I was looking through my old emails and saw a post about writing in our blogs. Naturally, I decided to go back and read some of them. Reading these posts really made me reminisce about not only Costa Rica, but our BME 271 class specifically. We truly had a great class and atmosphere that I don’t think I’ve experienced in any other class besides this one. We literally had class for 3 hours everyday, yet I found each class to be engaging, interesting, and dare I say… really FUN! Most of us are in Libby’s imaging class, and we all communicate still, but I don’t think it’s the same. In just 6 weeks, I think we really all just connected very naturally.

As finals approach and the new set of students travel to Costa Rica, I am hopeful that next year’s class can match what we had. I hope that they become a tight knit group of students who are able to bond with not only each other, but also Libby and Lauren! I believe that you guys were the key to making us all feel so comfortable with one another and I hope that the next set of students feel that way as well.

I am going to stop writing because it is 2 in the morning, but I just wanted to share some of my thoughts. I don’t know if anyone will even see this post, but if you do, know that I really appreciate the time we all shared together!

Love you all and pura vida!

-Tyler

Today is our last day of classes, and our time in Costa Rica is coming to a close. I have experienced so many new things over the past six weeks and have gained so many new friends (mainly Olivia).  She threatened me so that I’d write this. I really do hate her sometimes but also love her at the same time. When we go back to Duke, I hope that I will stay close friends with everyone that I’ve grown close to here. It truly has been a wonderful time in Costa Rica, and I’m so appreciative of the fact that I was given the opportunity to study here. While my time in Costa Rica has been amazing, I am also ready to go home and be able to see my family again. Adios, Costa Rica!

Thus far, my time in Costa Rica has been amazing! I have gotten to see so many cool and unbelievable sights! On our first free weekend here, a bunch of us rented a villa in Quepos near Manuel Antonio. It was a massive and beautiful villa that even had a pool, although I think I did end up getting an ear infection from the pool. Oh well, pura vida!

While in Manuel Antonio, we were able to see the gorgeous Costa Rican beaches, and we even saw a family of monkey’s right on the beach! On our last day in Quepos, a couple of us decided to take some surfing lessons, which were so much fun! Having never surfed before, I was shocked at how easy it was to be able to actually ride the waves. I will definitely want to try surfing again in the future.

On our second free weekend, some of us decided to go to the Caribbean side of Costa Rica in a small town, called Cahuita. We rented two houses to split between 18 people. They were both very nice, and fit all of us comfortably. While in Cahuita, we visited Cahuita National Park and the two beaches in Cahuita, playa negra and playa blanca. Both beaches were very beautiful! Playa negra had some of the biggest waves that I’ve seen in person. It was so much fun to try to catch the waves.

 

Overall, I am very happy that I’ve had the opportunity to study in Costa Rica. I have met amazing people and gained friends that will last a lifetime. I can’t wait to experience these last two weeks here in Costa Rica, and I wish I had more time to see the rest of this wonderful country.

✌