Submitted by Haley Zwier on the 2016 winter session program in Costa Rica sponsored by the Department of Languages, Literatures and Cultures…
This past weekend has opened my eyes to a whole new world. Friday night, we went up to the top of the mountains on the outskirts of Heredia with another student’s host brother where we were able to see the entire Center Valley lit up at night. We found out this is where a lot of the young Ticos go to hang out or will go on dates because of how peaceful and beautiful it is.
Saturday was our first real free day of the program so we all decided to take an excursion to Isla Tortuga and believe it or not, there are no turtles on this island. For the first time in my life, I was able to see clear water, white sand beaches and I got to enjoy all of this with my new friends and still had the opportunity to further advance my Spanish with the tour guides and the other Ticos on the island.
The overall highlight of this weekend that will impact me for the rest of my life was traveling to the top of the Irazu Volcano, which is currently an active volcano. It took about an hour and half to reach the top at more than 11,000 feet, but we made a quick stop to have the chance to look over at the most active volcano in Costa Rica, where we could see the hot smoke and gases rising from the fumarole. The craziest part of this hike was learning how fast elevation change hits you and to feel the topographic differences from the change of altitude. I have never been to the mountains before since I have lived in Delaware my whole life and this took a toll on my body. This past weekend will stick with me for the rest of my life because of how unforgettable it was and it has opened my eyes to seeing how beautiful and diverse this world really is instead of just the images I have seen on TV.
