Greenheart Travel

Tag: costa rica

  • Deadline Extended! Your Opportunity for a Free Trip!

    Deadline Extended! Your Opportunity for a Free Trip!

    If you are in Costa Rica, Thailand, South Korea, Vietnam, or Myanmar with Greenheart Travel in 2022 you’re eligible to win your trip! That’s right, your current trip could be FREE! Greenheart will award two lucky winners, one will get 100% of the program fee refunded, and the other will get 50% refunded.
    Because of a problem with our link for uploading files, we’ve extended the entry deadline to January 6, 2023.  

    What do you have to do to win?

    We want to see your life while on your trip!

    Show us the school, your home away from home, your walk to school, your food, the markets, your excursions, and all the day-to-day things that make your experience come to life for others. Tell us some stories, share your point-of-view, what made you laugh? What did you learn about yourself, your adopted country, and the world during your time abroad?

    Send us your stories, photos, and videos to tell your travel story to the Greenheart community and you could win!

     

    Here are the contest parameters:

     

    Video – Take us through your typical school day, show us what excites you in your community, your school, your travel life.

    1. ONE video that is no more than 3 minutes and filmed horizontally for a TV screen OR
    2. THREE Reels that are no more than 60 seconds each.

    Photos

    1.  7-10 high resolution photos of your school/classroom. We love colorful photos that show you in action!
    2.  7-10 high resolutions photos of your travels around your adopted country. Life looks different overseas. Show us how different!

    Written Piece

    1. 300 words about you traveling, to this location, for this reason, at this time in history.

    Social Media

    1. Follow Greenheart Travel on Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube.
    2. Tag at least 2 friends on one of our IG posts
    3. Post a GHT review on Go Overseas and Go Abroad

    Complete the above list and submit your awesome content no later than JANUARY 6, 2023 by uploading to this link.

    1. Fill in the information, then drag your files to where it says “Drag files here”
    2. When all your files are listed, hit the UPLOAD button on the bottom left.
    3. Your files will start uploading and you will see a status bar.
    4. Once the status reaches 100%, your files have been successfully uploaded and you will receive an email notification
    5. When you submit materials, please drop us a note at GH_marketing@greenheart.org with your ~300 word written piece and a bit about who you are and why you decided to Travel for a Change with Greenheart. Please include your social media handles.
    We will pick a winner and runner up in January and winners will be announced by the end of January! We can’t wait to see your content!
  • What is Teen Summer Language Camp in Costa Rica like?

    What is Teen Summer Language Camp in Costa Rica like?

    Going abroad is always exciting — experiencing new sights, new foods, new ways of looking at things.  And while the surprises of travel are exhilarating, we all appreciate a little “what are my days really going to be like” kind of reality.  Here are some journal emails to parents from this summer’s camp in Costa Rica:


    MONDAY – Hello Parents!

    I trust everyone had a nice start to the week 🙂  Today, the complete group for the last week is with us, and we are now ready to enjoy the last week in tropical paradise!

    Today in the morning we picked up the group early for their surf class, we went to Manuel Antonio Beach, but the tide was really strong, so we had to relocate to our trusted location in Quepos. There was a good amount of rain during classes, but Elsa, Adelyn, Austin, Christian, and Nicolae got to catch a few nice waves. The rest of the campers opted against surfing in the rain.

    At noon, we went for lunch at a local restaurant, everyone got settled in their new groups and with their new teachers. In the last hour of class, the entire group got together again, for a game of forming sentences.

    After class, we took everyone to the host families for dinner and a good night’s rest.

    TUESDAY – Hello Parents!

    Today, here was sunny and we got to go to the beach for a couple of hours. The group got to spend some time together in a safe and beautiful place and they played ball, body surfed, and swam for a few hours in the morning.

    After the beach, we took the people doing Scuba for a quick lunch and the pool day, and the rest of the group went for a longer more relaxed lunch at my favorite burger place (Santa Plancha) before Spanish classes.

    At the end of the Spanish Class, they played charades with verbs in Spanish, where someone had to guess the word they had behind them.

