Marzanne DeLapp de Anaya from Falls Church was one of 22 Girl Scouts from across the nation selected to participate in a Girl Scout destinations program in Costa Rica this summer where they hiked through lush rainforests and experienced the country’s oldest traditions through family homestays.

15-year-old Marzanne from the Girl Scout Council of the Nation’s Capital participated in Outward Bound Costa Rica’s Rainforest, River and Reef Destination, a course in the program that features a seven-day tropical rainforest trek and one-on-one time with Costa Rican families.

Before reaching the family homestays, Marzanne and her fellow Girl Scouts hiked and camped their way through untouched rainforest, seeing natural waterfalls and learning about the unique ecology from their Costa Rican instructors. The most difficult section, a 17-kilometer stretch of terrain that the girls traversed, required them to support each other and use teamwork.

While in the homestays, the group practiced their Spanish skills with local families, who shared their traditions. During these lessons, the girls made homemade cheese and learned the process of harvesting sugar cane. To finish up this phase of their adventure, the group tested their tenacity by rappelling an 80-foot waterfall.