AMIGOS Costa Rica Monteverde y Costa Atlántica

My experience with AMIGOS this past summer changed my life. I realize that that this phrase is often thrown around on review websites to the point that it has lost its weight, but I honestly cannot think of a better way to describe the impact this program had on my life. Being someone who is very passionate about social and environmental justice, this program taught me so much. Getting to learn from the locals in Monteverde about how they are implementing sustainable practices in their everyday lives was absolutely inspiring and gave me so many new ideas about ways to live more sustainably when I returned home. Additionally, AMIGOS has crafted an incredible curriculum centered identity and privilege that we got to experience through group conversations. Both of these factors contributed to an incredible learning environment where I learned so much about the world that I was never taught in school. As wonderful as these aspects of the trip were, the most impactful part of this trip has to be the way this program put things in perspective. Everyday life on the trip looked much different than it does at home in the states. We hardly used devices of any sort, and only had access to the clothing and materials we carried with us in our bags. Though some may put this factor off as a slight inconvenience that is made up for through the other aspects of the trip, to me, this was one of the most empowering parts of the trip. I proved to myself that I did not need my phone or constant access to air conditioning to truly live and learn. In a lot of ways, I was able to fully immerse myself in the moment because I was not itching for my phone or worrying about the heat. In addition, being in a different part of the world with its own unique culture really put things in perspective for me. The people I met on the trip did not immediately ask me about my schooling or what college I wanted to attend upon meeting me. Having perfect grades and a perfect resume was not how we weighed one another's worth, which is a much needed reminder for many American teenagers. AMIGOS taught me that making an impact is not about how much money you make or how "successful" you look on paper. At the end of the day, our impact lies in how we treat the world around us— both human and natural. Thanks to AMIGOS, I plan on using my impact to its fullest.