What Have I Cotton Myself Into?

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Do you ever really know something without experiencing it first?

That is the question that continued to appear in my mind as I went through challenging, yet thought-provoking experiences. After flying all night and spending the day driving up and down beautiful mountain ranges on bumpy dirt roads, I still had no idea what was in store for me during my time in Costa Rica. I knew we would be staying on a farm, but what does that mean? Will we be living among the farm animals and fruit trees? Where would we sleep? How will I survive with so little sleep?

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Shifting Perspectives: A story about two girls and their detour to Costa Rica

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The back of my throat was on fire as I tried to catch my breath and hold back my tears. My trembling hands held the quickly, scribbled note reading “it’s going to be ok”. The plane had left us and the panic was bubbling up to the surface, I looked at Claire and we both stared at each other in shock. My feelings of guilt, uncertainty, and fear were mirrored in her eyes. Here we were alone in the Mexico City Airport – just two foreigners with mediocre Spanish speaking skills, low funds, and limited knowledge in international travel. Needless to say, things weren’t looking too good for us. Despite the odds, we survived to tell the tale. So if you ever find yourself in this situation, here are some guidelines for survival.

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Futbol: The Heart of a Costa Rican Community

25811314114_cf6f5551e9_kThe whole time I was out on the field, I felt like family, with the girls supporting me and throwing game-play tips at me at every corner.

I could feel the beads of sweat dripping down my face while I overheard one of the soccer players yell out, “who’s ready to play?” Without even thinking about the blanket of humidity covering me and the heat of the sun beating down, I screamed with excitement, ready to run onto the soccer field. I hadn’t played soccer in years and my excitement was taken to a new level when one of the girls on the team ran over with a team jersey, shorts, and cleats to throw on for the game. It was only my second day in Costa Rica, and I already felt like family.

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A Vegan Milks a Cow

 

 

IMG_4970 I told myself that this was a cool opportunity that I should at least try, because when else would I have the chance to milk a cow in the heart of Costa Rica?

I love cows. And from the moment that our group arrived in Costa Rica I was overwhelmed with countless adorable cow sightings. The people sitting around me were probably quite annoyed because I had to point out every single cow that I saw. So you can imagine that when the option to milk a cow was offered, I jumped on the opportunity.

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Down By The River

 

IMG_6662After spending all morning and afternoon in the hot and humid weather of the jungle, it’s safe to say that the team was more than ready to take a dip in the river. We parked near the bridge that overlooked the flowing river below. We walked (some slid) down a steep hill to the riverbed, where we had our first photo opportunity at the river. I, myself was more concerned with getting in the water than taking pictures next to it.

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