Day 4

                The day started on the heels of a thunderstorm. After a handful of days of go-go-go! we were finally given a day for some lighter activities. Starting with a great breakfast of (what else would you have in Costa Rica?) rice, beans and eggs, we played a few games as a group to get to know each other a little better. However, the main event was the arrival of the Costa Rican Access students. For those unaware, the Access students are part of a program designed to allow Costa Rican schoolchildren to have access to English.

                The AYLP participants and Access students introduced themselves to one another, and as a group everyone went around and shared something that they brought to represent the comunity. The Americans had a variety of items including books, keychains, pictures, and more. On the Costa Rican side, items included pictures of home, a miniature clay oven, and pictures of a small Ox Cart. After this meet-and-greet, the students broke of into groups to do a little research on the culture of Costa Rica and America. The Access students and AYLP participants worked together to create interactive presentations about cultural elements like Costa Rican music, food, pop culture, and sports which were presented to the whole group. The Access students varied in their ability to speak English (as the AYLP participants did with Spanish), but both sides made an effort to communicate and break the language barrier. It also was a good practice for the AYLP participants, who will be completely immersed in Spanish during their homestays later in the month.

                By the end of the day, ever yone had learned some new things, and more importantly, made some friends. One of these new-found friendships stands out however: Cheyenne (AYLP) and Brenda (Access). During their time together Cheyenne discovered that her and Brenda shared much in common, and in fact they even had the same dream to one day be very successful. However, one thing differed between the two. Brenda´s plan started with going to the United States. Cheyenne was so moved that she wrote a small poem for Brenda, encouraging her to chase her dreams. The two bonded through this experience, and they exchanged numbers so that they can keep in contact, and Cheyenne promised, even if it takes twenty years, that she will help Brenda complete the first part of her plan.

This marks the last day of Universidad Earth La Flor for the AYLP participants. Tomorrow, we head off to United World College Costa Rica located outside the capital, San Jose.