This trip was one for the books. I love going to Costa Rica and getting to visit my dad. Although these two weeks with him always seem to fly by, I am super grateful to get to see him and the rest of the family on his side.

My father is a tourist guide and he specializes with German speakers. Therefore, it is always a treat to go with him, as he loves to share all the knowledge he has picked up from having grown up there and everything he has learned from the last decade on the job.

During these two weeks we visited Rincón de la Vieja, a national park, in which we did the trail and managed to spot various monkeys, from White-Faced Monkeys to Spider Monkeys. It was a treat as we got to see young White-Faced Monkeys playing around and chasing each other. During my time there I also spotted a White-Nosed Coati, a Turquoise-Browed Motmot, a couple of Collared Aracari Toucans, plenty of Zebu cattle, White-Throated Magpie-Jay, and Howler Monkeys. The animals tended to come every morning to eat the leaves from the trees in our backyard as they make their way down to the river behind our house.

Another plus about this trip was going to a beach called Playa Tamarindo with friends, and getting to collect many shells and witnessing a stunning sunset.

Costa Rica is such a beautiful country, there is always something to appreciate as you drive around, it is such a nature rich country that simply sitting out on the porch you feel at peace. I highly recommend visiting Costa Rica if you want to be surrounded by wildlife and are ready to eat some delicious food!

Laura Barrios Bardi is a third-year Arts major at the University of Science and Arts of Oklahoma.