The past two weeks have been very meaningful to me. I have learned so much about the Costa Rican culture and what it takes to get used to doing research and living in a foreign country. I have the privilege to be able to communicate with the locals and this has undoubtedly helped me understand their ways and traditions.
Last Saturday, Steve and I had to visit the last seismic station on our list. The seismic station is in the southern region of Costa Rica close to the border between Panama and Costa Rica. This last seismic station was a bit different from the others because it was powered by a solar panel given the conditions of the area which had no electricity sources.
Our work servicing six of the seismic stations throughout the country is complete. We have traveled different cities of Costa Rica and witness the diversity of landscapes, people and culture. I have developed very useful technical skills that I will most likely use in my future career.
Today marks the start for our third week in Costa Rica. To start off our week, the whole team attended a conference at the University of Costa Rica. The conference was given in Spanish and important topics about different projects were discussed. The presenters in the conference emphasized how important international collaboration has been to their work.
Our plan for the upcoming weeks is to continue working for the RSN (Red Sismologica Nacional) at the University of Costa Rica.
Nos vemos.- Joyce