Perspectives from students on Summer Semester with Outward Bound

Hiking across the entire country was my biggest accomplishment down here. The hiking was so difficult, but really good. Orlando made the hiking phase what it was. I have so much respect for everything down here now. I got to do things that I’ve always wanted to do. The river was lots of fun. Guiding was definitely challenging. It was interesting to see different people raft and see their strengths and weaknesses. I loved the kayaking and surfing was a blast. It was so much fun being on the water every day. It was perfect to wake up for an early surf session. Then eat breakfast, have some downtime, eat lunch they go surfing again. The downtime was so necessary after surfing. This semester has given me more self-motivation and hopefully it will go with me into the real world It was loads of fun and great experiences. The course was way too much fun! It was great! Thanks CRROBS!

Philip Clark
18, Texas, USA
Summer Semester, Summer 2006

I absolutely loved it. I would love to come back. I’d never surfed, never rafted, never kayaked. It was the most incredible, eye-opening experience. It was an experience of a lifetime! I loved the surfing. It was so relaxing compared to hiking, with a ton of sun. I’m now hooked on surfing, but my favorite part was guiding and kayaking. It was awesome—the whole experience—getting to hike across the country. This trip has changed my attitude. I’m a lot more positive. I think I’m going to appreciate everything more. I don’t want to leave.

Alesandra Ilchena
19, Illinois, USA
Summer Semester, Summer 2006

I loved the physical activity of the hiking, the sun and water of the surfing, and the fear and sense of accomplishment in the whitewater. CRROBS is a steadfast cornerstone of the adventure ecotourism educational program industry and will continue to thrive and grow because of the positivity and energy of the Tico and gringo staff alike. The course generated fear, anxiety, accomplishment, and achievement. The emotional and physical challenges far surpassed the intellectual challenges, but they were present from time to time. It was physically demanding and improved my Spanish conversation ability. This course accomplished the objectives I aspired to achieve. I definitely improved in the surfing. I’d never surfed before. I can ride a wave now. I’ll definitely continue surfing when I go home.

Michael Webster
23, Colorado, USA
Summer Semester, Summer 2006

This course has helped me get perspective on my life. I have a greater appreciation for everything, an improved mental outlook, and I’ve made some good friends. I liked the views during the hiking it was like being in Jurassic Park. The change of climate was nice and a well needed change of pace. I especially liked the homestays and the general hospitality of the families. I’m not good at surfing, but I enjoyed it, and found it really relaxing. Whereas I loved the river it was great – the whitewater was a lot of fun.

Jason Howland
21, North Carolina, USA
Summer Semester, Summer 2006

I’m more confident with things. I hiked across Costa Rica. I deal with people a lot better. CRROBS is an amazing experience. The hiking phase was a good workout. There was a constant flow of things to do. The homestays were great as there was a lot of interaction with the families, plus I improved my Spanish. I can understand a lot now. The river was a lot of fun. Kayaking I was panicking, but it was fun once I got used to it. The instructors were amazing. The surfing was great. There was a lot of time to relax and cool down after the hiking and I really improved my form on the surfboard.

Alex Cohen
18, Florida, USA
Summer Semester, Summer 2006

It was a completely new and amazing experience for me. I’ve never been to another country before. Somehow you manage to learn a lot and have fun at the same time.
For me kayaking and rafting were the most challenging, especially kayaking only because it was rather terrifying. I faced a lot of fears during kayaking and I discovered that I was capable of some things I wasn’t previously aware of. I have discovered fears and conquered them. I loved learning new things, especially kayaking, but hiking was the most consistently fun. I don’t think I ever had a low. It was lots of fun, and I learned tons. You really can’t go wrong with it.

Eva Piontkowski
16, California, USA
Summer Semester, Summer 2006

I walked all the way across the country – it’s a good experience. It was something I’m glad I did, but I’ll never do it again. Orlando is amazing. He really cares about his students. He has an intense knowledge of the rainforest, and he works harder than any man I know. I was pushed to my limits in all ways possible. My favorite parts were kayaking and swift water rescue. I liked being trapped under water, especially then learning to roll and overcoming being trapped. I’ll definitely pursue kayaking more. I really enjoyed the surfing too. I worked on pop-ups, and once I got that down, I improved a lot on everything. My Spanish is better. I can speak it a lot better now and I learned a lot of Tico colloquialisms. I learned a lot about myself. I’m glad I did it.

John Parsons
23, Alabama, USA
Summer Semester, Summer 2006

It was a good experience overall. It was challenging and built a lot of character. I’ve built up physical strength. I met a whole new set of people, got a whole new view and perception of Costa Rica and appreciation for the culture and the country itself. I was able to push myself physically and mentally. I liked rafting a lot. My favorite part was the Pacuare. It was beautiful and the rapids were really great. I loved the intensity and challenge of kayaking. It’s not a vacation. I liked the hiking a lot. I love having the satisfaction of having hiked coast-to-coast. I liked seeing all of the different types of nature—the different types of forests. The instructors made it ten times better. They knew what they were doing. They were easy to talk to and fun to be around.

Dan Smith
18, New Jersey, USA
Summer Semester, Summer 2006