This summer, 41 people, including 25 LHS students, embarked on a 10-day trip to Costa Rica from June 14-24. The travelers included students from Spanish 3 and 4 classes.
Alicia Hasenoerhl, who teaches Spanish at LHS, planned the trip with the Explorica program. She traveled with the students and chaperones, including Karen Lott, who teaches English at LHS. “It wasn’t a school-sponsored part, so we didn’t do school fundraising.” Karen Lott said.
Lott said that it was a wonderful trip and she had a lot of fun, making many memories. She felt very safe during the journey, and she wasn’t expecting to feel that way. She and her daughter, Cora Lott, went on it together and used Cora Lott’s savings to make it happen.
Some of the memories they made together were very funny, and some, Lott said, they would remember forever. However, Lott’s favorite part was zip-lining; she had said she went very last and “broke her comfort zone.”
She also had another memory of being on the bus, where a crash occurred right in front of them. In Costa Rica, you must resolve your own dispute or take it to the police, who will assist you in resolving it. It took a very long time, with two people arguing, and since the roads are so narrow in Costa Rica, the bus couldn’t just pass them. So, their bus driver, José, backed up the whole way out of the road. Lott had very deeply emphasized how grateful she was that José was their bus driver for the trip.
They ate rice and beans for almost every meal. She said she was so tired of rice and beans by the end of the trip, and she could have gone insane.
As much as she enjoyed herself and making memories, Lott said, “I would go again if I got more free time.” Since the entire trip, including events, was pre-planned, she felt she didn’t have much time to relax, and in the future, she would if she could.
Overall, Lott was very grateful for the beautiful opportunity to spend time with her daughter and some of her students.