    After Spanish Classes, we went for dinner at a food truck by the ocean, they went in for a quick splash, they got to see a baby sloth with its mom, and then we had a delicious dinner.

    WEDNESDAY – Hello Parents! Saludos from Tropical Paradise!

    Today we picked up everyone in the morning to go on the Catamaran Tour. We went to the Marina to register and board our boat and spent the next couple of hours dancing, sailing through the coast of Manuel Antonio, and then swimming and jumping off the boat’s platforms and slides.

    We had lunch and plenty of fruit juices on the boat, and then they drove us to Maximo Nivel For Spanish Classes. The teachers started their Spanish classes with a few games, to help everyone get active in the class, and after Spanish Classes, we went to the Marina for a nice group dinner before going back home.

    Hello Parents! – I hope everyone is having a great THURSDAY!

    Today we divided the group in two for the last time… Five people went to Ocean Day for Scuba, we took a boat from the Marina with all the gear, and went for a 20-minute dive. There was a second Dive Scheduled after a break, but the group decided not to join it, so we picked up the rest of the divers on our group and returned to the Marina.

    The rest of the 10 people in the group, went surfing with our chaperone Kembly to Manuel Antonio Beach. A couple of people preferred to just hang out at the beach, and the rest of them got to try their hand at surfing again!

    After a busy morning, we went back to the Maximo Nivel Institute, while everyone was changing into dry clothes for class, they had lunch and then they were ready for class. The first couple of hours of the class they watched the movie Soul in Spanish, with some popcorn to keep them awake 🙂

    After class, we took them to their last dinner with the host family in the house.

    Greenheart Travel has a variety of Teen Summer Language Camps in many great places. 

    If you’d like to be part of a future Costa Rica program, you can read more about this Teen Language Camp here, or High School Abroad in Costa Rica here.

    Or if you are an adult looking for an adventure, check out Greenheart Travel’s Teach Abroad program in Costa Rica.   

     

  • Travel for a Change This Summer on the Teen Leadership & Language Costa Rica Program

    Travel for a Change This Summer on the Teen Leadership & Language Costa Rica Program

    With so many great program options for teens in Costa Rica, how do you know which is right for you? Well, the facilitators of the Teen Language & Leadership Camp in Costa Rica, Laura and Amy, might be biased, but they want you to know they believe this one of the best options you’ll encounter!

    Here’s why they say this program is so impactful. 

    There are a lot of challenges you’ll face when doing experiential learning abroad – and they require a very open mind and desire to experience (and we mean truly experience!) a new culture. This means getting used to different standards of living and forgoing many of the luxuries you might be used to at home.

    Of course, like any developing nation, Costa Rica has its fair share of growing pains, but it is also has an amazingly welcoming and safe culture, plus one of the world’s top environmental protection structures. Its eco-friendly tour opportunities combined with its small size and accessible infrastructure mean that in just two weeks, students will experience lowland jungle, rainforest, a volcano, the beach, an island, enormous waterfalls, indigenous communities and a tropical wildlife rescue center.

    All of this in addition to studying Spanish and completing our Positive Leadership Workshop series, which includes the following:

    • Opening circle to meet participants, share reflections, examine expectations & perceptions, and contemplate personal goals for intercultural understanding and social action
    • Practices in Empathy: Participants will be asked to share and actively participate in a series of learning exercises designed to provoke awareness of “the other”, and develop strategies for how to engage constructively through the practice of empathy.
    • Social Responsibility: This is a common theme in many academic and professional circles, and we believe all global citizens have a duty to participate in and lead initiatives conceived with the objective of ensuring sustainable development, fair labor practices and environmental protection.
    • Mindfulness Sharing Circle: reflections on the courses of the first week; reflecting on changes in perception of culture and people, individual experience and more.
    • Empowered communication: direct, constructive and respectful communication is vital to every part of our lives, personal, professional and academic. In this workshop we learn to identify patterns, techniques for enhanced communication skills and how to effectively and positively communicate our message.
    • Social Media for Social Change: Instagram, Tiktok, Facebook, Snapchat… these and many more platforms are how a huge part of our populations gets its news and communicates about people, products, ideas and more. Students will learn how to effectively craft their message, prioritize objectivity and start to think about WHAT they can do to make a difference and HOW they want the world to hear about it.
    • Global Citizen Closing Workshop: Teens will reflect on their whole experience and share stories of things that inspired, changed and challenged them. We will all set further goals for personal development and to implement some of our new skills into socially responsible projects. We recognize that though our contributions may be small, they are all part of a global tapestry, and that working together we really can change the world!

