by Hannah Nevitt, Greenheart Travel Volunteer Abroad participant
In a country that already survives on fewer accommodations, it is incredible to me how much care people in Costa Rica place on conservation. The value they place on waning resources like water, electricity, and clean air, or their efforts to rescue endangered animals, and maintain sustainable lifestyles is of high importance. As a country, it seems, Costa Rica is doing its part.
In 2007, Costa Rica set a goal to become the world’s first carbon-neutral nation by 2021. Hydro-electricity, wind power, and renewable resources have all become important initiatives. As a testament to their conservation efforts, everything is sparingly used or recycled if possible.
After living here for nearly a month, I have personally witnessed the continued respect they pay to conserving energy. Many of the houses have skylights so electricity is only needed in the evenings. All electronics and appliances are unplugged when not in use. Telephone and internet use is kept to a minimum, and to conserve water, they take quick showers and scrub their dishes before rinsing. Their hand-me-down clothes are hung out to dry behind their houses making sure only to iron once a week.
Everyone, it seems, is very cautious of energy use. For example, my Spanish teacher turns off all her lights and uses candles for one hour each evening, usually when they are eating dinner.
“It is not much,” she says, “but I am doing my part.”
It makes me think of what a global impact it could be if others all around the world would do the same. It doesn’t take much, one hour without lights, recycling your garbage, bringing re-usable bags to the grocery store, or simply remembering to unplug items when not in use – whatever you can do, it all adds up for good.
Recycling projects are also very important here; their glass, plastics, aluminum, and paper are all recycled or re-used in some fashion; while organic material is used for fertilizer. This emphasis on recycling reminds me of a story I once read about the, “floating mass” of garbage (primarily shredded plastic bags), two times bigger than the state of Texas, drifting somewhere in the Pacific Ocean.
Apparently it is so large and eerie, that boats avoid wading through its debris and pollution in an attempt to somehow bypass their feelings of guilt. After researching the validity of this story I immediately purchased two re-usable fabric bags, and started to make an honest effort to recycle whenever possible. I know it’s not much, but if I can save one plastic bag from ending up in some wasteland out of the country, I’ll be doing my part as well.
by Hannah Nevitt, Greenheart Travel volunteer abroad participant
My latest “learning moments” include the realization that I am constantly surrounded by exotic animals and foreign insects. Monkeys, raccoons, and yes, even bugs are a part of my daily life. The “hot” shower is more of a potential idea, as it has the potential to heat the water but it doesn’t. I now usually try to shower in the middle of day so the cool water becomes “refreshing.”
Along with overcoming the difficult situations, I have also observed cultural differences that are positive. The other day I watched “The little Mermaid” in Spanish for Dilany’s 10th birthday party. It was a surreal experience to watch a film in its entirety without understanding many of the words. It is amazing how much more I was able to focus on without relying solely on the language…the characters in the background, their expressions and the significance of body language and sound effects.
Another major difference is the closeness between the families. What a foreign concept to live so close to your relatives. I observe these interactions daily just as I did in the movie. Every day the kids from neighboring houses come over to our house to visit. The kids are gorgeous with beautiful brown eyes and dark hair, smiling and laughing at my attempts to speak with them. The walls of my bedroom are now covered with art projects, drawings, and notes from them.
I watch as my mother, Dinia, dances in the living room with little Veronika (her niece)…she is one year old and loves to be held! She has the most adorable Shirley Temple curls. Moments like this occur frequently, with Dinia singing cheesy love songs while she cooks or the kids singing “head…shoulders, knees, & toes” while in the shower. Her 17 year old son still giving his mother hugs and kissing her on the cheek before he heads off to school…a rare occurrence for any teenage boy!
It is called, “Culture Shock,” and many a person who has traveled can speak about its complexities and impact. For some it is slight, and for others more intense. But the way in which we observe and cope with these experiences is important. I believe we can learn so much from our experiences, and that we can use them to influence future decisions.
As I approach the one-month mark, I will continue on armed with the only weapons I will ever need: my patience, an open-mind, and a dash of optimism to overcome the culture shock, and learn to indulge in the unfamiliar comforts of my new home in Costa Rica.
