I get the opportunity to travel to Costa Rica this Sunday with a group of my colleagues at Purdue Extension to experience the “Tico” culture and learn a little Spanish! We have a great group of Extension professionals going on the trip. Seven of the participants are Health and Human Science Educators who work in communities throughout Indiana to improve the quality of lives for Indiana residents through community based education. Two of the participants are Extension Specialists and Administrators in the College of Health and Human Sciences at Purdue University who provide leadership for the identification, development, implementation, and evaluation of Extension programming associated with the College of Health and Human Sciences. And last but certainly not least is our faculty guide from the School of Nursing. I am sure that we will all come to appreciate her throughout the trip for many reasons – but most importantly – she speaks fluent Spanish!!
Please follow this blog to keep up with our journey! Adiós por ahora!
My bags are packed and I am ready to embark on our Health & Human Sciences Cultural Immersion journey to Costa Rica. I am excited about revisiting Costa Rica and taking in the beauty of the landscape, savoring the foods unique to the culture (yes, that includes the beans and rice or frijoles and arroz) and digging deeper to better understand the culture. But I am also excited about experiencing this this journey with my colleagues. I know our lessons learned will come from the journey not the destination. As we travel on this journey together my hopes are that we are able to share in the experience through each of our lenses how what we have learned can impact our Extension programs and services at home.
Pura Vida!
I have been preparing this past week for this next week’s trip to Costa Rica. I am looking forward to the trip, and can’t wait to share my experiences with those in my county, area, the state, and beyond when we return home. I am looking forward to gaining a better understanding and deeper knowledge of the culture in Costa Rica and the lifestyle. It is exciting! It will be wonderful to share the trip with my fellow coworkers and we will each bring our own unique experiences to the journey we are about to take. We have been preparing for a year for this part of the experience and I am ready for the journey to begin. This will be my first experience in South or Central America.
Have an absolutely marvelous time!
But, just in case:
Sleep tight.
Dont’ let the bedbugs bite.
And, if they do,
Take off your shoe,
And beat them ’til they’re black and blue.