Costa Rica Summer High School Programs with Rustic Pathways

the nicoyan peninsula tour of turtle conservation was amazing. i had been to the caribbean side of costa rica before, but the nicoyan peninsula was very different. i felt much more connected to the ecosystem and to the people. the turtle work was awesome as well. lots of late nights, but the beaches and weather and people all made it worth the lack of sleep.

An excerpt from my travel journal:
It has been exactly 4 months since I have been with my favorite people in the world and in the best country, Costa Rica. Not a single day goes by where I don't think about my incredible journey and the lessons I learned on it. It is heart breaking that my memories are slowly fading with everyday that passes. I will always have my journal and photos to remind me that home is not a place, but a feeling. This is exactly how I felt on my trip in Costa Rica and I hope you are lucky enough to feel that way too.

I did Rustic's Surf and Service trip. It was the best experience of my life. The counselors were amazing, I they feel more like a friend than a superior but are still 1000% responsible. The food was amazing and had options for everyone. I'm going to be honest, I did not get along with everyone on my program, but one of the great things is that does not matter at all. It is your choice who you surround yourself with. The activities we did were awesome. I did not have any surfing experience and I was fine, so was everyone else who didn't. The service was actually one of my favorite parts. We did beach clean ups, built houses in a small community, built recycled trash cans and painted signs. We did 14 hours all together it was really manageable, I actually wanted to do more! It was also really fun practicing my spanish, but don't worry if you don't know spanish, you don't need to know any because they counselors are all fluent. Also, if you're parents are concerned about safety, there was a body guard on my trip at the beach and at night. I felt safe the entire duration of my trip. My only complain about the program is no one tells you how much is sucks to leave your friends :( No matter what trip you chose and with whatever travel company make the most out of your trip, it truly is a once in a lifetime opportunity.

I traveled with Rustic to Costa Rica this past summer in program Bribri. This was a truly life-changing experience. I was humbled in seeing how these impoverished yet content people lived. The Bribri people were nothing but pleasant and embraced us as their own. There were nine other girls on my trip and we all grew to be a close-knit group of friends. Our counselors were beyond excellent with their humor and personalities all the while keeping safety and unanimous happiness a number one priority. Our service work required physical strength and was difficult but quite rewarding. We were constantly dirty, sweaty, and hot but personally that didn't affect me all that much (we were in the jungle after all). If Rustic didn't offer so many other amazing travel opportunities, I would return to Costa Rica with them in a heartbeat.
The only problem that stands out was the fact that the website did not include rain/mud boots on the packing list and those are essentials. Also, being plenty of garbage bags because your luggage will get wet and your clothes will get dirty! This program is not for those who dislike dirt and mud but that almost becomes part of the fun.
Overall, this was a wonderful first Rustic experience and I look forward to Thailand this summer!!

I went to Costa Rica with Rustic for two weeks, Intro to Community and Maleku. It was by far the best experience I have ever had. All the people and counselors were so nice, and the work we did was amazing. There are some harder, more physical trips than others, but in the end it all works out. I didn't want to leave Costa Rica, the whole experience was a eyeopener and really changed my views on the world. I would go back any time, any day if I could. Overall, Rustic Pathways Costa Rica trips are the most amazing thing I have experienced in my life.

I participated in the Soccer and Service program in La Paz, Costa Rica. Going in, I was nervous because I knew nobody in the program and I'd never done anything like this. It took no longer than ten minutes at the airport to meet friends and talk to people. As far as the actual program itself, it was just as inclusive. Our activities included practices for about 2 1/2 hours most mornings at a beautiful local field surrounded by rolling hills and coffee farms. We'd then either work on our community service projects (either improving a school or helping create a medical clinic) or do some other activity like hiking. Each student stayed with a family of the La Paz village. We were treated to huge, delicious meals three times a day that I miss here in the US. The families were amazing and made sure to help each student feel welcome and comfortable on the trip. There were the exciting things like zip-lining that got the heart rate up but everything was just as fun when you were surrounded by new friends and a breathtakingly beautiful country. The amazing program guides I had made the trip so much fun and inclusive for every member. This was truly one of the best weeks of my life. 100% worth the money which is why i'm returning to try the Surf and Service program next year in Costa Rica.

During my two week trip to Costa Rica I made so many friends that I'll have for a really long time. I'm from a really small town and this trip gave me an opportunity to see people, animals, and culture that I otherwise would not have been able to see. Rustic pathways takes you to places and to do things that tourists don't normally do. A moment that really stuck out to me was one day we were eating lunch at a restaurant in La Fortuna and I happened to be seated at the end of the table. The restaurant was really open and had big doors to the street in the front. Just sitting there watching people go by in their daily lives in a culture that is so different from my own was so amazing. It made me realize that people are so different and it's actually a really good thing. I feel like sometimes I forget that and this trip helped me open my eyes to what is out there and all the things there are to do and people to become friends with.

I don't even know where to begin! My trip to Costa Rica this past summer was by far the best trip I've ever been on, it was truly eye opening. We got to surf almost everyday and we got to do community service. I'm not just saying this to sound good, but the community service was one of my favorite parts. We went to a village in the town of Uvita and assisted families in poverty. We helped them by building/ repairing their homes. We painted rooms for them and we even built a filtration system for one of the houses. The people were so thankful for the work we did and it felt so good to be able to help. Before this trip like a normal teenager I definitely took things for granted, wether it was having my own bed to sleep in, food on the table every night or shoes to wear on my feet it was the little things I didn't realize I was lucky to have until I went on this trip. Another thing I really enjoyed was meeting new people. At first I was kinda nervous I was going to get there and have no friends but I was complelty wrong, as soon as a passed through security at the airport and checked in at my gate I had already made friends and when we got to the base house it was like we were a family after only hours of knowing each other. I could go on and on about how great my trip was but you would end up reading a novel so I'm going to stop here.

On my trip to costa rica i had the time of my life. I saw things I've never seen before and met a ton of new friends i still keep in touch with from all across the country. I learned about the culture in Costa Rica and how to help a community thrive. Overall it was a wonderful trip through Rustic Pathways.