My time spent studying abroad in Costa Rica is the single most exciting experience I have had while attending Indiana University South Bend thus far! I knew while applying that I would have the opportunity to see amazing landscapes, try new foods, immerse myself in the Spanish language, and meet wonderful people, but I never expected how profoundly all of these experiences would affect me. Travelling to Costa Rica gave me a new sense of excitement about the world and a new appreciation for just being.
As a college student, it can be very easy to become swept up by school work and before you know it, the semester is over and you realize that you haven’t eaten a decent meal, spoken to your family, or enjoyed personal time in months. While in Costa Rica, I became hyper-aware of my environment. Everything from the way the sun peeked through the trees to how people interacted on the street seemed so new and exciting to me. I suddenly wanted to just soak up every part of my day, from the way my footsteps sounded on the tiled floors in my bedroom to the sounds of children laughing at the school behind the Academia in Nicoya. I do not usually spend very much time on my phone or on social media to begin with, but while travelling I did not see any value in them at all. Why should I care about someone’s Crockpot recipe from BuzzFeed when I can learn to make Casado from my host mother? The engagement in the communities and the connections between people are palpable. People wave on the street and enjoy the simple company of others. Now that I have returned home, I realize that some of these same sensations I had in Costa Rica occur in South Bend as well, they just don’t seem as profound because I have learned to take them for granted.
It can be difficult for someone to get rid of their sense of entitlement to small pleasures, but in doing so I feel that I am more alive. While in Costa Rica there were several excursions that allowed me to indulge in simple yet amazing experiences. Swimming in the pools of cold water at the base of the Fortuna waterfall made me relax and take time to clear my head. Kayaking in the ocean allowed me to use my physical abilities to accomplish a goal. Finally, painting and teaching children in Nosarita and Belen made me realize that I do not need to be a super hero to make a difference in people’s lives, I only need to be a human with helping hands and an open heart. I may never be able to return to that waterfall or see those kids again. Other people will swim at the waterfall and other students from IU South Bend will teach English, but I personally have been impacted by these places in ways that others may not. Everything was uncomplicated while in Costa Rica and I want to try to continue to live an uncomplicated life filled with adventure and happiness.
It may seem cliché to say that only ten days in Costa Rica can be summarized with Pura Vida. It is probably even more cliché that after this trip I want to embrace Pura Vida as much as possible, but that is the truth. There is no reason for one to live a complicated, unhappy life. I know that there will always be problems and stresses in life and that sometimes those complications and stresses are unavoidable. I have learned however, that despite the troubling parts of life there are still a lot of good parts of life. There are endless places to explore, numerous cuisines to sample, and a seemingly endless amount of people on this planet who are ready and willing to open their hearts and homes to you, if you only take the first step, preferably with a smile.
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