Author: Alex Drag

I’m Picky. I haven’t eaten a hamburger in 12 years (yes, you read that right). I don’t like Spaghetti and Meatballs (pasta is slimy, beef looks like a bowel movement. Sorry). I’ve tried ribs —sorry too much grizzle. I believe … Continue reading “The Pickiness Problem by Nixon Norman” →

I’m thinking about Vampires. Don’t ask me why. My class is climbing up to the organic farm above UGA Costa Rica campus. We’ve hiked up through the forest to get there. ‘Up’ will never give you an accurate description. We’re … Continue reading “Vampires and a Visit to an Organic Farm by Sam Kilkenny” →

Lions, Tigers and Bears! Or should I say: Howler monkeys, Three-toed Sloths, Red-eyed tree frogs, and Jaguars! I’ve seen them all. Just kidding. With binoculars and high expectations, I set out to find as many of these as possible. But … Continue reading “Looking at the Little Things by Brooke Stocco” →

Americans love coffee. We love it so much that we consume 146 billion cups of it a year (yes, you read that right). But do we know where it comes from? Or who grows it? And how it makes its … Continue reading “Coffee for the Soul by Jessica Chacko” →

Why are you here? I mean, here on this Planet? I’ll tell you Why: You are here to Hike (yeah, with a capital H). But you got a fight on your hands. Netflix wants you to watch their new show. … Continue reading “Pura Vida…or Why we are Here by Sam Kilkenny” →

Imagine yourself in the middle of a forest in Costa Rica. Now imagine yourself standing there at night. With no flashlight. And that’s what I was doing—for a few minutes anyway, before mercifully, we turned our flashlights back on—and resumed … Continue reading ““Shut Up and Hike” by Jackson Leake” →

Want to break in those new hiking boots? Good. Now, here is what it takes. First, travel to a remote forest in Costa Rica. Meet up with 15 near-strangers. Go on a two-hour silent night hike. It’s a one-of-a-kind experience. … Continue reading “Breaking in My Boots by Madeline Shepard” →

Food and Work. Work and Food. Its that’s simple. Over the last month, I have taken a service learning course at the UGA Costa Rica campus. Each day of work—has had the best reward, Food. And not just any food. … Continue reading ““Comida” by Colleen Hein” →

Two days. One in Costa Rica. One back home in the Estados Unidos. Both so different, that they just might be on a different planet. There is the food for starters. Americans and especially college students, have a HUGE tendency … Continue reading “A Different Kind of Day by Jones Linder” →

It’s all my mother’s fault. I grew up, not far from the North Georgia mountains—and yes, you guessed it. On many a weekend, my mother and I would go hiking. It was fun; it was peaceful; it was communal—we always … Continue reading ““To Hike or Not to Hike, that is the Question?” by Julia Sanders” →

Three trips. Three stops. Three meals. All at a roadside eatery known as Restaurante Vista al Mar—on the road between San Jose and the UGA Costa Rica campus. When you pull into the gravel parking lot, it doesn’t look impressive. … Continue reading “Restaurante Vista al Mar by Alex Soderstrom” →

Silence is golden. I remember hearing that phrase as a kid—usually from a teacher about how I needed to quiet down. However, here in Costa Rica, the idea of “golden silence” has taken on an entirely new meaning. A week … Continue reading “The Power of Silence in a World Full of Words by Jones Linder” →

My morning begins with it—as might yours. My olfactory nerves work overtime: Sweet honey, dark chocolate, caramel. You get the picture. Before coming on this study abroad tour to UGA Costa Rica and taking all of these coffee tours with … Continue reading “Real Coffee by Chelsea Guedes” →

Being Connected to Nature. OK. But what does that really mean? Nature, in its humblest form, is the physical or material world. It is the stuff out there – separate from our air conditioned homes and high speed Wi-Fi. But … Continue reading “What I Now Know by Chelsea Guedes” →

It’s Quiet. I mean, NOBODY is talking. We have agreed to the assignment—joining two naturalists at the UGA Costa Rica campus on a two-hour silent hike through one of the trails that abut the campus. As we climb higher and … Continue reading “Silent Hikes, a Meditation by Alex Drag” →

If there is one word that I’ve heard too often on this trip, its “Sustainability.” Don’t get me wrong, I’m all for it. Its just that I swear I can’t go thirty minutes without hearing the word. Whether we are … Continue reading “Buzzing Ethically: Sustainable Coffee Farming in Monteverde” →

[ˈbər-dər] A birder [ˈbər-dər] is a species of bird-watcher who actively pursues birds. Well, that’s just the beginning of the story. Birders often keep lists; they document species they find; the experienced birders know where species hotspots are located. The … Continue reading “A Lesson’s Motmot’s Lesson by Evan Barnard” →

It begins with a seed. A sticky seed at that. I’m talking about the Strangler Fig – a tree that I have taken an interest in with while studying abroad in Costa Rica. From a distance the it looks like … Continue reading ““Beautiful Destruction” by Tymbre Manning” →

Pick your definition: Hike: To travel by any means (From the good people at Merriam-Webster). Hike: To walk in and among nature, to disconnect from humanity for a moment and immerse oneself in the natural environment (From Yours Truly). Yeah, … Continue reading “Take a Hike by Nixon Norman” →

I discovered the dirt by accident. I was in Costa Rica, taking classes in both Photography and Environmental Journalism. I had just learned the how to control the camera manually in my photography class. I was also on my first … Continue reading “Dirt is the Word by William Antoniades” →