Bienvenidos a San Luis, Costa Rica

A hairy tarantula the size of my hand gave me a proper welcome to my rustic one-bedroom abode on my second night in San Luis.  This is going to be life in the woods at the foot of a cloud forest:  shooing tarantulas into trash cans and releasing them outside; walking to the bathroom at night with a flashlight hoping not to see any vipers; bundling up in three layers to keep warm; going to sleep to the sound of insects and strong wind; waking up to bird calls; being greeted by white-faced monkeys on the way to breakfast; eating beans and rice every meal every day; running along rocky roads with views of the Pacific; admiring colorful sunsets over the mountains before dinner; hiking two hours uphill to the nearest town; dancing cumbia, merengue, and mas cumbia.

The University of Georgia has a 155-acre campus in small-town San Luis, including an organic farm and biodigester that recycles waste into methane gas for cooking.  Two cows are milked each morning, the milk is boiled in the kitchen, and visitors swarm to stand in line for hot chocolate after dinner.  15-20% of the food we eat, we grow, and the rest is local. 

I live in the casita village with the other interns—naturalists, researchers, and administrative staff.  We are the lucky ones with room and board for our extended stays, plenty to keep us busy, and plenty more to distract us…namely the beauty of our natural surroundings or an occasional game of competitive Ping-Pong.

So far in the past week and a half, I’ve begun my master’s degree research project; taught a salsa class; led morning yoga; attended mass; made a new friend with a car who gave me a ride up the mountain; sang “Vivir la Vida” by Marc Anthony at karaoke; beat Jamie at basketball; starting making plans for a campus-wide Ping-Pong tournament; smiled at a monkey and accidently pissed him off; met a whole lot of great people; acquired the ability to recognize more birds than ever before; milked a cow for the first time; cleaned dishes in the kitchen twice; made plans to learn “Tu Amor Me Hace Bien” and “Quizas, Quizas, Quizas” for the next karaoke night; realized what I’ve gotten myself into; read a lot about intercultural competence and place-based education; started reading “Water for Elephants,” “Women’s Ways of Knowing,” and “El Libro de la Selva”; planned a two-week trip to travel around the country with my parents; gotten sick; gotten better; gone out for dancing three times; had a hummingbird land on my hand; walked a lot; and walked a lot more.

This is an alcohol-free campus with healthy food, clean water, and pure air.  It’s a good place for me to heal, reflect, and focus on the things that matter.  Follow me here on the Belle to find out what those things might be and what adventures may come.  I haven’t seen a puma…yet!