Pura Vida.
by Hannah Nevitt, Greenheart Travel volunteer abroad participant
Every day, multiple times, I remind myself to have patience…the patience to adapt to this new and different world I now live in. There have been many moments, in many days, where I have been frustrated…frustrated that I could not understand the language, frustrated with the heat, humidity, and the heavy rain, and especially frustrated with the bugs. But then I take a deep breath, and remind myself that acclimating to another country different than my own will often bring such “learning moments.”
Patience is a virtue in Costa Rica
Once again, “Not wrong…just different.”
The Spanish word for patience is, “Paciencia.” I have learned to use this word quite often. There have been many days in my Spanish class when I have wanted to throw my pencil and give up as learning a new language can be really hard. There are often days when my brain hurts and all I want to do is speak in English. This is actually easier said than done because my entire world is now in Spanish: the television, the music, the books, all of it, and my host family doesn’t speak English (although the kids are trying to learn).
Although I knew this would be a challenge, there are many reasons why this experience continues to be so important for me; the first is to learn a second language, the second is to gain some international work experience and the third is to experience a full cultural immersion. In the past year I have traveled extensively, but I have also tried to experience several different types of travel mediums: the study abroad, the leisure travel, the low-budget backpacking, and now this, a full- immersion, extended-exchange of work and cultural understanding.
After three weeks of living in Costa Rica, I am definitely beginning to understand the life of a foreign exchange student. Living with a host family in a different country, with a language I don’t understand and learning to navigate and observe my new environment. It is exciting, exhausting, and challenging, yet I know this experience is going to be invaluable. Every day I take notes of my experiences and how I could possibly make them better.
Along with the “highlights” of my travels…the adventures, the adrenaline rushes, and the inspirational sights…it is also important to document “the lows.” The times when you are uncomfortable, frustrated, or lost, when you miss your family, your friends, and the “normalcy” of your life back home.
There are definitely days when I miss the comforts of home like my bed, my personal space, and the occasional indulgence of a glass of red wine, but overcoming these situations is all part of the immersion experience.
by Hannah Nevitt, Greenheart Travel Volunteer Abroad Participant
Individuals, groups, or families of volunteers are able to live in Costa Rica with host-families for varied durations and also learn Spanish at the Spanish Institute. It is my job to work with travel organizations, help with marketing, as well as work with the volunteers and take them on excursions when they are here.
So far is has been really fun and rewarding. One of my first projects was to translate a majority of their documents to English and meet with a few eco-tourism/volunteer program directors about establishing partnerships. Just yesterday I met with a representative from a program called “Global Lead”, a leadership and immersion volunteer program. It was awesome to talk with her as she was looking to establish annual partnerships with project sites in Costa Rica.
I spend my mornings taking Spanish lessons from around 8:00 a.m. to noon, taking a short break at 10:00 a.m. for
coffee. I then ride my bike back to the house to have lunch with my family. By the time I get there I am exhausted as the trek is all uphill…and it is hot and humid! After lunch we have a siesta for about an hour while I either read, (it is nearly the only outlet I have for interaction in English) or take a short nap. At around 1:30 or 2:00 p.m. I head back to work in the office. It rains nearly every day around 4:30 or 5:00 p.m. so my journey back up the hill to the house at the end of the day is always a bit more grueling because I am attempting to out-pedal the rain! Unlike rain in Washington, when it rains here…you have seconds warning and then you might as well be in the shower; the rain is heavy and fast and thunders down…it lasts for about an hour.
Adjusting to my new life here has been relatively smooth, but there have definitely been moments of culture shock. 
For example, just as Ticans strive to live in harmony with nature…this also includes species of another variety…bugs! Let’s just say I am no longer afraid of cockroaches or tiny insects! It was quite the comedy show for the kids when I entered my room one day to find three little cockroaches scampering along the floor! Luckily I didn’t scream…but after pointing them out to Dilany, we called for Dinia, who got out the spray (which apparently kills them in a few minutes).
