Elon University women's soccer is in Costa Rica as a part of the Elon Commitment to its students achieving a global experience. Check in to elonphoenix.com to read four blog updates from select women's soccer student-athletes on the team's overall experience! Be sure to also check out posts and updates on the team's social media accounts on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
 
Elon women's soccer rising senior Kennedy Little writes the final blog post to recap the entire global experience trip to Costa Rica.
 
Blog Entry No. 4 - March 30, 2019  |  by Kennedy Little
 
The end of our trip is near and as we loaded the bus to head back to San Jose, it's safe to say not a single person wanted to leave. We spent this week exploring Costa Rica, while playing the sport we love. We started off the week strong and went right into training and along the way we got to explore the cities and visit their amazing beaches. No matter where you were, there was always a breathtaking view and no snapchat story could ever do it justice.

The people were some of the most memorable parts of this trip. Our tour guides, Billy and Maikol, were always there to tell us the best beaches and what new fruits to try. The students at the school we visited were able to practice their English with us, while we polished up on our Spanish with them. We learned that even in Costa Rica, the Director of Max Terán Valls Hospital likes to binge watch Grey's Anatomy just as much as we do. While the culture here in Costa Rica was very different from our own, we were able to see that we had many things in common with the people. Playing in our two games, it was easy to see how passionate the teams were about soccer, just like us.

From this trip we learned lots of things. For one, we were able to try out new formations and positions during our games to help us prepare for the fall. We learned that it's not a true Costa Rican meal without rice and beans. We were able to experience the Pura Vida way of life that the people of Costa Rica live by. Most important of all, we learned that Hannah Doherty knows how to swim.

Reflecting back on this week, it really makes me thankful to be an Elon student athlete. Playing a sport like soccer, where you train every season, it makes it difficult to study abroad. Here at Elon, they allow student athletes to get the same global experience as other students who are able to spend a whole semester abroad. It's important to go out and experience other cultures and gain insight on what's going on around the world. Experiences like these help to make Elon students global citizens which is especially important in a world where globalization is continuing to grow.

Soccer is a universal language that has allowed us to connect with the people of Costa Rica and it wouldn't be possible without the help of everyone at Elon, our coaches, our tour guides and everyone else that helped to plan our trip. We've been able to do everything from white water rafting to getting a closer look at the health care system in Costa Rica, all while playing the sport we love with our best friends. Costa Rica, you will be missed. Pura Vida!