Proctor en Monteverde: Looking Back on the Spring

Five Proctor sophomores spent the spring trimester living and learning in Costa Rica's Monteverde region. They settled into life in the cloud forest town of Santa Elena, each living with a Tico (Costa Rican) host family and studying at the Cloud Forest School. They continued their sophomore-level science, humanities, and math while studying Spanish and learning through the lens of the region's biodiversity and culture. They challenged themselves daily – living life in Spanish, becoming part of a new household, and studying alongside local students. Studying abroad builds intercultural competence and academic skills, but students also experience profound individual growth and learn about themselves through the process. They discover they can thrive away from home, navigate life without their usual support network, and find perspective in a different way of living. Read more from Ellie, Hayes, Sierra, Hans, and Justin below!

Ellie ’28

Coming to live in Montverde was one of the scariest things I’ve ever done. It was also one of the best. The morning that we left, I was terrified, crying to my parents and scared that I wouldn’t get along with the other kids. Now, as I prepare to depart for home, I’m sad to leave this place that I’ve learned to love so much. While I’m very excited to reunite with my family, I’ll miss the one I’ve made here. 

During my time in Costa Rica, I’ve been faced with many challenges. The biggest one that I had to overcome was learning how to live in a different household. Everything is different from the home I’ve lived in for my entire life — a new room, new food, new traditions, and a new family. I’ve never lived with anyone except my parents and younger siblings before, so getting used to this change was a big challenge. Spending time with my Costa Rican host family was the best way for me to overcome this challenge. I got to know them all, and it made me feel a lot more comfortable in my new home.

During this time, I’ve also learned many things about myself that I didn’t know. The biggest way that I surprised myself on this trip was by making a good friend. I thought it would be really difficult for me to become friends with the other kids on the trip. But I surprised myself by making really good friends with one of the other students, and being friendly with the others. I never thought that I would be able to open up enough to be true friends with somebody again, but I will be coming away from this trip with a very good friend.

Overall, this program was really good for me. I learned to live with a new family, work better with others, immerse myself in a new culture, and make a new friend. I have had a great experience and would definitely do this again in the future. 

Hayes ’28

As our adventures in Monteverde come to an end, I look back at the last couple of weeks. From all those adventures, I chose seven events that have shaped my time in Costa Rica.

The first item on the list was the orientation for the trip, Playa Hermosa. It was hot and sunny, but a great intro to what was to come. Though it was a short time, it was no waste: playing pool, swimming in the ocean, and, last but not least, watching the sun set. Being on the beach was a little harder than I expected because, though I have lived at a boarding school for almost the last two years, being so far from home and not being able to easily get home was a change that was different but necessary. 

The next event was just a few days later, on the first Sunday we were in Monteverde, when my family and I went down to the lowlands to watch my host mother's brother compete in a rodeo. When I say it feels like it was yesterday, I’m being completely serious. It was an unbelievable time. The energy of everyone had watching was truly inspiring and showed how much these people love the rodeo. It was also a discovery moment for me, learning how much I love the rodeo and its community. 

Another event that happened in Monteverde was when we visited Valle Escondido and went to the butterfly garden. It was a really cool time looking at all the amazing species living in Monteverde. It was also the week after we went to San Gerardo, and it did not disappoint, since we talked about the local bug life, which built off of the things we learned the week before.

Skipping a whole week, the next really interesting activity that we did was also about wildlife — learning about the bats local to Monteverde and Costa Rica. During Saturday night that week, we went into the woods with a bat expert. He had nets around the woods to safely catch the bats, and he would pick them up, show us all the differences between them, and then release them. It was truly an interesting time learning all about these amazing animals. 

The next activity was not with the rest of the group but with my family, and we went to the incredibly beautiful viewpoint, Cerro Pinocho. When we went, it was a little cloudy, but still, it did not mask how beautiful it was. It was just a great time to go there with my family and for them to share this amazing place with me.

The second-to-last one on my list is our second visit to Valle Escondido. This was much different from the first time, since we got to walk around the property. The property is an incredible mix of hotel, nature reserve, and garden. Our tour guide, who is also our science teacher, used to work there, so he knew his way around and told us a lot about the different plants and sections of the property. 

Our last activity that added immensely to my trip was our revisit to the reserve to see which animals our camera took photos of. The camera was not up for long, but we did get a lot of videos of small birds, and we did get one or two of larger dog-like animals, which were really cool and satisfying to see because we waited so long to see them. 

Though this trip has been amazing in every way, these seven events were the ones that had the largest effects on the trip as a whole and helped build a strong group dynamic. Looking back on these memories, it makes me realize that if someone asked if I would do this whole trip again, I would do it in a heartbeat because it's truly an amazing experience.

Sierra ’28 - End-of-Term Project Selections

Casado

A “casado” is a traditional Costa Rican dish and combination plate typically consisting of rice, beans, a protein (beef, chicken, pork, or fish), fried plantains, and a fresh salad!

