Traveling to Costa Rica sophomore year was an experience of a lifetime. Going international for a high school trip is not something many kids can say they have done. Costa Rica is what got me interested in International Studies, which I plan to major in in college. At Earth University we got to visit with students from all around the world and I loved their inclusive and environmentally friendly community. Because of what I learned at Earth University I based my TGPLAN project on sustainable gardening. We built a fully functioning garden for a local Austin soap company. My favorite part about our Costa Rica trip was visiting our finca family. Our hosts owned a beautiful plot of land located just above a flowing river. They had a small tank where they grew Tilapia. For dinner we ate tilapia, rice, and fresh fruit. We also planted multiple trees on their property, which by now have most likely grown a few feet. Overall Costa Rica was an amazing experience where I got closer to many of my current friends and learned a lot about the environment and Costa Rican culture.