Aero: Mary Erb – Costa Rica 2015 – Epilogue
Aero: Mary Erb – Costa Rica 2015 – Epilogue
Creative Commons Image via The LEAF Project
Aero: Mary Erb – Costa Rica 2015 – Epilogue
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Mary Erb
Like for many aspects of this trip, it feels difficult to adequately put into words how meaningful and positive this trip has been. Saying we got to experience life with a host family and live in a different country, go hiking in cloud forests, go zip lining, and experience wildlife we’ve never seen up close before are all wonderful things to say you’ve experienced, but they’re things you hope people will not just read about but set out to do themselves. It’s not only these main experiences that I’ve had, but my reaction to them, and all of the things that happened in between that can’t be planned or arranged, things that are only born out of the spontaneity of this kind of trip.
Like I thought, my desire to learn Spanish was ignited by the first night there when we had dance lessons and got to know our host families better. That day I downloaded three more Spanish learning apps to my phone, which I certainly didn’t expect to do. Walking around town with friends and making various decisions and all of the fulfilling exchanges that were had with strangers made me feel very capable and able bodied, it let me know I could really make it in a foreign land, something I really wanted to gain assurance of while I was there. New found capabilities were found all throughout my travelling experience. During the Rio Celeste hike, I found that I was a very competent hiker despite having no experience. Hiking will now be something I do here at home and I definitely have all of my triumphant hikes in Costa Rica to thank for that.
ML@FLCC Costa Rica
2015 Flickr Gallery
Above all, I was the most worried about zip lining. Being afraid of heights, the prospect of being flung on a line over a thousand feet in the air wasn’t entirely appealing. Miraculously, I got up the ire to go and as it turns out, it was a great experience, something I would be willing to do again. That taught me one of my biggest lessons while I was there, something I might not really take to heart if I was only reading about, the lesson being that sometimes throwing yourself into an activity or situation you’re intimidated by can be very beneficial, especially when in a foreign place. Another type of experience I gained while I was there were just the interactions I had with people. Not only did my classmates and I develop wonderful relationships with our host families, but we also developed a closeness with one another. Some of the most joyous moments I had while there was laughing about an event of the day, or a joke, or some sort of absurdity with friends made on the trip. Together, we were able to interact with others, and have brief but impactful encounters with a whole range of people, from fellow Americans, to Costa Ricans, to Europeans.
Like I hoped for, my more artistic sensibilities became livened, not just from the landscape of the country, but from some of the small moments had. I’ve taken away a lot of memories, newfound interests, friends, and capabilities as a result of this trip. I fully recommend that anyone able to partake in this or something like it take full advantage of the opportunity because the things you take home afterward will not only benefit you at home, but in the future travels you will inevitably plan to have.
Mary Erb
LEAF Contributor
