Aero: Alaiza Dominguez – Costa Rica 2015 – Travel
Aero: Alaiza Dominguez – Costa Rica 2015 – Travel
Creative Commons Image via The LEAF Project
Aero: Alaiza Dominguez – Costa Rica 2015 – Travel
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Alaiza Dominguez
Traveling was truly a breeze. I really psyched myself out about it but in the end when all was said and done everything went accordingly. None of my belongings were missing except for a pair of shorts I lost in Arenal, airport security didn’t hassle me, I never got lost, and everything was on time. Granted some of my travels in Costa Rica were on Tico-time. I feel like that all may have been a lucky fluke but hopefully I’m wrong.
Before leaving, my only concern was that everyone was going to judge me for over-packing. It seems crazy, but I really didn’t want to stand out or seem high maintenance. Maybe leopard print luggage wasn’t the most discrete choice. Once I saw how much everyone else brought, I felt a lot better and things ran smoothly from there.
I’ve been blessed with travel patience. As long as I know where I’m going and that I’ll eventually make it to my destination, I can sit at the airport or at a bus stop all day. I get so excited about traveling that if something changes, I can roll with it because I’m just happy to be experiencing something new. Whether it’s a delay or a complete change of plans, it won’t ruin my good time.
I’ve traveled before, even out of the country- but this was the first time that I was old enough to be completely responsible for myself. I was there as a student, not just a tourist. I have a school to represent, a family to represent, and a country to represent. That freaked me out. Balancing the combination of freedom and responsibility was new to me. I’d like to say I did a pretty good job.
ML@FLCC Costa Rica
2015 Flickr Gallery
Travel within Costa Rica was easy too. Once I found my way home from the park, getting around was simple. I even managed to navigate myself home at night. That surprised me a lot because I’ve always been a leader but never a navigator. Being somewhere new and traveling by foot taught me that I am capable of navigating. I just had to figure out what worked for me. Every place I could get to, I got there by remembering buildings and landmarks. If it looked familiar, I could figure it out. It was easier for me to remember which ice cream shop lead to the post office rather than read a map or take directions.
I love traveling. Even the parts that people look at as boring or complicated. I’d rather laugh about airport security sticking their fingers in my hair-do than complain about taking my shoes off or waiting in line. I even laughed about security decapitating my poor caballito de palo. Focusing on the parts of travel that can be negative risks ruining the fun of the trip and it’s not worth it. I’d like to learn how to use my travel optimism towards other life obstacles.
Alaiza Dominguez
LEAF Contributor
