Why This Course Exists
Every group of students we host arrives from somewhere richer than Sitio de Mata in money, and leaves suspecting they were the poorer ones all along. Nowhere is that clearer than in how the two worlds treat their old people. In the country most of our students come from, growing old has quietly become an industry — one that many people are genuinely afraid of. Here, the grandmother cooks lunch for four generations under one roof and is the most listened-to voice at the table.
Invisible wealth is everything that makes a life rich and never shows up as a number. An elder who is needed is one of its purest forms.
Listen or read
Every chapter narrates aloud in English or Spanish, so a student can take it in on the bus with their eyes closed.
Quiz every chapter
Four questions at the end of each chapter, with feedback that teaches rather than just marking you wrong.
Fully bilingual
Complete English and Spanish text, not a summary of one in the other. Switch language any time.
Part 1 — The American Fear
Part 2 — Aging Out: The Machine
Part 3 — Aging In: Another Way
Part 4 — Carrying It Home
This course is an original study guide written for Pacuare Outdoor Center and Global Trails. It is inspired by, and responds to, Lucy Schiller's “Aging Out: An Exploration of Caregiving, Community, and How Americans Grow Old” (Flatiron Books, 2026). All summaries, facts, field practices and quizzes are original material; figures on eldercare costs and longevity are drawn from public sources and are approximate. Schiller's book reports the American side of this story far better than any summary can, and is recommended reading. The Costa Rican half is ours.