With, For, In Love

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 w...

All is well with my soul Over this last week I've realized I have been the happiest out of my entire time in Costa Rica. I've been here for 10 weeks so what had I even been doing the other 9? Don't get me wrong, I was enjoying my time here. I loved traveling and seeing different parts of this country while making new friends. But it didn't hit me until I went to Nicaragua that in order for me  to be happy I had to put myself into an environment that was conducive to that emotion. From there true joy could be born. I think it's amazing to have a mindset that anywhere you go and anything you do you can be happy. But for me, willing myself to be happy was never enough. It felt fake and wrong. I knew that wasn't authentic. However, I wasn't sure what made me genuinely joyful. It's taken me a lot of time being unhappy and unsure to realize my "happy place" and how to get there. Jesus in Nicaragua  I'm not satisfied in a quiet and un...

When I make a plan I will do everything in my power to make it happen. (Okay, except for the time I was going to knit scarves, the time I was going to become a vet, the time I was going to go to the Governor's School, and the time I was going to live in New York. But hey those are only a few exceptions!) I love to make plans for everything, including my life. I have my 1, 5, and 10 year plan all neatly laid out. I recognize it might not happen exactly how I want it to but I can sure try to make it fit into my box. I suppose I find a sort of identity in my plan and when there is an inner turmoil regarding it, I lose a bit of who I am, or at least think I am. Vegan ice cream My life was all laid out. But then I came here. And then the ideas all fell apart. I've only talked to two people about this so far so congratulations, you've made it to the inner circle! My life plan has begun to fall apart because I'm wondering if I'm genuinely too selfish for it. I cal...

I thought it would be different than this.... There's a disillusionment with studying abroad. Everyone puts up the best pictures of their friends, their food, and their activities. No one puts up the bad pictures because obviously you can't make people jealous with those. Your pictures have to stand out among the other 1,000 friends you have studying abroad. In fact, your blogs have to be so incredible that people even bother to read them. It's a lot of pressure to be under when this trip was suppose to be about you. But what if I told you I didn't care about that pressure and I wanted to tell the truth. What I'm about to tell you may shock you but it's worth saying.The truth is I don't like Costa Rica. I don't like living in Puntarenas. This experience is very different than I thought it would be. I came to Costa Rica comparing my experience to that of studying abroad in Italy and that was wrong. It didn't give either the chance they deserv...

For in living without much you become free from the world's concept of fulfillment. I stepped onto the sandy cement floor and walked over to my backpack to grab my phone and finally take a picture of our group from the weekend. The floor only showed me a bathing suit bottom and nothing more. Maybe someone had moved my backpack. I walked into the only other room in the apartment and that's when I heard someone say, "Guys, I think we were robbed!" I shook my head no...this was not what was suppose to happen tonight or ever. A group of 10 students travelled to this small non-touristy beach town called Playa Negra. The beach was beautiful and wonderful for surfing. The main attraction was that we were going to have a relaxing weekend free from people constantly selling you things and others pointing at maps with very confused looks on their faces. It had all of the makings to be great. Then we went to the beach at night. And then we were robbed. My first though...

I've come to realize I know a minuscule amount of information about life. I'm not talking about the times when my friend asks me why air from a fan is cool or how we don't capsize when going through extremely rough waves. I'm talking about the fact that there are over 7 billion humans on this planet and I know so little about those people. Last semester I took a class called Global Fiction of the South and it literally changed the course of my life. I switched my major because of it, I started reading non-British or American authors, and I began to question problems I had never given much thought to before. One question I kept finding myself asking in the middle of our assigned readings was,  "What makes a fulfilling life?"  Shockingly I still do not have the answer to that but I'm learning more potential solutions because after all, or at least according to my mom, the world isn't always black and white. In the novels we studied immigrants, destitut...

“Are you rethinking this?” “Yes.” “Ha. No you’re not.” Yeah I am… I’ve been incredibly fortunate to be able to travel to many countries and experience various cultures. Though I’ve seen a lot and spent a good amount of time traveling without my parents or sister, I’ve never been so uncomfortable as I am right now. Here are a few of the differences I’ve experienced so far. There is no AC!                                                                                                                 Why some of the hottest places have no AC yet is beyond me but at least I have a fan in my room. You are in a constant state of sweat as it is 90+ degrees and over 85% humidity. But don’t...