Trip provides Classical students with memories of a lifetime

LYNN – A handful of Lynn Classical students traveled to Costa Rica this April vacation. The experience opened their eyes to a culture they knew very little about prior.?I thought it was a great opportunity to experience something that otherwise I would never get to experience,” senior Samantha Mamos said.The students along with teacher Fatima Lyle spent nine days in the foreign country.?They really had the times of their lives,” Lyle said.During their time in Costa Rica, the students went zip lining, horseback riding, kayaking, climbed a volcano and visited two rain forests.?Zip lining was so much fun,” senior Alicia Worthylake said. “By far, my favorite memory from there.”For junior Joey Fields horseback riding is his favorite memory from the trip.?It was pouring rain when we were doing it,” Fields said. “I thought I was going to fall off my horse. It was fun.”However, it was not all just fun and games. The students did some community service work as well. They planted 21 trees and also donated school supplies to a local school.It made them appreciate their lives and all that they have back home.?It was good to see the other side of the spectrum,” Worthylake said. “The students were so grateful to see us. They appreciate things we take for granted.”?That was a very cool experience. We gave them school supplies and got to play soccer with the kids,” senior Amy O?Brien said. “It made me really thankful for what I have here.”The students noted that the way of life in Costa Rica is very different than the American life they are used to.?When you are driving there, people just cut you off and it?s totally normal,” senior Nicole Collins joked.There was also more exotic wildlife than they were expecting.?There was wildlife everywhere. One day we went to the beach and there was someone wrangling an alligator in the middle of the beach,” Fields said.?You know how the beaches here have seagulls? They have monkeys,” Fields added. “There were monkeys everywhere.”They also spotted many parrots while they were in Costa Rica.?Parrots are rare and there were tons of them. They were just flying over our hotel. It was cool,” O?Brien said.For many of the students, the trip inspired them to explore different parts of the world.?I really want to travel more after this trip and see how people live,” Mamos said.Sara Brown can be reached at [email protected].