    “If you think you are too small to make a difference, try sleeping with a mosquito”
    – African proverb quoted by the Dalai Lama

    In short, this camp will boost your language skills, intercultural intelligence AND give you the confidence and skills you need to positively influence and navigate the quickly changing culture of our world.

  • 3 Ways to Spend Summer Break in Costa Rica

    3 Ways to Spend Summer Break in Costa Rica

    A note from Greenheart Travel: Since November 2020, Costa Rica has allowed residents of all 50 U.S. states to enter the country. We will be still continue to monitor the health and wellness and entry requirements for Costa Rica, but we have successfully ran all programs in Costa Rica since then. Please refer to our COVID-19 blog for the most up-to-date information on current programming.

    If you’re a teen looking for a fun and meaningful way to spend your summer, you need to get yourself to Costa Rica. Greenheart Travel offers three incredible programs ranging in focus, length, and cost.

    No matter if you want to live like a Costa Rican teen or and simply snorkel some of the most beautiful beaches in the world, there is an option for you.

    Teen Language & Culture Camp

    Alternating between weeks in the capital San Jose and beachy Manuel Antonio, our teen summer language camp is a combination of Spanish courses and daily activities like cooking classes, surfing, walking tours and even karaoke. Spend evenings and weekends with your host family as you experience the tico way of life. This is a great way to pack in a ton of Costa Rican activities in a short period of time while practicing your language skills.

    • Length: Choose between 1-4 weeks
    • Accommodation: Host families
    • Cost:  ~ $2,500 – $7,000

    Ideal for:

    • Spanish learners
    • Meeting friends from around the world
    • Getting to experience beach + city
    • Short time frames

    Leadership & Adventure Spanish Camp in Costa Rica

    This program is designed for teens who want the rigor of language courses while also partaking in workshops, talks and informational sessions about social change, leadership, and sustainability. Located in both Heredia and Samaria, you’ll experience both an urban and beach setting. You’ll take back skills, global awareness, and tools when you join a small but diverse group of teens in this transformative program.

    • Length: 2 weeks
    • Accommodation: Host Family
    • Cost: ~$3,500

    Ideal for:

    • Spanish learners
    • Gaining global leadership skills
    • Harnessing tools for social change
    • Learning from Costa Rican experts

    Summer High School Study Abroad

    If you love the idea of being an exchange student but can’t miss part of your school year, don’t miss this opportunity. On our Costa Rica summer study abroad, you’ll live with a host family and be enrolled in a local high school in areas like San Ramon, Palmares, or Zarcero. You’ll leave speaking like a local and make lasting bonds with classmates and your host family. You’re also guaranteed to have a host sibling your age!

    • Length: 1 month or two months, dates will be released by December 2020
    • Accommodation: Host family
    • Cost: ~$6,000-7,000

    Ideal for:

    • Full language and cultural immersion
    • Experiencing a different education system
    • Those unable to study abroad during the school year

  • When Your Child Goes Abroad: Reflecting on a Parenting Sabbatical

    When Your Child Goes Abroad: Reflecting on a Parenting Sabbatical

    After years of wanting to spend a semester abroad, on Feb. 4, 2019, our youngest daughter Eleanor, age almost 17, walked onto a jetway, heading to five months in a small town on a Costa Rican volcano.

    She’s a young woman who deeply loves her home, Oregon. Its forests, lakes, beaches and mountains are her playground and temple. We treasure her connection to the natural world, and her taking on challenges that move her further and further into it.

