With our time in Costa Rica quickly coming to a close, it makes me reflect on how lucky I and my classmates were to experience this wonderful program. We were able to do things that a lot of people, especially in our field, only dream about. To be able to handle to help conserve such magnificent creatures, like the Green Turtle and Hawksbill, was such an awe inspiring experience. I never dreamed they were as large and heavy as they were, which quickly set into reality when I helped to retrieve the first turtle of the trip from the boat.

They are even more beautiful in real life, as were the other wildlife we saw such as the macaws, iguanas, and humpback whales. We were also so very lucky to be able to have the chaperones that we did. They were as much fun as they were dedicated to our safety and well-being while on this trip. I know there were many times that the culmination of exhaustion, homesickness, and stubbornness of the group had to of been very stressful and wearing, but neither of them gave up on us and did everything to give us a great trip that they felt we deserved.

So, in case I hadn’t said it enough, thank you professors for helping us to make amazing memories. It was definitely a trip of a lifetime and it wouldn’t have been nearly as amazing without you there.