of plants from a local artisan. Dinner was followed by fun, energetic dancing where we made friends with the locals and other travelers.
Be well,
Julia & Sonia
Hola las familias de Putney!
On the third day in Costa Rica, we woke up to amazing breakfast made by one of the local women. Once breakfast was over, a truck was out front, and ready to take us to an incredible day of snorkeling. Our group was split up into two different small boats to start whale watching. After driving around for a bit, we spotted three sea turtles in the crystal clear water. About 20 minutes later, the boats spotted a mother and baby whale. Although we did not see any dolphins, our boat driver informed us that we had chosen a great time in the year for whale watching. After a bit of whale watching, we went to the spot where we would be snorkeling. The beautiful water and surrounding islands, as well as the clear water, made snorkeling an incredible experience that we will never forget.
After snorkeling, we were greeted back on the boat with fresh fruit grown in Costa Rica. Following the boat ride back, we were ready to drive back to our hotel to pack and get ready to leave for our host village. A man outside the hotel provided us with a spiked, fun fruit called Mammon Chinos for our long car ride.
Once arriving in the host village, we were greeted by several members of the community, Las Cabanas. A local woman and mother of two graciously cooked our dinner, as well as all future meals here. After an introduction to the locals, we began dancing. Our salsa lessons came in very handy, as most of the locals were very talented. We danced with everyone, and reluctantly we left the dance party to go to our living space to set up and get ready for bed.
Be well,
Ellie & Caitlin
Hola padres!
On the fourth day, we woke up and started to work on our community service project. Our group project is to work on and build the church in Las Cabanas. Even though it was pouring, we were all excited to get moving!
The first thing we started with was painting the walls and cleaning the floor (which was covered in dirt and mud). As professional painters go, we must say we are pretty great at painting. While some of us painted, others scrubbed the floor. It went from brown and dirty, to squeaky clean! After the walls were painted and the floors were clean, we headed up for a delicious homemade lunch. The potatoes and meat were perfect for a rainy day!
After coming back to the church after our siesta (relaxing break), the work continued. With the floors as clean as they were, we began pouring the grout onto the floors. Spreading it around the entire base of the church was time consuming and dirty but fun around all of our new friends. While this was happening, some students were chosen to start working on a hole behind the church for a septic tank. Starting at the surface was very difficult and getting the large rocks out was very strenuous. With the rain pouring and all of the work being done around the church for the Cabanas people, it was a very empowering sight to see.
Everybody was extremely tired after the first day of long hard work, so a home cooked dinner of potatoes and meat was much needed. We all gathered back together outside of the rooms for a fun activity and to reflect on the day we had completed. All in all, the first day was extremely productive and a great bonding experience for all of the teens and young adults.
Mason & Sarah
Hola padres!
We had a very successful day digging holes for the pillars that support the kitchen next to the church, continued digging the holes for the church’s septic tank, and finished painting the church walls. After this hard work, some of us went down to the local river to cool off. The river was extremely scenic and perfectly refreshing. The entire day was very fun and exciting as another bonding experience for everybody, but it came to a sad end.
At the end of dinner, one of our two group leaders, Jared, informed us that he would be leaving early in the morning due to a family emergency. Although we all supported his decision to return home and felt sorrow for his family, we were very reluctant to let him leave. He has had such a major impact on our group and helped us through each activity and day. The trip will still be very fun and full of memorable adventures, but we will all just miss Jared deeply.
Amy & Mason
Hola padres!
Early this morning Jared left and some students woke up to send him off. Due to this, our other very fun leader, Sarah, let us sleep in. After a nice rest, the work started up again. Today the sun was blazing and the heat on our backs and faces was difficult to work through, but everyone stayed positive. More holes were dug for the pillars to make the kitchen and the hole for the septic tank progressed. A refreshing lunch was much needed. Thankfully, when the afternoon work began it started to rain. Although working does not seem great to the common man, it is the best thing that could happen in this situation. The heat mostly broke for the time that the rain was pouring and the work progressed. Everyone was very tired by the nighttime and crawled into their beds. Tomorrow we are looking forward to meeting our new leader, Vince. We have heard only good things about him and cannot wait to see what he brings to the group.
Mason & Amy
