Sophomores will embark on their annual Costa Rica trip this Saturday. Students will immerse themselves within the local community while participating in service projects to aid the local and nature stability. 

They will fly into San Jose, Costa Rica, then drive to Dominical, where they will stay for the duration of the trip. On Sunday, they’ll start their trip with many activities, including horseback riding, ziplining, and surfing as well as maintenance at local schools and sea turtle conservation. 

“When I went to Costa Rica two years ago, everyone on the flight was giddy and just overwhelmed with excitement,” senior Emma Chongo said. “Getting on the plane was when it felt real, and none of us could contain how eager we were to get there,” 

The sophomores will be interacting with the local community while immersing themselves in group activities. With a variety of activities to partake in, there are countless aspects of this trip to look forward to, according to sophomore Anika Carpenter.

“I’m definitely looking forward to interacting with the local people,” Carpenter said. “It gives me a chance to use my spanish speaking skills.”

With our sophomores leaving in two days, the school is buzzing with excitement, according to Chongo. 

“The school is buzzing with the talk from students who have already gone on this trip,” Chongo said. “Just seeing everyone getting ready reminds me of how amazing it was,”. 

While the sophomores start packing, other students have time to reflect on their past experiences with this annual trip, while also providing those who haven’t attended with an idea of what it’s all about. 

“I’m already looking forward to this time next year — it’s definitely going to be a fun experience to travel with my classmates,” freshman Fichtner said. “The entire class will bond through this unique experience — especially because all of us will get to know people who we don’t usually talk to,”

On this trip, students will try activities they have never done before, as well as immersing  themselves in the culture and socializing with individuals who may not speak the same language that they do, according to Chongo. 

“The activities that we did there really pushed me out of my comfort zone,” Chongo said. “It is one thing to travel to a new place, but to fully immerse yourself in a culture while not speaking the language is another — it was difficult and I was intimidated at first, but these experiences  taught me lessons that I will carry around for the rest of my life.”