“My favorite part of the modern Casado is the variety of preparation methods. Since arriving in Costa Rica, I have eaten Casados in many places, and they have all been different.”

Different casado variations:

• Liberia: Modern, buffet style
• Casem: Prepared on a wood stove
• Around my house: served on a plantain leaf
• School lunch: Bento box style

Other common variations are: With picadillo, with cheese, or with egg.

In the 1960s, Monteverde Casados were simple, rustic, and highly caloric meals designed to fuel hard manual labor. They were usually served at sodas, cooked by women, prepared in large quantities, and eaten in a casual, community-focused setting.

Ecotourism

"The ecotourism economy in Monteverde economy can fuel a wealth gap. People that work for services with tourists may receive bigger tips."

"Ecotourism is good because it helps spread awareness about the beauty and fragility of the cloud forest, as well as secure funding for maintenance."

"An issue with this economy is that many of the tourists have much more money than the locals. When the tourists spend large amounts of money in Monteverde, inflation picks up and the locals struggle to afford things."

The Farm

“Tico farms were initially smaller, subsistence-based, and heavily integrated with the local ecosystem. They were mostly agricultural, producing corn, beans, and fruits. Some local farms had a few cows or pigs, while others operated small coffee or sugar cane plantations.”’

“When Quakers arrived, they introduced a more organized dairy-based farming system which involved clearing larger areas of land for pasture and building a cooperative economy centered on milk and cheese production.”

Hans ’28

The last few weeks of the winter term felt like it was taking so long. The whole time, I was just waiting to go on this trip. Now that I've experienced it, and looking back, it feels like my time here flew by. It doesn’t feel close to nine weeks. 

I still had some challenges. The main challenge I faced was living and interacting with my host family. While it could have been easy to live with them, with the language barrier, trying to interact and hang out with them was the main issue. I tried as best I could with my limited Spanish and the very limited English that only my host brothers spoke. However, this struggle really made my Spanish improve a ton and made me not worry about being judged for my Spanish or anything I did because, despite the language barrier, my family was very understanding and caring. Also, once I was able to connect with them, it made the bond more special.

One main discovery and change I made as a person was that I don't need to worry about what other people think of me. Going to the Colegio really helped me make this growth because during the first trip, I was super worried about being judged or looked at, which we were, but we were also international students coming in and visiting their high school. But as we kept visiting each week, I realized why it really matters to me if they judge me. I wanted to be accepted by them, but I didn’t need all of them to go out of their way for them to think highly of me. So I realized how to be me and not worry about being judged or having all of them accept me. I was still kind and appreciative. It's just that I realized how important it is to be yourself, which I think was my biggest change over this trip.

Justin ’28

When Lindsay pulled me aside after a math class and asked if I would consider applying for Proctor in Monteverde, I thought I would never even consider it. Well, let me say I'm extremely glad I did, because this has been an experience that I will never be able to re-live or experience again, and I have gotten so much out of my time here. 

Stepping off the plane into the blistering heat and riding in Kathia's red van was my first time seeing a country from the perspective of someone other than a tourist. We were here to learn, and we absolutely did. We can start with the contents of this class, English and History. We learned so much about not only the history of Costa Rica, but also its people and how the culture became what it is today. Learning that Costa Rica was one of the last physical countries to form and was a bridge, or who the Quakers were and why they relate to Costa Rica, but specifically Monteverde.

 

As we settled in and began gliding throughout time here, Hayes, Hans, and I decided to mix it up a little more and cut off all of our hair, providing a fresh start. Not long after we had begun to get to know our families on a deeper level, we had the opportunity to visit a reserve called the BEN (Bosque Eterno de los Niños), where we stayed at the San Gerardo Field Station with none other than Mark. For those of you who know Mark, not much more needs to be said other than it was a truly fascinating experience spending time with someone who knows so much about their passion. 

As we returned from San Gerardo, I looked around and realized that this was going to be my life through the next few weeks. It was hard to see my family at home celebrating Easter all together, while I was here, but then I remembered that my coffee was definitely better than the stuff at home. Which was another thing that we learned about in history, the importance of coffee to Costa Rica and why it has become such a staple here. 

As we came into the final stretch, I began to come to a realization of how special this place is, through the levels of nature all the way down to butterflies and ants (who helped Hans and me on our art project). I began to take more time, like the focal point of our book we read while we were here, Walking with Wolf. I began to take more time to realize what the world has given us, and how refreshing it is to simply slow down and just walk through life. 

So, if I had to take one thing away from this trip, I would say I couldn't. This trip has given me many new insights and perspectives, not only about myself but also about the world around me. Being immersed in a new culture and environment by living in a house outside of my comfort zone has helped me grow into a different version of myself. The lessons I learned and the personal growth I will take away from this trip are things that will stay with me forever.

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