In 2012, I studied abroad in Costa Rica. Wait, let me back up.

In 2007, I took the National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test in high school. And I did well. So I eventually ended up attending the University of Oklahoma on a National Merit Scholarship. At that time, OU was very proud of their National Merit Scholars. They let us line up on the football field and wave at the people, and they gave us a bunch of cool perks. One of the perks -- a study abroad stipend!

I wasn't sure where I was going to use mine, and I was pretty sold on OU in Arezzo... until I took a Spanish class with Professor Chris Kneifl. Chris was (and probably still is) friends with Matt and Erica *someone* (I realized I don't know their last name)... who founded Finca Bellavista Treehouse Community in Golfito, Costa Rica. One look at their website and I was *obsessed.* 

So I ended up spending 6 weeks in the summer of 2012 down at la Universidad Veritas in San Jose, Costa Rica. It was magical. And to top it all off, I spent the last few days of my trip at Finca Bellavista, soaking in the rainforest vibes. Truth be told, I first rented Los Ojos Miran la Catarata, but I got ABSOLUTELY LOST IN THE DARK RAINFOREST on my way to dinner the first night, and that fright was enough to send me into a switcheroo for the Casa del Sol... a sunny bunk house much closer to the main hall. Which is where all the food and people were. Very important. 

Pura vida!

Finally, in 2022, I painted some giant paintings from my photos from that trip. I needed to fill the walls of the Leslie Powell Gallery in Lawton, OK, and I knew the vibrant tropical colors would be just the ticket.