Travel Journal: Costa Rica
After waking up from a restful night’s sleep after a long day of travel, everyone was looking forward to embarking on our journey to Monteverde, the cloud forest. Before delving into that, let me provide some context.
Approximately 35 students from colleges and universities across the country are taking part in a five-week study abroad program through the Kentucky Institute for International Study (KIIS). Centre is fortunate to have a large part in the program! Dr. Genny Ballard of Centre is the trip director and will teach classes along with Centre professors Robyn Cutright and Coquis Galvan. There are also six Centre students in the program, the largest representation of any school.
Now you’re ready to join us as we travel across the country studying, teaching, learning, conversing, and growing as people. I'm excited for this program because I know I'm studying abroad with the support and feel of Centre’s campus, using one of the most beautiful countries in the world as my classroom.
Back to the trip: we loaded up onto our bright Pepto Bismol-pink tour bus and set off for a 3.5 hour trip to Monteverde, where we'll spend about three days before our first homestay. After the first two hours, the trek got a little more precarious as the cliffs began to cozy up with the gravel road. Don Olivier, our driver, was in complete control however, negotiating some heart-stopping blind corners with ease. To say the least, it took some “buy in” from the group—putting trust in the trip directors and our precise bus driver.
About 15 of us chose to go zip-lining this afternoon, and none of us left disappointed! At one point we all turned into superheroes, as the zip-line sent us flying above the rainforest at lightning speed just like Superman would fly—face first, arms out, defying gravity. Then we become movie stars with the Tarzan swing, the closest thing to bungee jumping I’ve ever experienced. After a long walk out on the one-person bridge, we were harnessed up and pushed out into a free-fall only to be caught in the knick of time by a pulley counterweight. I went kicking and screaming, but landed on the ground with a smile on my face and tears in my eyes. In the words of Centre President John Roush, “No regrets!”
Pura Vida!
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