Costa Rica is a country of peace. A country that has only fought in a single war against other countries in the entirety of its existence. A country filled with Tico’s. A country filled with some of the best fruits you will ever consume. A country filled with some of the most breath-taking views. And now a country filled with 12 new Mizzou students.

The first four days were meant to open our eyes to the main economic push of the country: ecotourism. Exploring coffee plantations, visiting cloud forests and rescued wildlife and climbing up and down enough stairs to view waterfalls that my thighs burned, but the views and understanding of Costa Rica’s relationship with nature was amazing.

The only downside: Costa Rica is a very wet country. And in the Caribbean, you just get used to being so soggy. If things get wet, they won’t dry on their own. Sleeping with blankets? Forget about it. Mosquitos? Get used to them. But falling asleep to the ACTUAL sounds of the jungle? You can’t replace that.