Welcome to my blog!
For the past month of my life, I have told anyone and everyone I've come across about my recent study abroad trip to Costa Rica in August/ September 2010. Of course, people have asked me about my trip, but this usually only happens in passing. Like, "Hi Elisa, how was your summer?" And then I tell them I went to Costa Rica. "Oh my gosh how was it?!?" Umm...amazing? "Well you'll have to tell me about it sometime!" Ok, can I have 5 hours of your life so that I can tell you about every awesome thing I saw and every new experience I had?
No? That's what I thought.
So in this blog, I want to give a proper play-by-play about my experiences in Costa Rica. I wrote down a journal of what I saw, what I did, and where I went. I took about 500 pictures. I ran my own research project. I have lots of information that I am just dying to share.
Additionally, I want to explain how different my worldview is now. I lived in (kind of) isolation in a field station in a rainforest for 3 weeks, and then came back to Santa Clara, in the heart of Silicon Valley. One of my professors jokingly told us that we would get "jungle googles" at the field station, which are essentially beer goggles, only we find each other so much more attractive because we haven't seen anyone else for a month. I don't think I took my jungle goggles off. But for me, it's more like I'm seeing the world with new eyes-- with jungle goggles on. It's a blessing and a curse. I want to go back to that isolated state of mind, where I was immersed in nature, and where I spent every minute with a group of 15 other fantastic people (whom I am mildly obsessed with) that totally feel the same, and are also struggling with this return to reality.
I hope you enjoy and see the world through my jungle goggles too!
