Wow, what a start! We arrived at the airport 3:30am in the morning with most people running on 3 or less hours of sleep, but I think it’s well worth it. Even with so little sleep (or no sleep at all), the team was excited about the Chira Island Project. We have a diverse and outgoing group this year. Although our backgrounds might differ, we are all linked by the mixture of excitement and anticipation to discover the unknown as we transfer 3 different planes from Calgary to San Jose following a boat trip the next day to Chira Island.

15 hours and a glimpse of the Statue of Liberty on the plane later, we are finally here – San Jose, Costa Rica. We are staying at the Toruma Hostel, and ready to wake up early tomorrow for Chira Island. In less than 12 hours, we will begin our journey to recognize the meaning of eco-tourism, discover the impact our work will have by constructing a computer lab and teaching English in the local elementary school, and experience life as a Chira Islander for the next two weeks.