My most memorable experience is probably our last week at the elementary school we worked at. We didn't see all of the kids every day because they had different schedules, so when they knew it was our last week, they all drew us pictures, brought in small gifts, and really expressed their thanks. We loved working with these kids and it was so nice to see how much of an impact we made in just the short time we were there.
The most exciting thing we did while we were there was the canopy tour in La Fortuna. We also went on a tour of the Arenal Volcano, which was amazing. The canopy tour was a separate excursion, but I am so glad we did it. Zipping through the rainforest at incredible speeds was the most thrilling experience. I would definitely recommend it to anyone--even older women in their 60s were in our group zipping through the rainforest with us! It was an unforgettable experience.
Something I would have done differently is not worn any bags/purses without zippers. I'm not sure if I told you this before or not, but our first week in the country, I got pickpocketed and someone actually stole my wallet from out of my bag. It was a small pocketbook type bag and it was on my arm the entire time, but it did not have a zipper.
Someone must have stuck their hand right in and taken my wallet without me noticing.
The school we worked at was very welcoming, despite the fact that they didn't know they were receiving volunteers until the day we showed up! The faculty and staff were very helpful in helping us get acquainted with the school and the area, and were also very flexible with our schedules. They were so grateful to have us. The school itself had very little resources, but we worked with what they gave us and everything turned out great.
Glendy G.
Boston, MA