As a microbiology major with a medical concentration, initially, I was quite leery of participating in the College of Engineering’s Alternative Spring Break trip to Costa Rica, because I wasn’t sure of what type of experience I would have with a college with which I was unfamiliar, along with this being my first time traveling outside of the United States. However, my experience in Costa Rica is one that I will never forget.

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I was unsure of what to expect. In what type of conditions would I live? What would I eat? How would I communicate? These types of questions were continually on my mind … until the plane landed in Costa Rica, and we met our guide for the week, Federico. Federico was one of the best aspects of the trip, because he provided our group with a special viewpoint of the Costa Rican culture, being a native, but also having traveled much of the U.S. Federico made each on of us feel like family, and he will truly be missed!

In the afternoons, once we completed our work for the day, Federico would take us around through different areas of the Orosi Valley so that we could experience the Costa Rican culture first hand. While in Costa Rica, we had lunch and dinners with the local family members for whom we replaced the septic system. We visited a local prestigious church, ventured throughout a busy midday market, visited one of the Costa Rican national parks, and visited a local volcano; one of the other volcanoes had its first activity in over sixty years, just days before we landed in Costa Rica.

Being one of the many stressed-out college students on the trip, my favorite excursion was the day spent at Balnearios Termales Orosi, a natural hot spring. The estate containing the spring is located next to a large coffee plantation, which we also toured. This was my favorite experience because unlike being at school, I could relax without a care in the world. The location of the hot spring was absolutely fantastic. Imagine the most beautiful landscape scene you can think of. The hot spring was nestled right on the edge of the local mountains overlooking the Orosi Valley with the towns dispersed below.

My Costa Rica trip would not have been the same without my peers. What started as a trip with a few strangers from the College of Engineering became an amazing volunteer and vacation experience with friends who are now as close as family. The Alternative Spring Break trip was significant for me; Costa Rica allowed me to finally experience a culture outside of my own, and I am extremely grateful for that. Even before my decision to join my peers for our trip, I was interested in using my degree to serve people around the world.

After having had this experience first-hand, I now know for sure that I will practice medicine somewhere in the world where it is most needed, and I sincerely hope that one day I will have the opportunity to travel back to Costa Rica and experience that rich culture again while giving back with my talents.