I always had big plans for the summer of ’09, after college graduation. Two goals: Travel, and Travel Free. Frantic Googling began in April, until I stumbled upon the Sosauce Will Work For Travel internship. I knew immediately I had to do it. I interviewed, I got hired, it was magical.
One of the things that intrigued me most about Sosauce was its identity: “Sosauce is a site for travel geeks – the bright eyed, dirty sleeved, who get up at five for sunrise, who quest and discover treasures only they can unlock.” Before my first day, I felt like I fit in – I love getting up for the sunrise, the best part of traveling is finding something unique and different, I’m told I have nice eyes and I have gone a month without showering, so I guess that counted for the dirty sleeved part (albeit a tad more extreme than perhaps envisioned). Sean, the Co-Founder and my new boss, put me on Super Cool Task: Research world festivals that could tie in to the Question of the Week/Subject Matters. I read and wrote about bathtub regattas, food fights, wife carrying championships … I’ll leave the future ones a surprise!
Next was finding my social cause of interest to study and document. I decided I wanted to volunteer with Pretoma in Costa Rica for 4 weeks. I didn’t know anything about sea turtles, my Spanish was four years removed from any classroom (read about that here) and really, what did I know about Costa Rica, except the doctor recommended typhoid and hep A shots? Well, I did know this was going to be a once-in-a-lifetime trip and was super psyched. As soon as I saw Punta Banco (final destination) I fell in love – because it is PARADISE. 
In order to raise money for the turtle conservation projects, Pretoma instituted a Project Participant Program at two of their sites, which is how I was able to volunteer in Punta Banco. I arrived before breakfast, on day #1, so I truly had almost 30 full days there – check out a day in the life in my journal.
Here are some things I learned during the project:
-You should not swim in rivers if a cow is dead in it up the mountain.
-It is safe to fly in a plane that has only 6 windows, car seat belts and a propeller
-You can buy “The Best Gift, Dog Dazer and Dog-off Deluxe” from SkyMall
-Surfing is not for me. There are no details because I would like to keep my dignity
-You can see Orion in August.
-The only way cuts heal in 150% humidity is to pour bleach in them
-You can totally play the frying pan
-Passports grow mold in Costa Rica
-17 people fit in the back of a pick up truck
-Cell phone service is better at low tide, and non existent at high tide
-Sleeping in mosquito netting is the poor woman’s Princess canopy
-Oh, sea turtles really do look like dinosaurs
Conclusion for my internship trip: totally amazing, 100% inspiring. Thanks again, Sosauce!
Read more posts by Katie
Thanks for the great write up about our sea turtle volunteer projects. Pretoma is also involved in a number of extremely viable political campaigns to protect endangered leatherback turtle nesting sights. Please visit http://costaricanconservationnetwork.wordpress.com/
and read “Chaos in Costa Rica’s Leatherback National Park” to learn how the international community can send letters to protect the leatherback’s last viable nesting beaches in the eastern Pacific. Thanks for your help.
Andy Bystrom
Communications Director-Pretoma
Founder-Costa Rican Conservation Network