By: Natalia Siewczynski ’28
Last year, Ursuline introduced a new two-week cultural immersion trip in Costa Rica, and during the summer, I was lucky enough to attend! This trip had everything from Spanish practice, and chocolate tours and cooking classes (“Oh my!”).
Our adventure began on June 8 when we arrived at the airport. After saying goodbyes to our parents and dropping off our luggage, it was finally time to start an unforgettable journey.
The group had a total of ten Ursuline girls, and we were all so excited we could barely sit still. After a long four-hour flight, we finally arrived, and the sight was, in one word, unforgettable. As we landed, green rain forests filled the airplane’s windows and gorgeous mountains welcomed us to the new country. Could it get any better?
Our tour guide, Carlos, who we would grow to adore, met us outside and the smell of the crisp air truly encapsulated the beauty of this country.
We boarded the bus and quickly learned Costa Rica’s perspective of America, as Carlos made the bus shake with laughter and clapping while he did his best Kardashian impressions.
We then arrived at El Rancho Lodge, where we were taken aback by the display of nature that spoiled our eyes. No photo could possibly prepare us for the beautiful wildlife and landscaping in this magical place. We could not wait to come here every day.
We stepped off the bus and were quickly greeted by staff with fresh guava juice, sandwiches and the juiciest watermelon you could imagine.
After our snacks, we boarded the bus again to meet our host families. I eagerly imagined what my host families would be like, and all of my expectations were exceeded to say the least.
As I walked into the house, I was welcomed by my host parents, Manuel and Mayela, three of the cutest dogs and some of the best food I had ever eaten.
I sat down at the table and truly felt my Spanish transform as I confidently introduced myself to my host family. Manuel and Mayela created such a safe space for me to improve my Spanish without feeling embarrassed or scared. That night, I laid in bed, eager for the next day.
I woke up to the sound of my alarm, and I was so excited to begin the next day of my adventure. My roommate, an Ursuline junior, and I made our way to the kitchen and were served some of the best pancakes I had ever had. After that, we made our way outside to be picked up in the bus to go to El Rancho.
When we arrived, the four freshman and six upper classmen were separated into two different Spanish classes.
All the freshmen quickly grew to love our teacher. She created such a fun and exciting classroom by telling us about the Costa Rican native animals and sharing her passion for her country. To improve our Spanish, she challenged us to only speak Spanish during class, and although it was hard, the end result was worth it.
During the first week, we had three hours of class every day, then went back to our host family for about an hour for lunch and had a quick break before our afternoon adventure.
My favorite adventure was La Paz. As we hiked down to the beautiful four waterfalls, we saw native jaguars, monkeys and even got to take photos with toucans! Not to mention the beautiful landscape of mountains and nature along the hiking path.
On the way back to our host families, we were all exhausted and knew it was time for our daily sweet treat, which Carlos had kept as a surprise. When we arrived, we were skeptical but smiles quickly grew on our faces. Each student was given a cup of fresh strawberries, topped with homemade cream and chocolate.
Although the waterfalls were my favorite, I also had unforgettable experiences at the butterfly farm, coffee plantation, reforestation program, animal rescue center and others!
This trip was truly a blessing. I created so many unforgettable memories with my classmates, Spanish teachers and Costa Rican family and friends. Pura Vida!
THE BEAR FACTS 