Today we visited a rain forest with hanging bridges and we kayaked on Lake Arenal. The hanging bridges were a lot scarier than I thought they would be. Kayaking was a lot of fun but very tiring. The rain didn’t affect my activities too much today. Through our trip of the rainforest it did a…
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Can’t Rain on Costa Rica’s Parade
While exploring the rainforest on the hanging bridges trail, we experienced a couple of short periods of mild rain. I actually felt that the rain added authenticity to the experience because being in a rainforest without rain would almost feel unnatural. We also learned that the rain can make certain animals like sloths, less likely…
Day 8 – Day Trip to Uruguay
We got a bit of another break today and went on a day trip across the Silver River to Colonia, Uruguay for the day. After a bit of a rocky boat trip across, we began our walking tour around Colonia, looking at the historic district that once belonged to the Spanish and Portuguese prior to…
May 17th – I’m Scared Of Heights
Today we did the hanging bridges hike, paddleboarding on Lake Arenal, and toured a sugarcane plantation. Being at the start of the low season meant rain was basically guaranteed. The hanging bridges felt completely different because of it. It started as an on and off drizzle, which honestly made it feel more like an actual…
Caught in the Downpour
Today really showed how unpredictable Costa Rica’s climate can be. At Mistico Arenal Hanging Bridges Park, we got to see some really cool things like spider monkeys, leafcutter ants, and rare birds while walking through the rainforest. The rain made the entire forest feel greener and more alive, but I also feel like it made…
Postcards from Morocco: Bridging the Gap
If the past few days of site visits and lectures gave us the theory behind Morocco’s startup ecosystem, today was all about putting it into practice. Day 9 brought new perspectives. We moved from observing to doing, culminating in an intense, cross-cultural entrepreneurship exercise. But before we even put pen to paper, we needed a…
Postcards from Morocco: Leather, Souks, and Crafts
Day 8 of Morocco was exciting! Today was our last day in Marrakech, and after a quick morning, we made our way to a women’s cooperative. This was, hands down, one of the best experiences of my life. Immediately upon entering, I noticed how calm, controlled, and relaxing the environment felt. It was a drastic…
Pura Vida and Probably Wet
Today we had the opportunity to walk through the canopy forest and do a walking tour of a sugarcane plantation, which was a blast. Although it did rain, I think that it added to the experience in a unique way. Due to our pre-departure meetings, I was prepared for the rain that would occur on…
Be an Entrepreneur or Go to Miami and Buy a Business?
Listening to Farah’s experience as an entrepreneur was very interesting because her story was something I never would have expected. Starting off in a French school here in Morocco and constantly being pushed towards the goal of moving out of Morocco to study and work in France, seems like something that would have been very…
Day 3: Cultural Crossover
Today we went and met with the German students at the University. I had expected the University to be integrated into the city, similar to how Pitt is. We didn’t really get to walk around and see what was outside of central campus. Some of the German students mentioned that you could see the professional…
Day 4 – BMW Day
It was time for our first company visit. After a long bus ride through traffic, we finally arrived at the BMW headquarters in Munich. Once we checked in, we attended a presentation from a BMW employee who introduced us to the company’s current corporate strategy and more about the company, followed by a short Q&A…
Day 6+7 Daily Delta
This weekend, we had the opportunity to explore the Mekong River and everything surrounding it. I stocked up on snacks the night before our three hour bus ride, and off we went. Honestly it felt a lot shorter than it actually was considering I slept through most of it. When we arrived, we had a…
Days 6+7: Sticky Rice!
Our short weekend getaway to the Mekong River/Delta region started with a 3 hour bus ride at 7:45 AM to get to our resort in Can Tho city. On our way there and on our way back, we stopped at a large and busy rest stop so we could get drinks, snacks, and go to…
Delta Delta Delta
It has been 1 week in Vietnam! We spent the last 2 days at the Mekong DeltaWe have been reading and talking about the region since our first class, but actually being here was a different story. We did get a fun tourist experience, but the contrast between the cities is what really stuck with…
Day 6-7: Divas at the Delta
This excursion was one of the things on this Plus 3 trip that I’ve been looking toward the most. On our way to the Mekong Delta, we stop at a very nice rest stop to sing a song and grab some drinks. I couldn’t help but compare this one to one of the many Pennsylvania…
Day 7: Perón and Recoletta
Visiting Buenos Aires gave me a firsthand look at how deeply Juan Domingo Perón shaped Argentina’s healthcare system, particularly through his support of labor unions and public health infrastructure. At the Museo Evita, I learned that Perón believed healthcare was a right that should be available to every Argentine citizen, regardless of their economic background….
From Harvest to Hospitality
I think that tourism tends to be glamorous and the picture-perfect version of Costa Rica that everyone wants to see. Historically, farming tends to be viewed as a lower-level job. Even though for Costa Ricans who own farms and have Nicaraguan immigrants working in the fields, it is not viewed socially as a high-paying job….
Pineapple Perfection!
Today, we said goodbye to our host families and made our way to La Fortuna. The main stop along the way was The Best Pineapple Tour. Even though I am allergic to pineapple and could not actually eat any, I still learned a lot from seeing how the farm operates and how much work goes…
Picky Pineapple Picking
During our visit to the Best Pineapple Tour in Costa Rica, I learned around 20 percent of the pineapples grown in the plantation can’t be exported because of aesthetic qualifications. The pineapples must look perfect, including having the correct color and proportion between the crown and the fruit itself. I also learned how physically demanding…
Always Trust the Country Known for Pineapples
Today we spent some time on a Pineapple Tour and then enjoyed a waterfall hike. Both experiences were new to me, but I had so much fun with both. The taste of the fresh pineapple was unmatched; I had never tasted something so fresh. The waterfall hike was also such a great experience with great views. During my time…