Let's Get Real: Final Reflections | CR

There’s a phrase in Costa Rica that I’m sure you’ve heard before. That phrase is pura vida. It means pure life. In Costa Rica it’s used as a greeting, a good bye, a welcome, or filler. I’ve taken four months to live a pura vida life, which has consisted of zero responsibilities, traveling every weekend, and 3 hour long naps. It probably sounds like paradise and that’s often what it is considered. Although I can never sustain a lifestyle like this because I like being busy too much, these four months have allowed me to change, grow, and become a better person. Pura vida gave me permission to develop into a richer (not literally at all), very thoughtful, and hopefully a more cultured person.

 

The sunsets were amazing 

Regret #1: I didn’t keep a journal like I did in Rome or California.

I wish I had if for no other reason than to document my growth and journeys around this country. A snapshot of places I've been include but are not limited to: Isla Tortuga (clear water and snorkeling), Arenal (volcano), Monteverde (cloud forest), San Jose (largest city), Montezuma (huge waterfalls), Dominical (vegan beach heaven), Puerto Viejo (Caribbean larger Dominical), Nicaragua (my favorite place by far), Manuel Antonio (sloth paradise), and Cartago (colonial town). Every Monday we’d ask around and see where we wanted to go. I often went with just one other person or a smaller group. My trips seemed glamorous but that’s because I didn’t Instagram the bug nets, the hostel bathrooms, the pasta with beans and corn, the scratches and scrapes, the five-hour long bus rides, the robbery, the stings from unknown ocean creatures, and the sweat that was always dripping off of me. Costa Rica and glamour are not two words that go together. But I learned to love that and embrace the ugly side of adventures. My hair turned into dreadlocks and I didn’t put on makeup for four months. That was hard to deal with at first but by the end I had never felt better about myself before.

 

USAC Springos

Regret #2: Not taking more risks.

I’ll be honest; I’m kind of a baby. Before Costa Rica my idea of a good time outside was sitting on something and chatting. But when you’re in an oasis of nature, one must take advantage of it. I wish I had done a better job of that. However, I was very much out of my comfort zone on this trip in other ways. For instance, my Spanish has greatly improved because I had to have hour-long conversations with people daily. I also had to talk to my momma tica all day in Spanish. I was equally uncomfortable by spending time alone or in silence. My Internet was quite frankly a little below par (think from a hot spot). This forced me to get real with myself and bring basically my whole life and beliefs into question. For example, what do I really want after graduation? What does my career path look like and is Latin America somewhere I truly want to be? What kind of faith do I want and amount of time I want to dedicate to it? But the real question that was on my mind all semester was are butterflies the same creatures as they were when they were caterpillars?

Typical vegan meal at my house 

Regret #3: Missing a day or two of class to travel.

Sorry Mom and Dad but that was a joke. As I’ve stated before, I think travel can often bring you far more understanding, knowledge, and wisdom than school ever can. I also think traveling is one of the most fun ways to push yourself beyond who you were prior to the trip. I am enamored with traveling and I don't see how that passion could ever diminish. School here is definitely not as serious as home (except for with the attendance policies). But it has helped me to think in a more global context by not just including 'Merica in my studies. I've learned more about myself in this semester than I think I ever have and that wasn't because of school. I've also been studying things I'm interested in learning on the side because people have been pushing me to. Having a community of people striving to learn and be more only makes me want to learn and be more too. It’s addicting to find ways to better yourself. When bettering myself, I often feel better and worse all at the same time. My flaws and imperfections become blatant. My strengths seem small and insignificant. But that’s all a part of being a human who grows. Traveling causes me to live an examined life because after all, the unexamined life is not worth living.

My incredible family

Regret #4: Not falling in love.

Well, kind of. It’s been clear that I’ve learned a great deal from having been in Costa Rica but I have no plans of returning anytime soon or ever living there. I have always said I want to go on trips and fall in love with what I’m doing and my surroundings. Though pura vida allowed me to expand myself in ways I normally couldn’t do at home, it also allowed me to be quite bored and unmotivated. I really enjoy being busy and sitting in one place all day is not something I can manage. For others, it sounds like heaven. I’ve learned what works best for me and the environment that I was in is not the most conducive for my personality. The country itself is also beautiful but internally it needs a great deal of work. So no, I did not fall in love with what I was doing or my surroundings. However, I did fall in love (think romantic). Falling in love was my favorite part of the entire trip. It pulled me out of just myself and caused me to think of someone else in an extremely deep way. I find that I’m happier, more joyful, and more alive when I’m with him. Love, my friends, is life changing.

Pura vida and Costa Rica have taught me to be patient, to not rush life, to be okay when things aren't going as planned, to live on the edge, to enjoy adventure, to have a path but be able to fall off of it or jump to a new one completely, to love people and myself, to appreciate Spanish, to miss my family and [finally] be grateful for the United States, and to want to go back home with a renewed spirit and do something big and important with my life. Thank you to everyone for making these past four months my reality. Costa Rica, thank you for being real real and for never letting me get away with being anything other than that. Pura vida.