Almost Home...

Hello Everyone! I can´t believe I am almost home. This trip has been absolutely amazing! I have met so many people and learned so much. I left Matapalo yesterday. It was a bitter sweet goodbye. I hugged everyone multiple times and talked to the directors one last time. They had so many good things to say and kept telling me I need to come back and work with them. I will be back sometime in the future. I absolutely LOVE this country. On the other side I am ready to be back home. I miss all of you so much and can´t wait to enjoy my last free weeks in the big O. I don´t really have much else to say, but I´ll be sure to catch up with everyone when I return.

Much love!!!

Baby Turtles???

I almost saw baby turtles this morning!!! We went out to camp out by the nest last night. We left at 5 and I didn´t leave until almost 11. It was rainy and cold, but I didn´t care. I want to see turtles even if it means sitting out in the horrible weather. After a while we checked the nest and realized that they weren´t going to come out because the sand was too compacted and the turtles had moved further down for warmth. We decided to head back and just return early on the morning patrol. Me and two other girls went back at 5 in the morning but had a horrible surprise waiting for us. The nest had been attacked by a dog and all the turtles were gone. There we egg shells scattered all over and I almost got sick from the sight of it...We hope that some of them escaped, but we really have no idea. It was a natural nest so we couldn´t do too much to protect it, but we still tried our best. I´m going out on patrol again tonight so hopefully I´ll have better luck. It´s been crazy this week! We have 30 volunteers so there´s always something going on. It´s nice though because I have been here the longest so I have a sort of senority around everyone and am given special tasks which is really cool. Pretty much every patrol I go on now I am the patrol leader so I make all the rules and basically am the boss haha. Not sure if I´ll be able to update before I´m home, but if not I´ll just have to personally fill you all in =)
Miss ya´ll! Much love!

Weekend fun!

Hello Hello!! Currently I am sitting in the most adorable hostel in Uvita Costa Rica. We are on our free day for the week and decided to go snorkling at the beach that is shaped like a whale. Cool I know! Things are going well. We've actually had some turtle sightings, unfortunately I was not in the groups that saw them...ugh! We should have hatchlings this week though! It would truly make my trip to see baby turtles racing towards the water. As of right now I don't have much to say, just thought I'd give a brief update. I miss you all and can't wait to catch up when I'm back in the states! Happy early 4th!! I'll be celebrating in the ocean with the dolphins, whales and other wildlife!

Love! Megan

Hello Hello! Sorry again for the delay on posting. Things are going really well here in beautiful Costa Rica. Sadly the turtles seem to be in hiding, but I´m trying to go on extra patrols so I have more of a chance to see turtles. I am bound and determined to see one before I come home. It´s pretty routine around here lately. I get a free 24 hours every 6 days or so, but there aren´t many places near by. We traveled to Quepos and Manuel Antonio again this past weekend. We enjoyed the beach front shops and the happy hour as they put it. They were trying to get us to buy things so much that they were offering a 2 for 1 deal. I found that even though I´m starting to settle into a routine I am loving the experience. I have met people from around the world including England, Germany, Spain, Mexico, Canada and even all over the US. It´s so nice because we´re getting close and that way I will have contacts in other countries if I wish to travel more in the future. Lately we´ve all had so much fun learning about specific country rituals and stupid things. This past week most of our new volunteers have been from other places besides the US which makes me happy because I am forced to practice my Spanish more. All in all things are going great! I miss everyone back home and wish you well!! Talk to you soon!

Oh and just a fun fact you know you´re in Costa Rica when you have to battle a crab before being able to shower. Haha

Surviving Costa Rica

Hey all! Sorry it´s been so long since I´ve posted, but internet is rare to come by here in Matapalo. Whenever I get the chance to use it I have to pay and it is very very slow. I miss you all and hope you´re enjoying the summer heat. The weather here is comparable, however this is considered their winter haha. So...so many things have happened since I last posted. I am now living in Matapalo full time. I have a regular routine of cleaning, helping plant trees around the area and turtle patrols. This week we just started some very intense work. We needed to reinforce our hatchery barriers and so the past two days we´ve been hauling huge branches and piles and piles of sand to add a more protective boundary. It´s pretty hard work, but it is very rewarding as well. I feel like we are actually doing something that is directly helpful to our project. I have been having so much fun lately. I was able to visit the National Park of Manuel Antonio. It is a very tourist area, but it´s gorgeous! I saw monkeys and crocodile iguanas and so much more. In Matapalo last week a couple volunteers and myself were able to go on a mangrove tour. It was pretty sketch at first. Our boat driver and coast guard literally had to saw branches and get out of the boat to get us around at times. A little odd, but once we made it through the awkward parts we had an amazing view of the mountains and where the river meets up with the ocean. We also so crocodiles! It was actually the second time I had seen some, the first was on a patrol night and I was a little closer than I would have liked to be haha, but I´m still alive so no worries! Oh man oh man I still feel like I have so much to say, but I am running out of time. Hope this gives a little insight to my Costa Rican lifestyle. I will for sure be telling many more stories once I am back. Hope to update soon! LOVE!

Turtle Patrols...

Hey guys! Long time no talk...it´s been pretty crazy here, but I LOVE it! I went on my first turtle patrol this past week and it was soooo amazing! We were extremely lucky because not even half way through our walk we saw turtle tracks!!!! Sadly the turtle had already left, but we were able to find the nest and count the eggs. As of right now the organization does not have permission to collect the eggs and keep them in our hatchery so we are only allowed to count the eggs, move them to a more recognizable location and put up markers for our system. It´s so interesting. I feel like I am learning a lot. I know as the days progress I will be able to do more which only makes me happier. This weekend we were able to take our free day. A group of volunteers and I traveled to Dominical which is about a half hour away by bus. It was sooo fun! We stayed at a really nice hotel, had hot showers and breakfast lol. We also got to go to a discoteca. haha it was really fun seeing all the spanish dancing and then the crazy jumping crowds. We also were able to visit a gorgeous waterfall in Dominical this morning. We got dropped off right above it and then were able to walk down into it. It was probably the best way to spend the morning. All in all, things are going well. I´m adjusting to my laid back lifestyle and enjoying the work I am doing. Hope to fill you in soon! Miss you all!

No fear!

This past weekend I was fortunate enough to travel to beautiful Monteverde, Costa Rica. It was quite a trip...haha I will have to explain more in person to any that are curious. I actually accomplished one of my goals for the trip already. I know it's early, but I told myself that I would go zip lining and I DID!!! It was seriously one of the most exciting things in the world! I won't lie I was freaking out right before, but it was totally worth it! The views were amazing and I felt like I was flying across the mountain! I got some gorgeous pictures and had a blast! As of right now I am staying in a hostel in San Jose. I am leaving bright and early in the morning for the coast. Playa Matapalo will be about a 5-6 hour bus ride. Can't say that I'm looking forward to it, but it should be ok...I don't really have too many exciting updates so far. I obviously left Atenas this afternoon and will be working with the turtles as early as tomorrow! YAY!!! I met a guy here at the hostel who volunteered last year so he had a lot of advice and helpful information to pass along. I'm starting to feel more relaxed and can't wait to actually start working! I'll do my best to keep you updated and I appreciate all the comments =) Miss you all!!!