The trip also contained elements of adventure, relaxation, scenic beauty, and cultural learning, in addition to the service work. We hiked to the top of a volcano and rode horses through the equivalent of a national forest. The house we stayed at was extremely, surprisingly, modern, and our guide Federico was amazing!

The engineering service trip to Costa Rica has certainly been one of the best vacations I have ever been on. Most of the time, traveling involves visiting a lot of tourist destinations and a quick look at what has been deemed the most important places. This trip however allowed us to experience the culture of Costa Rica by allowing us to work alongside the family we were helping and even eating meals in the houses and prepared by the families involved in the project.

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.

After landing in the capital, San Jose, the group traveled by van about an hour and a half away to the town of Orosi. The actual location of the project and accommodations was in El Yaz, a small town in the Orosi Valley. Most meals were prepared from fresh food on site and were largely vegetarian. Several dinners were served at homes of relatives of the family who would be getting a new septic system, the group’s project for the week.