    And now, at the airport, she’s completing another move, one that has seen us migrate from the center of her world to its periphery, as her friendships and experiences expand.

    We are happy for her.

    But I must say, watching the back of our girl disappear into a crowd shuffling down a jetway was a hard moment. We turned away from the gate and walked out of the airport with the odd feeling that we’d left something behind. And we did. After 30 years of parenting, we had no child to watch over, plan for, or schedule our days around.

    Emotions crashed into each other: fear, excitement, worry, relief, wonder, anticipation, hope.

    We had both recently retired. With Eleanor’s sojourn in Costa Rica, it seemed for me a good time to unhitch from ordinary life and think about what I’d do with my next chapter. My husband could live out his days gardening and crabbing, but I was more restless.

    After taking care of other family commitments, by late March, he and I were ready to turn back toward each other, and a vacation. We had been hewing to Greenheart’s rules and kept our communications with Eleanor infrequent, although at first there were many logistics to deal with. (She needed a transcript; she needed health insurance info . . . all of which had been provided, but were requested again by the Costa Rican school and in-country partner.) But after a bit, things settled out and she was in her groove.

    We’d learned enough to envision what her life was like: her host family, bedroom, school, bus ride, small town. And that was enough. We did not go see her. We wanted to, sort of, but also wanted to stay out of her experience. It was her time.

    And it was our time. So on a cold day we packed up the Subaru and drove over snowy Mt. Hood, into our vacation. Our goal: stay off interstates, and explore every town, park, river and canyon that called to us from the maps and Wikipedia. We took a meandering route on blue highways to Big Bend National Park, the only planned destination on a seven-week trip.

    Sleeping in the back of the Subaru, biking in a Nevada park under sunset-stained bentonite cliffs, kayaking with sea lions and pelicans off California’s Channel Islands, canoeing through Boquillas Canyon on the Rio Grande, recovering from bad food in an El Paso AirBnB, howling at a full moon with new old friends in Terlingua, Texas . . . for the first time since we began working as pre-teens, we had no one to please but ourselves.

    And, after seven weeks on the road, without anyone else to shape and fill up our days, we rediscovered that we really liked being together. Time away from commitments is an amazing elixir for a relationship!

    We often thought, “The kids would love this!” We wished, sometimes, that they were young again and we could see their five-year-old selves pop out of a kiva, hike barefoot down a canyon, or snorkel in clear water. But we are old! And getting tired! And the next best thing to seeing your child’s joy in discovery is knowing they’ve gotten it. That love for the world’s wonders is now part of them, and they seek it out, becoming lifelong learners and active participators. On their own, without your showing it to them, they find the joy in the small moments, and respect for the differences of country and culture. They find a passion and purpose.

    We knew Eleanor was having an experience in Costa Rica that would inform her choices for the rest of her life.

    And we didn’t, we came to realize, need to know all the details. We trusted her. We trusted Greenheart, its in-country partner, and her host family. Throughout the process, not everything proceeded at the pace we would assume it would. But that was our lesson to learn. We had to give up our control and trust in the goodness and professionalism of others. We did our research, chose a great partner in Greenheart, and raised a strong daughter.

    Now, in late May, with our trip over, and just a few weeks left before Eleanor returns, we are thankful to Greenheart in helping us write this fulfilling chapter in all our lives.

    You can read more work by Laura O. Foster on her blog.

  • Top 5 (Unconventional) Reasons to Study Spanish

    Top 5 (Unconventional) Reasons to Study Spanish

    We’ve all heard it before. There are so many reasons to learn a new language, including things like “it makes you smarter” or “it’s a really rewarding experience” or “it stands out on college applications.” I’ve been learning Spanish for over 10 years now and it has empowered me to travel abroad and feel confident when talking to native speakers.

    But then I think about those unconventional reasons that make me proud of learning Spanish, and they are some of my favorite parts about learning a second language!

    I could come up with a list of about a million different justifications for why Spanish is a great language to learn, but these are my top 5 “unconventional” reasons why you should study abroad at a language camp during your summer break.

