NVC Students Experience Pura Vida Studying In Costa Rica

Pura vida literally means “pure life,” but represents the Costa Rican motto of living in the moment and enjoying life. Four Northwest Vista College students lived and breathed pura vida during a 14-day study abroad program through the Alamo Colleges International Programs Office. Students completed two courses in that time; Cultural Anthropology taught by Anthropology professor Kim Linsenbardt and Nutrition and Diet Therapy taught by Biology professor Jessica Heppard.

Our four adventurous students traveled to eight different cities and experienced a wide range of regional Costa Rican food and culture, from the indigenous Bribri on the Caribbean coast, to the sabaneros (cowboys) of the dry, Guanacaste region, to the fast-paced urban inhabitants of the capital city, San José.

Students learned how to roast cocoa beans to make traditional hot chocolate (no sugar or milk allowed), cook gallo pinto and chifrijo with a host family, and build a sustainable permaculture farm.

Students engaged in cultural research, comparing the food and lifestyles in each region. One of the most valuable site visits was to the rural Isla de Chira, a large island in the center of the Gulf of Nicoya. Students learned how a women’s oyster farming collective is providing economic independence to women on the island. After a quick lesson, students were recruited to help members of the collective clean and sort oysters by size. These oysters will be sold and can provide families with income during months when commercial fishing is prohibited.

Communications student Giselle Gutierrez commented, “People who travel to Costa Rica and stay at the beach resorts think they’ve experienced Costa Rican culture. We’ve experienced Costa Rican culture!”

One of the focuses of the program was exploring the traditional diet, activity patterns, and family relationships in the Nicoya peninsula. This area of the country has been identified as a “Blue Zone,” an area of the world where people live unusually long, healthy lives. Students spent a morning with a family in the community, learning how to cook food using a traditional wood-fire stove from Doña Cecilia and her children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren.

After completing a nutritional analysis between their typical meals in San Antonio and their meals in Costa Rica, students concluded that the typical Costa Rican diet incorporates more fiber and fresh fruits and vegetables, resulting in higher “micronutrient” intake of important vitamins and
minerals.

Throughout the course of the program, students developed their skills of intercultural communication, independence, problem solving, and adaptability. As these four students continue with their degrees in psychology, communications, computer science, and dentistry, they will continue to use and develop the skills gained from their two weeks in Costa Rica. As one student said, “[this was] truly a once-in-a-lifetime experience!”

This program was offered as a partnership between Northwest Vista College, the Alamo Colleges International Programs Office, and Universidad Veritas.

Both Kim Linsenbardt and Jessica Heppard will lead study abroad programs next summer, 2025. Professor Linsenbardt will lead a program to England with a focus on physical anthropology and psychology while Professor Heppard will return to Costa Rica for another adventure field school with a focus on zoology and art.

Check the Alamo Colleges’ Study Abroad website at alamo.edu/studyabroad for details.