On Sunday I went to the beautiful Manuel Antonio National Park. It is just as diverse, enchanting, fun and relaxing as I remember. As we walked through the park, we saw spiders that had spun golden webs that are strong and secure even if you try to lift it, iguanas and lizards of all shapes, sizes and colors, monkeys at play, a sloth asleep in a tree and beautiful beaches that looked out onto a turquoise ocean. Despite the tourists, it was a very peaceful place that filled me with joy and wonder.

The last beach we visited filled me with wonder and nostalgia because I recognized it immediately. All of a sudden I was transported back to 2006, the summer before my senior year of high school. I was walking with Señora Chmieleski, my excellent and vibrant Spanish teacher that had planned our three week class excursion to Costa Rica. The first thing we noticed was the sloth slowly inching its way down a tree, then the monkeys playing in trees right next to the  beach (and they were in the same spot on Sunday), and finally the beach and ocean-bright, clear, everything a tropical beach bordering a jungle should be.

Then, my teacher turned me around and showed me a sign in Spanish that used the command form to say, don’t feed the animals. The nostalgia really hit me when I saw that sign. To Señora Chmieleski, thank you for starting me off on the right foot with Spanish. It has given me years of joy and helped me accomplish so much academically, professional and personally. Because of your early encouragement, I know Spanish and traveling will always be a part of my life.

I hope you enjoy these pictures of the national park!

Video: See the Monkeys at Play here!