    You’d be able to speak with the nearly 500 million native speakers!

    Spanish is the second most widely spoken language in the world behind Mandarin. Now that’s a lot of people. You could be one of those Spanish speakers! Imagine being able to communicate with 12% of the global population. Talk about opening up some doors!

    Learning a second language makes you better at multi-tasking.

    Studies show that learning a second language can increase your ability to multi-task. Bilingual people can switch between tasks quicker and show high cognitive flexibility. Plus, it easier for them to deal with surprise situations. Want to get better at texting while you watch Netflix and check unexpected Snapchats from friends? Well learn a new language and you’ll be a multi-tasking expert!

    Spanish TV is hilarious and highly entertaining.

    When you return to the US, it can be hard to find fellow Spanish speakers to practice with. So I got in the habit of watching Spanish TV to keep my language skills fresh. Now that I actually understand some of it, Spanish television is totally entertaining! The characters and situations of telenovelas and game shows are so over-the-top, I find myself laughing out loud regularly.

    You could visit 3 different continents in 1 year!

    If you’re feeling really ambitious, Greenheart Travel is offering two different Spanish language camps this summer. One is in Costa Rica (Central America) and the other is in Spain (Europe). If you’ve got the time, you could even study Spanish in an additional continent by studying in Argentina (South America). Just one of these destinations would be the trip of a lifetime but all three? Now that’s a good story for college applications!

    Spanish is a beautiful language and it’s fun to speak!

    Over the past 10 years, I have developed a love for speaking Spanish. It sounds beautiful aloud! It’s fun too, especially rolling your R’s or trilling your L’s. The sounds are so much different than English. Plus people will be amazed when you show off what you learned in Spain. My parents are always so impressed when I communicate for us in markets or at restaurants while traveling. It feels good!

    Bonus reason! If you’re still on the fence about attending a Spanish language camp this summer, here is one final reason: You’ll make life-long friends and family from around the world.

    study-in-Spain-and-learn-Spanish

    I’ve been lucky enough to travel quite a bit, and on every single trip, I made really close friends. I keep up with many of these people to this day, and I consider them some of my most meaningful relationships. Our past language camp participants say the same thing. These camps attract students from around the world, and even after 2 weeks together, you’ll leave with a global network of Spanish-speaking friends.

    With Spanish camps in Spain and Costa Rica, you could spend the summer perfecting your Spanish skills and coming up with your own list of the best reasons to study a foreign language.

  • How Teaching Abroad Led to a Meeting with the President of Costa Rica

    How Teaching Abroad Led to a Meeting with the President of Costa Rica

    I came to Costa Rica for the Teach English Abroad Program thinking that I would get some experience that I could put on my resumé to help me get a job teaching English later. What I got, was a life-changing experience that taught me about patience, happiness, and growth.

    My fellow teachers and I are the first teachers in this program that involves collaboration with the government of Costa Rica. This program was instituted to teach English to young adults living in poverty so that they could in-turn get jobs in tourism or with major corporations that choose to invest in Costa Rica. After our first few days of orientation, our program coordinator told us that we would be staying in San José for another day because the President of Costa Rica wanted to meet us. I hadn’t even started teaching yet and I was about to meet President Carlos Alvarado Quesada.

    The day finally came for us to meet with the president. We talked with him for about a half hour and we were in a video on his Facebook page where he talked about the significance of this program and what it means for the future of Costa Rica. He talked about how helpful it is to have native speakers teaching English, and the advantage it gives the students in the classroom. We, the teachers, talked about our backgrounds and past experiences that led us to this program.

    Me and my fellow teachers in Puntarenas

    Even with the presidential meetings, I didn’t truly realize the significance of this program until I met my students in Puntarenas. All of them are so driven to learn English because they want to travel, find new job opportunities, and provide for their families. Working with impoverished students isn’t easy. There are days when students can’t afford to come to class or need to leave to take care of their family. However, all of them put forth their best effort. They are all so motivated to succeed in this class because they know that their success will help provide them with a better future.

