Day 6: Departure

We woke up super early on Wednesday, around 5 in the morning. We ate and then headed out with all of our luggage so that we had time to do a little souvenir shopping before we boarded a plane back to the States. Ariana and our driver took us to a really cool shop where they were known for making ox carts. We had a really cool tour as the man who ran the place told us all about their history.

The ox cart wheel design

This giant water wheel powers the entire workshop

A lot of work goes into each design

We bought some souvenirs from the giant souvenir shop. I bought some wooden jewelry and some very tasty coffee. For the first time all week we got change back in American money from the shop. Everywhere else you go they give back colones probably because American money is worth more. I talked to the lady at the counter and she said they really like to get 1 dollar bills from customers because it's more difficult to get them from the bank and they have to order them ahead. After we were done we hopped in the bus. We started filling out our customs forms and I knew that our trip was almost officially over. We headed to the airport. When we got there security was pretty tight and we had to show them our passports to get in because of the terrorist attacks that happened a few days prior. We went through security and had to wait awhile for our flight to leave. Ruth and I got pizzas at the airport, the first real American food we ate all week. About 5-6 hours, one flight change and two time changes later we landed at the Cincinnati airport. We had big family welcoming committee and it was wonderful to see familiar faces. The one thing that made me sad was now all the signs were written in English. I never thought I'd be sad to not see Spanish everywhere.

Overall our trip to Costa Rica was one of the most amazing things I have ever experienced. The food, the people, the culture, and the language are all things I miss now that I'm back in the States. It was my real first taste of the world and I now want to travel more. We are all talking about doing another trip in a year or so and I would be so for that! Hopefully God will provide more opportunities to learn and spread His love to others who need it. Thank you all who have supported me and followed along on this journey. It is something I will never forget. If you have any questions or comments, don't forget to comment below!