Blog #6

 Weekly Reflection #1

This has been a fantastic first week in Monteverde! I can’t believe we are already halfway

through our trip. It feels like so much has happened in this past week and yet, I am still struggling

to find where all of the time went. There have been many significant takeaways for me from this

trip so far and not just around working at the institute. I have also gained very valuable lessons in

returning to the community in Monteverde as well as living alone in another country for the

first time. My first lesson is based on teamwork and dedication. Growing up, I have had jobs that

have challenged me both mentally and physically. Our work at the institute was no different

although there is one aspect of our work that I had never encountered before; a genuine love from

the employees towards what they were doing. Here, the reforestation program is part of a lifestyle

that extends way beyond a paycheck. Employees are not only invested in the health in the health

of the forests but also in the communities that revolve around these plants. I find that sometimes

in America, people are driven by a desire to expand their material wealth whereas here, motivation

seems to stem from a desire to benefit the community and help everyone to achieve success. This

can be seen firsthand in the town’s response to Covid 19. 

By far Monteverde’s largest industry is tourism. In the town of Santa Elena, there are rows and

rows of restaurants, tourist attraction coordination such as zipline companies or coffee tours, and

hotels. As soon as the travel ban was announced, a very large majority of the Monteverde

population lost their jobs and businesses. Rather than stockpiling goods and shutting themselves

off from the town, The people of Monteverde held community meetings. They started putting

together lists of the families who were struggling the most. All individuals of the town donated as

much food as they could to help others in need. The mentality of the town was that is better for

everyone to have to sacrifice a little to ensure that no one was struggling disproportionately.

Additionally, the Institute helped to do a lot of work to keep businesses open, donating to farmers

that could then supply restaurants that could distribute meals to those in need. Exchange programs

were also set up to ensure that all resources could be evenly distributed. It is amazing to witness

what individuals can accomplish when everyone joins together and supports each other. Had

Monteverde not had this close community I believe Covid could have had a far more devastating

impact on the town. 

My second big takeaway so far has to do with independence and responsibility. I have had

experience working a job as well as living away from home so I felt that I was very well equipt

for our upcoming adventure. What I did not anticipate though was getting up a few hours before

work every day to make breakfast and cook lunch, getting home at the end of the day and cooking

dinner, writing my daily blog post, working on my academic concentration, and responding to

emails. All of these things stacked together gave me a better understanding of what true

independence feels like as well as an appreciation for the things that have been provided for me

throughout my life. Thankfully I am not completely alone as Duffy and I are both experiencing

the challenges of the real world together!

Overall, I feel that my time in Monteverde could not be going any better and this is an experience

that I am going to remember for the rest of my life.

Total work hours during week #1: 40 hours