    A student and I at the “Logos Hope” a floating library that the students were able to go on as a field trip

    The Minister of Labor of Costa Rica, Steven Nuñez Rimola came to visit our class in October, and I watched my students excel in a way that I had never noticed before. They knew how important the visit was for them, and for the program. They came up with impressive questions to ask about the minister’s plans for Puntarenas and the program, and they participated in activities with the minister. The growth I saw in my students just from their first day of school to the visit from the minister helped me see that my students are dedicated to this program and want to succeed.

    This program is so important to the students we teach. These students are receiving an opportunity to learn English that they wouldn’t have gotten otherwise. Every day, I watch students become more confident and inquisitive. I watch students surprise me with their knowledge and abilities. Every day has its challenges, but watching my students succeed and flourish makes me so grateful that I decided to come to Costa Rica.

    Inspired? Click the link below to see how you can Teach English in Costa Rica:

  • Slang Words and Phrases You Can’t Google Translate in Costa Rica

    Slang Words and Phrases You Can’t Google Translate in Costa Rica

    Learning a language is not as easy as translating words from one language into another. When I first arrived in Costa Rica to study abroad, I would try to translate sentences from English to Spanish constantly. I quickly learned that this strategy is not the most effective because of all the English and Spanish slang.

    The words that are unique to Costa Rica are coined Costarriqueñismos.

    These phrases are given this name because you can’t Google translate them or even really use them in other Spanish-speaking countries or classes. The Spanish language, like other languages, has formal versus informal words. Costarriqueñismos fall under the informal category.

    Ava and her new friends at school in Costa Rica.

    The word mae is probably the most commonly used Costarriqueñismo.

    When I am sitting with my friends during lunch or riding the bus to and from school I hear mae almost as often as I hear “like” in English. “Mae” is most similar to the word “dude,” and is very informal so it should not be used with teachers or elders.

    Also, the climate here is constantly changing. One moment it is hot and I start to get a sunburn, and then bam! It’s raining. In fact, it rains so much here that there are different words for types of rain. When it is just slightly raining or misty it’s called, Pelos de Gatos. But if it’s dumping rain it is called Aguacero.

    This constant change in temperature is great because it keeps you on your toes, just like studying abroad. One moment I will be having the time of my life and feel that I never want to leave Costa Rica. In other moments, I feel really sad and think about all of the amazing things I miss back home. When I have these moments, I find it really crucial for me to do things that are stress relievers. For me, being outside is a stress reliever, so I’ve made a habit of sitting outside in the mornings and drinking my coffee.

    Ava’s view from her host family home in Costa Rica.

    Cartago is known for being a very agricultural province. From my backyard, I can see vegetable and coffee plants. Furthermore, in the supermarket, there is a whole aisle full of local coffees, and most of the people I know drink at least two cups of coffee a day. My host mom here is so crazy about coffee that she will even drink it before bed. When I get home from school, my mom usually makes me coffee with cookies or bread. When my host mom or I feel lazy, and I drink coffee by itself, it is called, Café con lengua. My mother here has lots of little phrases like that.

    For example, if in the morning while I’m sitting outside and it’s really dark, or “oscuro,” my mother will say, Mañana oscuro, tarde seguro. This phrase means that if its dark in the morning, it will be beautiful later.

    Another cool thing about Costa Rica is the abundance of wildlife here. In the trees near my school, there are toucans, along with other colorful birds. When I first saw a toucan I said, Que chiva. This phrase is most similar to “how cool” in the United States, and is extremely common. My friends use this word almost as often as they use the word mae!

    There are also lots of phrases here that are similar to those in the United States. For example, mamas vale prevenir que lamentar means “better safe then sorry.” I hear this phrase a lot because I am not very cautious, and I’m constantly forgetting things. In the morning my mom will say this to me about bringing an umbrella, or a certain amount of money to my school.

    I love all of the Costarriqueñismos because there is always something new to learn here. One thing I can say for sure about this place is that it is always beautiful and never boring!

    Do you have any tips for learning Spanish while studying abroad? Share them below!