Aero: Alyssa Davis – Costa Rica 2013 – My Expectations
Costa Rica 2013: My Expectations
Aero: Alyssa Davis – Costa Rica 2013 – My Expectations
Alyssa Davis
First times thrill. First times intimidate, excite, and ultimately change lives for the better. Even if the experience is less than comfortable, first times tend to alter perspective and allow the psyche to analyze things in a whole new light.
Going to Costa Rica will do all of this for me. I recently went through the process of purchasing my first passport because I will soon be boarding my first flight and taking my very first trip out of the country. As a woman who has lived two thirds of her life in Upstate New York, I’ve somehow never even been to Canada. I feel relatively sheltered and naïve when it comes to travel. No doubt I’ve traveled more than many, having lived in several towns, cities, and states across the US. However, my first step off the plane will also be my first step onto foreign soil. I expect to be terrified. I know I will be nervous. The best part will be the uncontrollable excitement that spills out onto my face in a mix of wondrous amazement and quiet fear.
As I understand it, within the past century Costa Rica has drastically improved its economic stability. Consequently, its citizens’ living conditions, life expectancy, education, and environmental activism has also been heightened. I know that Wi-Fi, satellite TV, and American style malls are common enough, and the family dynamic in Costa Rica is comparable to families in the US.
I expect to be shocked by how similar people can seem and how easy it is to relate to a person from a different culture. Because I will be spending a fortnight in a country where English is not the dominant language, it is inevitable that I will get overwhelmed at my inability to communicate at times. I will overcome. I will endure, and I will conquer many fears in the short two weeks that I am abroad for the first time.
I’ve been told I will have to barter. I will attempt to spend my money on the creativity of local artisans because I know it perpetuates the existing culture and directly provides for real families. I expect to be disappointed when I accept a price too high and find the same item cheaper on the next road over. I won’t worry about it though, because I will also expect to understand the value of the Costa Rican colon even less than I understand the value of the American dollar.
It is certain that I will constantly be amazed. It’s possible that I may see more flora and fauna in two weeks than I have witnessed in the past 5 years. The natural beauty of the dense Costa Rican rainforests is known to attract over one million tourists in a single year. The people I meet there will behave and express themselves differently. I may find myself surprised by the generosity and helpfulness of some, while simultaneously being brought down from the clouds of benign perception, reminded of the evils that are continuous within the human race regardless of culture.
Overall, I expect to have the time of my life. I expect to take way too many pictures. I’m sure I will see things I never imagined, and I know I’ll come home with many a story to tell. My only hope is that I may retain the mental capacity to recollect every second of this trip for the rest of my life.
– Alyssa Davis
The LEAF Project
www.leaflanguages.org
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