Every weekend, my group is free to travel and go on excursions – if necessary, we are even allowed to take Fridays off. We’ve been here for about 4 weeks, and one of my favorite trips so far was to Cahuita National Park, which has beautiful beaches and forest trails to walk on. Planning for weekend trips usually takes a lot of time and thinking, but we decided to make this trip last minute and spontaneous, which seemed daunting at first… however, as soon as we arrived at our hostel, all of our worries went away and we immediately felt relaxed and ready to enjoy the natural beauty surrounding us. Transportation in most areas of Costa Rica is very efficient and cheap, so traveling to and around the town was easy to navigate. We were able to swim at the beach, walk through the trails of the park, cook our own dinner, and bond through late night talks. Another one of my favorite trips was a one-day retreat to Volcán Irazú, which was provided to us by our site team ICADS. The director took us around the national park, paid for a nice group lunch, and spoke with us about our experiences and challenges. Overall, it was a great moment to reflect on our time in-country and take a break from our daily routine. I truly believe that making excursions while abroad is such a beneficial way to learn more about the culture and customs of any location, and it doesn’t have to be a lengthy or expensive process.