Upon my arrival to Xandari two days ago, my senses were immediately awakened by the singing of birds, the fluttering of butterflies, the aroma of flowers, and the vibrancy of the mosaics; I was welcomed not only by my fellow coworkers but also by the plenitude of flora and fauna that give life to the reserve.

I arrived at Xandari around lunchtime, so I was fortunate that my first experience at the property involved eating a delicious meal prepared by our chef, Miguel. I enjoyed my Portobello mushroom burger while getting to know Marcela, the general manager, and gazing out at the almost 180 degree view of the Central Valley. 

Within the first couple of hours at the hotel, I had been introduced to a large number of my coworkers and received a crash course on bird (and a few plant) species found on the property. I had also adjusted quite nicely to my new living quarters, the Studio, where I found some unfinished art works and painting accessories. Just from my initial impressions of the natural environment and the bright décor throughout the property, I am inspired to start a sustainability initiative of art workshops (my former younger years as an avid painter are definitely the roots for this initiative).

My daily “commute” to work consists of walking up a narrow path through a variety of tropical plants, which I will hopefully know by name by the end of my internship. This two minute journey to my workspace varies day by day, and I don’t mean by the possibility of pedestrian traffic congestions, but instead by the prospect of dodging different flying insects that are likely on their way to their own respective pollination duties.

Yesterday, my first full day at Xandari, I was able to assist in the Plant-a-Tree Program. A lovely family from California planted a Matasano tree with the help of one of our gardeners, Antonio. While I did not participate in the physical labor of planting the tree, I helped translate Antonio’s explanation of the tree. Translating for the guests was fun, but seeing their enthusiasm was certainly the most rewarding part of the experience.

As the new person responsible for Xandari’s sustainability projects, I will have to lead the sustainability tours soon enough. Therefore, I am determined to learn the lay of land as quickly as possible. In my efforts to do so, I’ve challenged myself to take a different route to various parts of the property each time.  So far, however, I’ve always been accompanied by someone, so I haven’t been able meander about too much and get lost…yet.