Adventures in Costa Rica

Maggie and I at the University of Missouri parking lot ready to board our shuttle bus to the St. Louis airport. 

 Arriving to Costa Rica was not a problem, but arranging the luggage was another matter!

Any flight is not complete without coffee and your Spanish speaking dictionary. 

As I stepped off the plane in Costa Rica, thoughts were racing through my head. In short, I was wondering how a Missouri farm girl end up in the jungles of Central America? A month into my freshman year of college, I decided to apply for the Science and Agriculture Journalism Costa Rica winter intersession study abroad tour. I have had the opportunity to travel to many states throughout my life but have never been out of the country. Studying abroad would be an opportunity for me to gain journalism experience and witness tropical agriculture in action. I was fortunate to know one of the 7 students who were flying with us for our two week trip abroad. I had met Maggie Hardwick when we were both sophomores at the National FFA Origination Public Speaking Academy. A few speeches and years later, we found ourselves in the same agriculture degree program at the University of Missouri. And now we were travel buddies. After completing numerous paperwork documents, applying for my first pass port and attending university mandated travel safety meetings I was ready to head to be over seas!

Our plane landed in Liberia, Costa Rica on New Year's Day. What a way to start 2012! I landed in Central America with an over stuffed suitcase and a positive attitdue. I was ready to experience Latin America. However, sometimes travel does not go as plan. Within minutes of landing in Liberia our advisor had misplaced his cell phone. We also soon realized that "Costa Rica time" did not always coincide with our scheduled time. Other countries simply have different views of subjects which includes time management. After we found our professor's cell phone, our tour guide and driver we were ready for the agriculture trip of a lifetime. It just goes to show life hands you adventures whether you expect them or not. But the purpose of your trip stays the same. Who knows what other agriculture adventures will await in Costa Rica?