ISV - Volunteer Projects in Costa Rica

It has been 2 years since my unforgettable visit to Costa Rica with ISV, and not a day goes by that I don't reflect on the valuable lessons and experiences that I had there.

From living with a local family, interacting with the local ISV staff- learning about how much they value the environment as a whole, to drinking fresh pipa's ( coconuts) by the ocean, there was never a dull moment while I was there.

Beyond the incredible opportunities such as working directly with sea turtles under the most astounding starry skies I have ever seen, I made my most cherished friends on my trip. We were all from different places in the world and to this day we still get together every summer an travel some place new together. Trips like ISV are worthwhile not only because you get the gratifying experience of giving back to the global community, but also because it unites you with people that have similar values, dreams, and pursuits. No one 'gets it' the way my trip friends do, and I am forever thankful to my ISV leaders, my host family, my friends, and to all the experiences I had while I was there. It changed me at my core and I know if you go into a trip with an open mind, you can't help but be inspired!

Going to Costa Rice with ISV was one of the best experiences of my life. I will never forget the amazing people I met during my trip. The volunteer part is so rewarding. You get to experience a whole different culture. I also really enjoyed the adventure tour. You get to experience all of what Costa Rica has to offer. I made friends and have memories I will always carry with me for the rest of my life!!

The first half of the trip was pretty tough but such an awesome and special experience. We'd trek the forest for hours at a time, recording fruit and fauna data. It was a once in a lifetime experience that I'll forever cherish. There were some risky moments during the trip but that's what happens when you go to some pretty neat places! Examples: white water rafting and rappelling! Loved it so much. Thanks!

Volunteering with ISV in Costa Rica has definitely been the adventure of a lifetime. I got to live in the rainforest for two weeks, and my perspective on life has totally changed. I have learnt to appreciate all the small things in life I used to take for granted, like being able to have a hot shower, flush the toilet after use, or even drinking tap water without having to treat it beforehand. We were treated like family, and experienced Costa Rican culture in all of its aspects, 100%. EVERYTHING there is so beautiful, so extreme, so awesome that it's almost unbelievable. I have witnessed the most amazing sunsets, seen breathtaking scenery, and felt like I was living in a postcard. We got to see monkeys, toucans, macaos and gorgeous butterflies on a daily basis; roosters and howler monkey were our alarm in the morning. We faced bugs, giant spiders, huge crabs, bats and even snakes, learning that a boa, here, is JUST a boa. Pineapples there are way more delicious than the ones I get at home, and that there are at least a dozen fruits whose existence I completely ignored. We had mud fights, got covered in dirt, and then jumped in the ocean with all of our clothes on. We jumped from rocks and climbed waterfalls, had the time of our life playing football with my the local "ticos" and learning about their culture. We have helped monitoring the forest, planting new trees, husking and hiking every morning.
I have faced my greatest fear, and felt like I was on top of it for the first time ever.
I have sweated, and believe me, a lot! I got physically exhausted, knackered, dirty with "mud" as I never thought I would, earning countless bruises and cuts. But I also have experienced the great pleasure that comes from working hard for a good cause, and I have felt truly accomplished, probably like never before.
And, most importantly, I have learnt that each and everyone of us can make the difference, that we can all give our best to make this world a little bit better.
And, finally, I have learnt that it is possible to feel sincerely happy with what we have, as little as it might seem.
So, to sum it all up, Costa Rica has been the most amazing, eye-opening, life-changing experience I could ask for, and I would definitely recommend it to all of you!
PURA VIDA!

My time volunteering in Costa Rica was incredible! Each morning we would wake up and hike in the rainforest, watch the sunrise, and get to observe all sorts of animals. Our host family was so generous and kind that it was a joy to live with them. The entire community that we worked with welcomed us with open arms.
And don't even get me started about the adventure tour. It was absolutely wonderful and I could not have asked for a better way to travel the country. You get a good mix of the tourist locations and the local secrets. You have a wonderful guide that knows more about the country than you will ever be able to wrap your mind around.