As we were investigating my room for more, I stepped onto my bed to look behind the curtain…just then one flew past my head and landed on my leg! Not ever having seen one before I wasn’t entirely sure if they would bite me or worse…kill me…so I performed a nice little dance on my bed and screamed. It then flew off of me and landed on Dilany who imitated a similar dance! It was quite a scene…and also at around 9:00 p.m. so we woke up everyone else in the house! Once I found out that they actually wouldn’t bite OR kill me…and that they actually eat other insects…I began to settle down. It would be quite the story the next day as all the kids would laugh at me, but in the meantime, I asked Dilany if I could sleep with her shoe!
Stunning views, massive volcanoes, orchids, animals, and yes…even the bugs, have become an integral part of my experience here in Costa Rica. Although different, it is important for me to learn to co-exist with nature, just as the Ticans have done for years. It is just another element of Pura Vida; and an exciting attempt to bridge the gap between nature and man.
With time, patience, and an open mind…I will continue on my quest to embrace this new and inviting country.
by Hannah Nevitt, Greenheart Travel volunteer abroad participant
Alvaro feeding a Toucan
The property of Costa Rica’s Proyecto Asis spans over eight acres of protected tropical rainforest, bought and preserved by Don Jaime Castillo and his family. He is a trained veterinarian and has dedicated the property to be a haven for wild animals, either injured or unable to survive in the wild. His son, Alvaro Del Castillo is the director of Proyecto Asis, (Project Asis, named after Saint Asis, who cared deeply for animals) and started the volunteer center and language institute. They are a wonderful family and take great care of the animals that are often injured by cars, or abandoned and left at their doorstep.
Walking around the property you can see monkeys, toucans, and parrots in cages built for rehabilitation. Some are being rehabilitated to be released back into the forest, while others will remain on the reserve because they have been raised in captivity or are otherwise unable to survive due to injury. Beautiful flowers and exotic plants grow freely next to cacao, banana, plantain, and fruit trees. As I cross the bridge over the small lagoon, a train of ants are hard at work carrying small green leaves. To my left the lagoon is filled with lily-pads, perched ducks, colorful fish, and swimming turtles. It is also home to a few crocodiles…which are apparent as soon as I see quickly moving lily-pads and a pair of yellow eyes pop out of the water.
In the center of the property is a large hacienda where Don Jaime and his wife live. This is also an open space for volunteers to relax and have lunch or coffee breaks. As we sit and enjoy a cup of tea and crackers the two raccoons scurry by us playing with the dogs. On few occasions they join in for my Spanish lessons…sitting in the chairs curled up in a ball or sleeping on the porch of the hacienda.
The whole concept that they would roam around freely took some getting used to. My initial response was to run away or jump onto a chair…but I quickly learned to observe the reactions of those around me; if the people who work their everyday are not afraid of them…aka, if they are not jumping onto chairs…neither should I. Needless to say, I still keep a foot or two away.
The monkeys on the reserve, performing in their cages like acrobats, are incredible. They 
have Spider monkeys that will hold your hand and are always eager to say hello in the morning. Last week, Teniente and another volunteer finished building a new cage for them; however a white-faced monkey arrived just in time to claim residence. I watched excitedly as they released the new monkey into the pristine cage…he tested all the accommodations by running around and jumping from branch to branch. He looked the like the monkey from the “Pirates of the Caribbean” movies so Alvaro let me name him “Jack.”
Walking back to my office, I pass other cages of boars, kinkajous, and “Hedwig” the white owl (he looks like the owl in Harry Potter). How different it is for me to interact so freely with animals that normally I would be 20 feet away from in a zoo!
My job here is unique and exciting. I am here to provide orientation programming and to be an onsite director for incoming student volunteers. Proyecto Asis has a number of volunteer programs at varied durations including working in the wild animal rescue center; feeding animals, building and cleaning cages, etc. They also have social programs where students can teach English or Spanish in local schools, work on recycling projects, or work on other construction projects in the community. We highlight specialty programs for veterinary students or professionals as well as programs in reforestation and conservation.
