Two Donnelly students and a faculty member traveled to San Jose, Costa Rica, January 2-13, 2019 as part of a travel writing-focused course offered through the University of Kansas Honors Program.
The program itinerary included site visits to Monteverde Cloud Forest, Manuel Antonio National Park, Irazu Volcano, Hacienda Orosi hot springs and a variety of museums and national landmarks.
As part of the experience, Donnelly students completed an essay about their experience. One student, Natashia Banks, wrote in her essay, “I’d experienced a whirlwind of emotions the days prior to the trip, but the most profound would be excitement, followed then by anxiety. I was anxious about flying, with this being only my third time, about leaving behind my daughter, and anxious of course, about not having any idea of what life would be like in a country completely foreign from all that I knew. Excitement for apparent reasons such as traveling, trying new foods, and meeting new people. But more so for the knowledge I’d gain and the experiences I’d endure exploring new cultures. The lasting memories and many friends made effortlessly along the way, made the trip even more unimaginable. From hiking through the clouds to planting a tree to “Save the Planet,” this Study Abroad was an adventure, difficult to describe with words, or even pictures.”
Photo - From left: Natashia Banks, Paula Console-Șoican, assistant professor of English, Elizabeth Turner