Overview of the Week
This week was our first full work week. Over the weekend, we visited the Jade Museum in San Jose, ate more local food, and got trapped in the rain a few times! This week I was assigned my official role and tasks for the internship which I am very excited about and will share more details about below.
A True Tourist in Costa Rica
This Saturday, we were excited to join the rest of the group to go on another adventure! The trip started off by going to a large grocery store in the center of San Jose where we found many items that were much cheaper than the store we had been going to near our hotel. We were so excited to find an offer of seven avocados for one thousand colones – roughly $1.50!
We then went to the Jade Museum, a place that many locals have been telling us is a must see. The building is five floors tall, and includes several jade pieces, shows the history of groups that settled in Costa Rica, tools and clothes, and many other items that represent the culture and history of the country.
Items found at the Jade Museum
We finished the day off by eating at a tortilleria where we had the chance to try more typical dishes.
Typical dish (Torticasado) at a tortillería
Side note: I went to a new church this Sunday, which was very beautiful and had a very large, unified community that I hope to become a part of during my time here.
Church that I attended Mass at near our hotel
Back to the Office
Monday was a big day for me at work because I was finally able to meet my manager in person and find out my official assignments for the summer. We also went to a nearby restaurant where I had yet another typical dish – chifrijo with a natural mango juice.
As an RDI Scientist Intern (such a fancy sounding title!), I will get the chance to work on several new projects that the company is creating.
In one of the projects, I will be working closely with an RDI Jr. Scientist by creating samples, conducting laboratory testing on them, and determining what the next steps will be be to eventually get the idea we are working on to production. This week specifically, we began creating the preliminary samples that will be tested very soon.
The second project that I was assigned relates to creation of a completely new medical device. As interns, we have been tasked with understanding patents, brainstorming new ideas, and eventually producing a device for testing with the hope of creating a feasible product. I am very excited about this project because it seems like even though we are only here for a short time, we will be able to take part in a large part of the product development lifecycle while working alongside a very knowledgeable team which we will be able to discuss with, present to, and learn from.
Going Forward
Given that a lot of the work that we are doing in our internship is confidential, it is hard to give you a detailed look at what we are working on every day. Despite this, I will keep trying to share the things that excite me and as much information as I (legally!) can. I am super excited about having a job that I will learn so much at. It is crazy to think that we are one third of the way through this experience, and each day I feel that it is bittersweet – I miss everyone back home, but I know that this once in a lifetime experience is going to go by so quickly.
I am looking forward to a relaxing weekend to get recharged for the week. Talk to y’all next week 🙂