I cannot believe I am already writing my last ever blog post for this trip. I am extremely sad to be leaving Costa Rica so soon, but so grateful for this experience and everything I have taken away from it!! Today, we visited the La Pez Waterfall Gardens and saw birds to monkeys to pumas, and waterfalls of course.

Visiting Costa Rican farms has given me an entirely new perspective on products I have always taken for granted. Literally walking through the roots of banana trees, coffee farms, pineapple plantations, etc. made me realize how much attention to detail, labor, and care goes into growing them. Meeting passionate farmers like Francini showed me how agricultural work is tied to environmental responsibilities. On her small farm, avoiding plastic and pesticides isn’t just a preference, it is about morality too and striving to make this world a better place for future generations. This experience helped me understand that farming isn’t just about growing food, it’s about sustaining ecosystems, communities, and traditions. Now, every time I take a sip of coffee or eat fruit, I am much more conscious of the hands that protected and allowed it to get to on my table.

At the processing stage, I realized just how much goes into getting these products ready for the world. From the fermentation of cacao to the careful washing and sorting of coffee beans, every step is super detailed and intentional. It surprised me how much work happens after things are picked but before they’re even close to being shipped. Seeing how these behind the scenes processes gave me a whole new appreciation for the product and for the people who put in the labor to make it happen.

Visiting places like Café Britt helped me see how much more there is to coffee than just taste. The way they roast, package, and brand their products turns something simple into a process. I didn’t realize how much thought goes into the final stages like creating flavor profiles and telling a story that connects people to the product. Before this trip, I saw coffee shops as just part of peoples daily routine. Now, I see them as the last stop of a long journey. It’s made me think more about the companies I buy from and how I can be more intentional.

As a customer, I’ve never really thought about how much happens before something ends up in my cart or cup. This trip completely changed that. After meeting farmers, walking through fields, learning about processing, and even tasting the products right at the source, I’ve gained so much more appreciation for what I used to see as just everyday items. This trip has really opened my eyes to the parts of labor we often do not think of when eating a meal. It is so easy to be taken for granted but there are truly so many steps to make sure what we want is in our grocery stores.