Last Wednesday I got back from my trip to Costa Rica and it wasn't until my last Saturday there, when I was in Samara, that I actually felt like coming home. Up until then I wanted to stay because I absolutely loved it there and didn't want to leave. Particularly the people and the town I did my project in, San Pedro.
It was through ISV that I had the opportunity to go, have the time of my life and meet some amazing people. During my project, my group and I were in San Pedro working to help the community by building an eco house for their coffee season so that they could store their materials and tools for when they were planting coffee plants and we were also making eco bricks to make a small bridge for the community to use.
During the two weeks we were there, not only did we become close as a group and become friends but we also became quite close with our host families and really come to feel at home there and like we were part of the community. And it is just an amazing feeling knowing that my group and I helped build something that the community needed and will be there for a while.
The town and the people who live there were so wonderful in welcoming us and making us feel at home that towards the end of our project, when we were driving back into town the day after our second day off it felt like we were coming back home from a camping trip or something—we really felt like we were at home there.
After the project, we rejoined a lot of the people who also went to Costa Rica and went on a two week adventure tour around Costa Rica and again had an amazing time. I met new people and formed new/more friendships with them and had a great time travelling around visiting new towns, staying in beautiful hotels- some of which were surrounded by equally beautiful scenery and natural surroundings- and the activities were so much fun- I honestly don’t know if I would have considered zip lining if I hadn’t gone to Costa Rica but it was honestly my favourite thing that we did there.
Being able to have this experience was amazing! I had the best time and it was honestly the best experience I have ever had. I learned a lot- not only about the environment and being more conscious of how I use things back home- but also about myself and different living is over there and how easy it is over here.
Coming home to Australia and not waking up in Costa Rica and seeing all the friends that I made there everyday seemed like a strange idea at first and unreal the night before we flew out of Costa Rica and it slowly got more real as we all started going our separate ways- whether we were going back to Australia or New Zealand or whether we were going travelling somewhere else- the things we did and saw and the friends we made, made that more special because no one else will know what it was like for us or know how much fun we had.
I am honestly looking forward to going back one day.

ISV knows what they are doing. They gave me 4 weeks of complete cultural immersion, adventure, and education. I learned so much about the locals and native species! Especially sea turtles. We did beach patrols at night, looking for nesting mothers. We would measure them and collect their eggs as they were laid, so we could move them to a safer spot in the hatchery. We monitored the hatchery 24/7, and once the babies emerged, we recorded data and released them to the sea. In the second two weeks, we went on an adventure tour. This was a very organized vacation, packed with activities that most people may not have the chance to experience. For example, we went on a nature hike, horse-back riding, river rafting and visited a mud spa, just in one day! I made so many friends from around the world and countless memories that will last. Volunteering in Costa Rica helped me decide to pursue a career in marine conservation. My life has changed since this trip, and I am so happy I had this opportunity.

In June 2012 I went to Costa Rica for 5 weeks with International Student Volunteers. I decided to travel with ISV because I didn't want to just see the sights, I didn't want to just be a tourist. I wanted to live there, volunteer in the community, learn and speak the language, all while doing more than a tourist does, not just seeing the sights but skydiving off them, walking through the waterfalls, kayaking to a private island, and much more. My 5 weeks started in a town called Heredia, I took classes at the local english to spanish university for a week. With 30 other ISV students we were broken up into classes with 5 students and 1 teacher based on the spanish we know. I lived in the town there with a host family closely living to the other students walking everywhere. My second and third weeks were spent with my group of 12 people up in the highest altitude in Costa Rica living in the cloud forrest atop the mountains. The first of my two weeks there were spent making an environmentally friendly manure for the farmers there who grow coffee plants. This was a very small community with less than 100 people and almost everyone was a cousin of someone else. One rural dirt road ran through several mountains and connected the town, the school, and all of the houses spread out through miles. Also during the first week we worked on five different farms throughout their small community. The second week was spent working on the dirt road pouring concreate from where the previous groups have ended and we continued. All of this was done while each of us lived in different homes, all virtually neighbors. I lived with the nicest old couple in a nice home on a farm with hens, horses, dogs, cows, etc. He was also known for being the oldest, nicest, man in the town and during the time I spent their I threw a surprise party for my couple when I found out about their 30th wedding anniversary. They told me thank you, but in their culture 30 isn't big and I needed to come back in 10 years for the 40th when the entire town will be partying. Sadly I had to leave my little home in Costa Rica, as the 12 of us headed back crying on the bus. When we got back to Heredia we met up with the other 5 volunteer projects and all 60 of us were divided in half for our adventure tour. After all going out for a fun night together we left the next morning headed out on reverse trips one started at the end and one at the beginning, sadly not meeting half way. The adventure tour was an amazing time filled with some of the best things I have ever done. Surf lessons, kayaking, massage on the beach, horseback ridding, climbing waterfalls, sea tubing, white water rafting, mud spas, and much more. It was the best 5 weeks of my life and this summer, I am going to Australia. I would recommend ISV to anyone who wants to go to Australia, South Africa, Thailand, New Zealand, Dominican Republic or of course, my Costa Rica.