For the past three weeks, five students from across the United States and Canada have been pushing their limits in the outdoors on our Coast to Coast Expedition Semester. The students began their 85-day course with a Spanish language orientation and have been practicing their language skills with instructors and locals alike. “All the people… are so open,” said Josh N. from Cambridge, Massachusetts.“[Costa Rica] is so much simpler than the US, but they are all still so open.” Team bonding and leadership skills have been the focus of many of the activities they have participated in thus far including a ropes course, climbing wall and whitewater rafting on the Pejibaye, General and Sarapiqui Rivers. “Everyone is super fun,” said Amos P. from Chapel Hill, North Carolina. “[I learned] the rapids are never as scary as they seem.” Josh N. added that the river phase taught him, “the power of team work.” “From Carlos, the instructor, I learned that life is like a river,” added Jacob S. from Brookline, Massachusetts. “If you look back, you might get preoccupied on the past and not focus on the path ahead. You can choose many different lines, one isn’t necessarily better than the other. And you can’t see around the bend, so you don’t always know what is coming,” said. “Swimming in the river,” during this phase has been the favorite part of course for Connor R. from San Marcos, California. Mackenzie B. from Saskatoon, Canada has enjoyed all of the activities so much that he hasn’t been able to pick just one favorite adventure. “All of it [has been my favorite part],” he said. Tomorrow the group leaves for their cornerstone trek – a 26-day hike from the Pacific to the Caribbean coast in Costa Rica. Along the journey the students will push themselves physically and mentally as they hike through the varying natural landscapes Costa Rica has to offer. “I’m most looking forward to seeing the whole country and all the different landscapes, [and] also the homestays,” said Josh. Amos added he feels “nothing but excitement.” Throughout their course, we will be sharing information and photos from our Coast to Coast Expedition Semester students here on our blog and on our Facebook page, so be sure to check back for updates!