Hello again to all who read,
Last week marked the halfway point here in Costa Rica for the GMI program summer experience. It’s hard to believe I’ve been here for 5 weeks already but they’ve been full of adventure and learning so I can’t wait for what the next 5 have in store. A little update on work last week, I presented my intial fixture design to the engineering team for feedback and got some great comments from them on future updates to make. I am working a second iteration that I will 3D print next week and hopefully do some testing with on the manufacturing floor. My new product introduction or NPI project is also catching some steam as I worked to compile a specifications sheet for all the new part numbers and sent them to obtain quotes for the raw material. This is an important first step in assessing the feasibility and cost effectiveness of the integrating the products into the manufacturing line on site.
Now onto the weekly adventure. The 4 of us took a one night trip to the nearby city of Cartago to explore some famous sights and meet up with one of the local Costa Rican students they met during the bootcamp. On Saturday, we arrived around 9 and visited the botanical gardens first. One of the main attractions was a Japanese garden with koi ponds and ancient japanese style architecture and gardens. We stopped by the gift shop on the way out and I was able to check a few more people off my souvenir shopping list. After the gardens, we toured around the city stopping at famous sites like the Cartago ruins and the Basilica of Our Lady of Angels where we got to experience a live service taking place in a packed church. On Sunday, we met up with Erick, a local student who goes to university in Cartago, and he took us up to the Irazu Volcano. The volcano, thankfully, has been dormant for years and was not more than just a deep crater but the altitude at the top put us above the clouds making for some spectacular views. After, we embarked on a steep hike (unknowingly) into the prusia forest. It was well worth it however as we came upon what I can only describe as a mystical forest that led to an viewpoint which overlooked the farmland and city of Cartago. We captured some great photos and finished the day off with a delicious lunch before heading back to San Jose. Overall, another great weekend here in Costa Rica and I’ll talk to you all next week. Pura Vida!
