Youth Voices: The Costa Rica Coasts and Places In-Between

Hi, it's been a minute- or a few weeks. Time is a fluid concept here, so cut me some slack.

I wish I could say that I have been busy every second of every day continuing to explore San Jose. To be fair, I have done a fair amount of exploring since the last blog (volcanoes, beaches, boat rides, San Jose Central, etc.) that I can't wait to share with you. But that's not what has kept me from writing again...

Long story short, my phone battery melted while on the beach at Manuel Antonio. It can't stay on longer than 60 seconds before overheating and powering down. I have been using a spare phone from a coworker (praise God for Luis Carlos!) for emergencies. Unfortunately, the camera doesn't work. Most of the pictures I have from my adventures over the last few weeks have been courtesy of my roommates.

At first, I was frustrated that I couldn't take my own pictures. However, as I began to scroll through the pictures they had sent me from our trip to Poas Volcano, I realized that all three of us had been on the same trip, but we were captivated by completely different elements of the same scene. Our shared photo album painted a more nuanced and detailed portrait of our trip than my photos alone ever could have.

This summer, I have seen how the need for different perspectives extends far beyond our camera rolls. Issues and industries that I care deeply about, such as food security and agriculture, are no exception. Diversity of thought and experiences is not just a "nice to have"- it's essential when creating policies and programs. As I continue to analyze policies related to food security and rights for rural women in Latin America, it's not difficult to see that the most impactful and successful ones were those that took significantly longer to legislate...[CONTINUE READING]