PuRa ViDa!

When I look back on this trip all I can do is smile. 
I think about all of the amazing information we learned, the people we met, the laughs we had and the friendships we made. 
From the start of this trip I was impressed with Costa Rica's sustainability efforts, especially by how excited everyone we met was to share their knowledge about sustainability.

Krysia and I with a local farmer's son

I had no idea what sustainability was or what an impact being sustainable can have on our world. Sustainability is something that people are becoming more aware of and educated on however, there is still much to learn and to be taught. 

I focused on the ecotourism aspect of Costa Rica during our trip and it changed my ideas of travel completely. I read that "The development of sustainable tourism must be seen as the balanced interaction between the use of our natural and cultural resources, the improvement of the quality of life among the local communities, and the economic success of the industry" (CST, 1997). This is something we did during our trip and by traveling this way I grew both intellectually and individually. I learned how ecotourism gives you a unique and unforgettable travel experience.

Jonathan and  my amazing team!

I will always remember the pure joy on Jonathan's face as he passionately educated us about his sustainability efforts and how we can be more sustainable. Every person we met and spoke to in Costa Rica lit up when they told us about sustainability because it was something they believe in.
 

I will never forget the millions of bright stars on the beach of Tortuguero or the rush of plunging under water white water rafting or Miguel's lack of weather forecasting abilities.This trip was an amazing experience which I feel so fortunate to have been a part of. We learned not only about sustainability but about how to salsa and how coffee is made and we made life long friends a long the way. 

The best group of ecotourists from Bryant University!

Don’t forget to follow us on Twitter @BryantMKT421 to learn more about our adventures and how you can improve your sustainable practices and preserve our beautiful planet. 
PS check out my teams project on Prezi about ecotourism: 
https://prezi.com/fy89cjorddwo/ecotourism/

Pura Vida! 

Emily McLaughlin

Melissa is my Costa Rican name

Costa Rica was an unbelievable experience for me and I learned so much after the trip.  One of the things I miss the most is the fresh squeezed juice and the food.  Everything was fresh and all the food was grown locally.  I can understand why Costa Rica is the happiest place on Earth after meeting so many great people on this trip and a fun fact that separates Costa Rica from other countries is that they do not have a military.  

I like that Costa Rica incorporates sustainable practices into their daily lifestyle.  For example all the farms that we went to used natural organic fertilizer (Bocachi compost) this does not produce any green house gas and everywhere we go there are more than one trash can, each trash can is for different waste products.  In the US, this is not a common practice and I think this should be incorporated here as well because we produce so much waste. 

One thing that truly stuck out to me is the fact that is was normal incorporating sustainable practices into their daily lives.  In the US, it is not a practice that everyone tries to do and think this is something we need to work on more.  I believe everyone should visit Costs Rica because we all need to start caring about the Earth and try to be more sustainable.  If order to experience the real Costa Rican life style, you should try to support the locals by staying in smaller hotels instead of resorts.  This was my second time visiting Costa Rica and I made the first mistake by staying in a Resort.  I did not leave the resort, so I never got to travel and see what Costa Rica had to offer.  Going again truly amazed me and I wish never stayed in a resort the first time I went to Costa Rica.  This trip has truly brought me out of my comfort zone because I did not know anyone on this trip.  I made so many great friends to share the fun experiences we had during out trip in Costa Rica.  I was able to go white water rafting, which I have never done before and it was an unforgettable experience. 

Not only did I learn how to be more sustainable, but also I learned some survival skills in the rain forest.  For example, when we were in Tortuguero our tour guide showed us a vine that grows on the trees in the rain forest and if you rub it on your body it becomes a natural form of bug repellant. I even got use this skill when we went on the Cacao farm because there were so many mosquitoes around us.

This one of the best trips I have been on and could not ask for better people to experience it with.  I became more sustainable and I try to influence the people around me to be more sustainable as well.  If I could I would go back on this trip again!! Thanks everyone for following us here and our Twitter @BryantMKT421

Pura Vida!!!

Ellissa Cho

Aka Melissa

@_ECHO____