Academic Update
Even though we are only one third of the way into the program, it feels like we met each other years ago. The intense structure of the program and variety of field trips has created the perfect ambience where students, faculty, and staff get involved with each academically and culturally in a warmhearted way.

During the third week of the program students got involved in outreach projects with local schools and community members. During this week we visited two impressive national parks, Carara at sea level, and at almost 9,000 feet, Poas Volcano National Park. At Carara we had the chance to experience the unique transitional dry to wet forest, to learn about mangrove ecosystems, and to discuss pollution issues in Costa Rica, particularly solid waste and water treatment. At Poas Volcano students experienced a mountainous wet forest, learned about how protected areas are managed in Costa Rica in an innovative manner, and conducted research with the objective of better understanding tourists’ requirements within and around the park.

The forth week has been filled with plenty of social and academic activities. Students are working on research reports, taking classes, and engaged in discussions. Earlier in the week, they visited the University of Costa Rica in San José. Here we attended a guest lecture on the current situation of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) and discussed their implications for sustainable development.

This past weekend students participated in one of the most awaited activities: home-stay weekend. Each student stayed with a local family two days, learning about Costa Rican traditions, their way of life, and enjoying homemade meals. Indeed, it was a very exciting and rewarding experience. Midterms will be during this week, and then we have our next trip to the magnificent tropical cloud forest of Monteverde this weekend.
-Sergio A. Molina, Ph.D., Professor of Environmental Economics



Student Reflections
I can’t believe it’s already October, the semester is just flying by with everything we’ve been doing - and it’s been another busy week! The biggest event was our homestay with local families for the weekend. I stayed with the Rodriguez-Arguedas family, who live in La Presa, about a five minute walk down the road from the center. I was greeted by my host parents and their daughter, Priscilla (19) and son, Irvin (15). The first thing I noticed after spending a little time at the house was that Costa Ricans (or “Ticos”) commonly show affection through food. My host mom, Rocio, brought the kids and me a plate of fruit while we were playing videogames and getting to know each other, and later she served us a huge meal of gallo pinto (rice and beans), chicken, cannelones with cheese, and salad. In the afternoon, they have coffee with crackers and roasted vegetables. Living with a Costa Rican family was very challenging for me, because at first I was apprehensive about my limited Spanish and felt like I couldn’t communicate at all. But as the weekend progressed, I found myself understanding more and more, not just of what they were saying but what they meant. They were so gracious, and even though I spend most of the weekend smiling, nodding, and trying to adequately reply to their questions, I felt so accepted into their home. Something that’ll stay with me a long time is something that my host brother told me as he was teaching me to strum a song on the guitar: sin miedo, or without fear. It seemed like an offhand suggestion at the time, but from now on, even if I’m worried about making a mistake, I want to always live sin miedo.
-Kristina Bair, Gonzaga University

I am constantly amazed at the ability of humans to adapt to their surroundings. After only a month in Costa Rica, I feel at home in the daily routines and classes around the center. It is amazing that only this much time has passed, as memories of summer feel a long way off. Even during the weekly field trips I find myself and other students quickly adapting to whatever conditions we find ourselves in, and quickly calling our temporary lodgings home. My study abroad thus far has exemplified how quickly humans can adapt. 

At the beginning of my recent overnight in the house of a local family, I felt adrift without the daily regime of life at the Universidad de La Presa. By the second day, however, I felt at home in the routines of my host family. Their life is a simple one, proving how few luxuries we need for a complete and happy life. Happiness is evident in the Costa Rican barrio of Brazil in which I resided this past weekend. Kids of all ages gathered outside and played games while neighbors walked in and out of each others homes, gifting food and drink in exchange for the latest gossip. Activities for kids are less structured, and parents do not chauffeur kids across town but rather give them the freedom to go as they please.

It is refreshing to think that people still lead lives at this slower pace. Work always comes second to family here. The lifestyle is reminiscent of the world I imagine my parents to have grown up in, in the 1950s. The image is complete with stratified sexual roles, the television constantly on, and parents smoking around small children. While some could find a great deal wrong with this portrait of family life, I find it wonderful that the values of these people are not muddled with many of the things we become distracted with in more developed nations, namely consumption. The simplified life of the average Costa Rican family has great appeal and is testament to how life should be simple.
-Edward Teyber, University of California/Santa Barbara

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