Costa Rica 2026 SMLS Expedition
Global Learning Trip Portal
When you travel, you may learn much about the place you are visiting, but you learn even more about yourself.
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Reports and Photos from the Trip
The trip field reports will be updated periodically throughout the trip. Check back often to read the most up-to-date student reports. We recommend sharing this page with any family or friends who would like to follow along on the group’s adventure in Costa Rica.
Farewell Costa Rica, You Have Taught Me…
Elizabeth K. Farewell Costa Rica, you have taught me the value in not dismissing older things for new ones. Nowadays, everything is constantly evolving, conforming, and becoming unrecognizable from even
Unforgettable Experience
Today’s amazing journey was an unforgettable experience for our SMLS community. We woke up bright and early, ready to go zip-lining, which was one of the activities that we were
Beauty and the Little Things
Today we went zip-lining! It was really fun and exciting. The zip line course had 7 lines. The first line was very long and gave us a great view of
No Escape from Getting Wet, So Embrace it!
Embarking on this odyssey, day 5 has been an unexpected turn of events, each with advantages and drawbacks. I woke up for the day, excited for kayaking, my main reason
Rain on Water
Kayaking across Arenal Lake in the pouring rain was one of the most unforgettable experiences of our trip to Costa Rica. The rain made the adventure even more exciting and
Bridges to New Understandings
After breakfast, our day began with a 40-minute bus ride to the hanging bridges. Even though it was raining and wet, it did not stop our enthusiasm. As we were
The Rain Isn’t Too Bad
On the fourth day of the Costa Rica experience, we got to travel to Mystico Arenal Hanging Bridges Park to walk on the bridges. When we arrived, excited to walk
We Have A Voice
On today’s adventure, we went to the nature reserve to watch and feed rescued animals. However, today’s journey couldn’t have started without us having a delicious breakfast. A lot of
Sloths, Toucans & Monkeys… Oh My!
Sloths and monkeys were the highlight of today. After having a delicious breakfast, we set off to an animal sanctuary where we took a tour of their enclosures and prepared
Maleku Culture, History & Traditions
We had an early start, beginning our day at 5am with a delicious breakfast before getting on our buses to begin our drive to La Fortuna. Before we arrived in
Perseverance Can Lead To Beautiful Things
On the second day in Costa Rica, we went hiking to see a beautiful waterfall and later went to visit an indigenous group in Costa Rica called Maleku, where we
A Welcome Rain
On the first day in Costa Rica, we had to arrive way too early at the airport. We were all very tired and a bit grumpy, but as soon as
Photo Gallery
In addition to the photos embedded in the Field Reports, we will periodically upload new photos to the below image gallery and to the Photo Album link for where you can download the images.