Sixteen students spent a weeklong trip in Costa Rica focusing on cultural exchange, environmental exploration, and community engagement in the Pura Vida Odyssey Project Week, led by Upper School Spanish teachers Alma Preciado and Elena Solotroff.

On March 8, the group arrived in San José to greet nature guides Edgar Brenes and Tom Ranieri, then traveled to Braulio Carrillo National Park for a one-night stay at Tapirus Lodge, where students went on a nature hike and visited a sloth sanctuary.

Students then spent time in the rural community of Sitio de Mata, living with host families for two nights. There, the group participated in an exchange market—where students brought items from home to sell to the members of the Sitio de Mata—to later supply a nearby Indigenous community with toiletries. They also prepared traditional Costa Rican dishes such as patacones and arepas with help from the “Tico” (host) moms. Before departing, the group performed a dance and attended a cultural celebration where they learned the tradition of “La Mascarada,” an annual performance involving handmade papier-mache masks.

Later in the week, students rafted along the Pacuare River and hiked to the Indigenous community of Tsiobata, where they toured a local school and museum. Outdoor activities included zip-lining, a Tarzan swing, and swimming in waterfalls.

The trip concluded with a visit to the city of San José, where students were able to shop, explore, and taste a variety of local fruits before returning to Chicago on March 14.