Headed back home!

Costa Rica has been an incredible experience. This country is very different than the United States. It truly makes you appreciate what you have.

In total, we caught 8 turtles on our trip, 7 greens and 1 hawksbill.  All 8 turtles were female. On our last night, Alice put together a report for us, discussing the turtles that we had worked with. Because they are all tagged, the researchers are able to track their movements, capture dates and growth. Some of the turtles that we caught have been coming back to these beaches for 10 years! It just goes to show you how important it is to make sure that we are caring for our environment. This is a location that these turtles love to come to, and we need to make sure that we are keeping it that way.

We packed our things and boarded our bus to head back to San Jose. This trip we were able to see so much more because it was light out. I am still in awe of Costa Rica’s beauty.

Once we arrived in San Jose, we got to our hotel, which was absolutely amazing. We put everything in our rooms, and walked around the city, until we arrived at a restaurant for dinner. It was nice to have everyone together for one last dinner.

The next morning, we walked to town and did a little shopping before heading back to the airport. It was a great way to get the last few souvenirs we wanted before heading home. Then, we got on the bus and headed to the San Jose airport. We did not spend much time here upon our arrival, so we were happy to find air conditioning, and American food! We all pigged out on KFC and Cinnabon!

Once we arrived in Miami, we had to go through incoming customs. This was quite an experience. 1,000 people, all trying to get through 6 guards to have their passports stamped! It took over an hour! Once we were finally done, and our bags were dropped back off again, we all ran to Friday’s for the cheeseburgers we had been dreaming about all week!

Our flight into Tampa landed at almost midnight. I was very happy to see my husband when I got off the tram! It was an amazing trip, but nothing beats coming home!

I am thankful that I got to have this experience. I have meet a group of amazing girls, and made memories that will last a life time.