A Learning/maturing Experience

I went on this trip as my first "traveling alone" trip at age 16! I was so excited and the experience did not let me down. Being half Latina, it helped with understanding some of the cultural aspects but I definitely learned more spanish out of everything. Me being non-fluent, I was kind of scared how well I would be able to communicate but all-in-all I was able to communicate quite freely. The volunteer aspect was great being able to work with animals that I had never even seen before. I learned a lot about how important wildlife and natural habitats are. Although there is always a lot of work, it is fun work and I would definitely go again if I had the opportunity. Being only 16, I was told to be very careful on where I go but in the town that I was in and the local inner-cities, I felt very safe. My host family was very nice and generous as well. The mother cooked awesome food and has darling children who I got to hang out with. I kept an open mind going in and I came out with new experiences under my belt and a humble outlook on my busy american life. I definitely would recommend this for groups or for people traveling alone. It truly is an awesome experience to learn about the wildlife of Costa Rica.