The best experience of my life… That is the statement I would use to describe my trip to Costa Rica. 
Program Volunteer Costa Rica
Project: Volunteer in Sea Turtle Conservation in Costa Rica
I met countless amazing people, saw beautiful things, had a great time volunteering, and I also feel that I grew as a person.
It all started on July 26, 2009, when I flew into San Jose. I had no idea what to expect, and as a 16 year old, was quite nervous. I was welcomed warmly by uVolunteer. The next 11 days were spent at the Sea Turtle Conservation in Gandoca. There were no hot showers, no internet, barely any working phones, and on top of that I lost my memory card for my camera; needless to say it took some time to adjust. However, it was well worth it. I met some people I will never forget. The actual work was easy; you just sat on the beach and watched for the baby turtles to hatch. When they did hatch, you measured and weighed them, and took other notes before releasing them.
I loved releasing them the most, and then watching them takes their first strides in life.
After 11 days there, I decided to go travel with a few of the people I met; 2 guys from Denmark; and a girl from Switzerland. We spent a week in Jaco, doing a lot of relaxing. We did hike a few times though and saw some awesome views of the country- I also tried surfing that week, which was extremely fun.
After that week, I came to San Ramon to finish my final week and a half doing construction. I got a great welcoming to the city, and uVolunteer was nice enough to take me out on my birthday. I loved building the house; we made very good progress during my week. On my days off I traveled to Monte Verde with a few others and went zip lining’ which is a must do for anyone who travels to Costa Rica. Well that is my experience in a nutshell. Deciding to volunteer was one of the better decisions I’ve made. The people I’ve met and the experiences I’ve had are things I won’t forget for the rest of my life! Thanks uVolunteer!
Greg McGrath
