• Nikita Gaurav, 2009 First Runner Up

  The Journey
  Costa Rica was a trip I had won for winning the 2nd prize in the Discovery Education Young Scientist Challenge in middle school. It felt amazing to be alone in a different city, and the freedom was almost indescribable.
  
  First Impression
  After our luggage was claimed, the airport's glass double doors opened unveiling Costa Rica. Once we were given our room assignments, I fell into a deep slumber. The moment I pushed open the door the next morning, a blast of humidity hit me. Flora and fauna surrounded me and all these trees were different and unrecognizable. After my fill of Costa Rican coffee, tropical fruit and pancakes, the Discovery Adventures group boarded the bus and headed off to Limon.

• Sloths
  On the way to Limon, we stopped at a sloth reserve where we learned about the sloth's lazy lifestyle. Their adorable faces had serene, friendly expressions and their grayish brown fur felt soft and stringy between my fingers.
  
  Turtles
  Later, at the beach, a little black leatherback turtle squirmed in my hand as I picked it up out of the box. I gently laid the turtle on the soft beige sand. We watched anxiously as a dozen or so baby turtles glided in all different directions trying to navigate their way to the sea. We all cheered as the first turtle made its way into the sea. We were then given a presentation about sea turtles and their lifestyle. We learned that sea turtles are endangered species because they have so many predators and few defense mechanisms. It breaks my heart to see these innocent, majestic creatures rapidly disappearing from the face of this earth.

• Visiting the Bri Bri Village
  On our motorboat, we glided smoothly on the river that borders Panama and Costa Rica. We arrived at a river bank and were greeted by a few very welcoming villagers, who held our hands firmly and helped us out of the unstable boat. A major leader and founder of the Bri Bri village and organization then led the way through the thick vegetation.
  
  The villagers' economy revolves mainly around their exportation of chocolate and bananas. Three women founded the organization and village, and now there are fifteen main women in charge. These women broke away from their patriarchal society to form a productive feminist society that produces all organic goods.
  
  At the village, we learned about cacao plants, ate lunch and made fresh 100% dark chocolate. I had an amazing time.

• The Costa Rican Rainforest
  Costa Rica appears to be a lush, tropical rainforest covered in trees, but in reality about 50% has been cut down. In an effort to do our part to restore the Costa Rican rainforest, the group of us spent the next couple of hours planting trees with our bare hands. By the time we had finished, we had planted over 200 trees. This experience reminded me of how much we are capable of doing to restore the rainforest. Even if we were just planting little trees, in the long run, we were making a difference to the environment.

• Rappelling
  After strapping on waterproof gear, helmets and gloves, we took a narrow hike downhill towards the waterfalls. We arrived at a wooden platform, and the guide demonstrated to us how to rappel down the rock walls surrounding the waterfalls. The guides then strapped me in and I jumped off. Every time I looked down, bursts of adrenaline overtook me.
  
  Final Good-bye
  On this trip, I had the unique opportunity to learn about the scientific world outdoors, in a completely different climate. I learned a ton about the environment, specific animals and plants, rainforests and the Costa Rican culture. Costa Rica stimulates all senses. There is so much to do, to take in, to learn about, to explore, to see, and to hear. Visiting Costa Rica was a once-in-a-lifetime experience for me, and it was certainly an experience that will never be forgotten.

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