Students everywhere are looking ahead to the fast-approaching summer vacation, but many are also reminiscing about their spring break adventures. In particular, Maggie Walker provided the opportunity for its students to spend ten days exploring the unique environment and culture of Costa Rica. Led by science teacher Mr. David Barnes, nine other teachers, and parent chaperones, this group of 37 Dragons enjoyed the outdoors as they hiked through the rainforest, rode horses over hilly paths, got up close and personal with crocodiles, and much more. Although the trip got off to a rocky start with a flight cancellation, leading to over ten hours in the airport, the engaging activities and time with friends produced a plentiful assortment of fond memories. To provide insight into the trip, Barnes, Ms. Amanda Lemco–another teacher chaperone—and a few students have shared their experiences and the highlights of their time abroad.

Given his knowledge from leading previous school trips to Costa Rica, Belize, and Iceland, Barnes decided to give a new group of students the chance to “extend their education beyond the classroom” by organizing and leading this trip. This time around, he worked with the travel company Explorica to craft an active itinerary that prioritized “the volcanic mountain ranges and the west coast” of the country. He especially appreciated the work of the tour guide in describing how the Caribbean Sea and the Pacific Ocean create different climates and ecology on either side of Costa Rica’s mountain ranges. Barnes also enjoyed all of the diverse ecosystems and wildlife the group got to see, including “monkeys, sloths, snakes, so many birds, crocodiles, iguanas, butterflies, and leaf-cutter ants.” Though he acknowledges that some activities are not for everyone, he enthusiastically encourages students with “an open mind, positive attitude, and sense of adventure” to travel wherever they can to “experience new places, new people, and new cultures.”

In addition to the biological learning aspect of the Costa Rica trip, students immersed themselves head-first into the unique culture of Costa Rica. Lemco emphasized that the trip provided an amazing opportunity to “learn regional language and culture.” She further expands, “It was refreshing to watch students request tours in Spanish where one of the more advanced students translated for the group.” Moreover, students engaged actively with the language and tried to use their Spanish skills from school in various stores and restaurants throughout the trip. Lemco also spoke on the community bonding throughout the trip, stating that their trip allowed people to become really close friends and enabled students across various grade levels to “create memories and share experiences.”

Naturally, it was not only the chaperones who had a spectacular time with this memorable experience. A survey was sent out to a few student travelers to find out their favorite moments, foods, activities, and more from Costa Rica, as well as to explain those occasional hindrances that accompany most trips. 

This trip included a variety of excursions, from action-packed activities like zip-lining and crocodile safaris to more relaxed activities such as folklore evenings and beach days. Both Sophia Isaacs (‘23) and Payton Vroman (‘24), agreed that their favorite activity was ziplining through the forests of Santa Elena, and Charlie Haacke-Golden (‘24) mentioned that her favorite activity was going to Manuel Antonio, a national park on the Pacific coast of the country. The food was also a memorable aspect of the trip, where Virginia Griffin (‘24) says her favorite was the “beef casado,” a classic Costa Rican dish most commonly with beef, rice, beans, plantains, and a salad. Martin Gable (‘25) mentions that he enjoyed the various tropical fruits throughout the ten days. However, some of the best memories are the most simple ones. “My favorite memory was simply walking around town with friends,” Bridget Plank (‘24) adds. Griffin concurs, stating that “going out to dinner in the town” was her favorite moment. 

Traveling abroad does come with new experiences, but it also comes with new adjustments to different norms. One major adjustment that travelers like Haacke-Golden and Gable pointed out was having to throw their toilet tissue into trash bins instead of in the toilet. While this may sound odd to Americans, in Costa Rica it is recommended to toss your paper in a trash can rather than flush it down the toilet to avoid clogging up the pipes.

Even though the travelers clearly had an incredible experience, all new experiences come with difficulties. The flight out to Costa Rica, as mentioned before, was delayed, leading to long amounts of time spent in the Richmond International Airport. Griffin says that her least favorite moment of the trip was waiting in the airport, and similarly, Payton Vroman (‘24) says, “Getting out was a nightmare, since our first flight was canceled, meaning we had to spend eight-plus hours in the airport after getting there at four a.m.” Once the students reached Costa Rica, however, the endless fun began. 

All of the students and chaperones had an amazing experience in Costa Rica that they will never forget. “In Costa Rica, we never had a second of boredom. We always had a planned activity to do which was really fun,” Griffin says. She continues by mentioning the “many cultural differences such as just the general politeness of everyone there.” “Everyone was super kind and understanding,” Griffin states. This sentiment was widely shared amongst other travelers. Haacke-Golden concluded, “This was such an incredible trip and I’m so happy I went on it to experience so many amazing things and meet new friends that I don’t think I would have been that close to otherwise.”