At the beginning of June 2010, I set off with my twin sister and a close friend on a journey to the "happiest place in the world" located in Central America - Costa Rica. While that was one of the most livening times of my life, it's hard to believe that over a year has passed since our exploration. The itch never left, and the travel bug still has a hold on me. But when I'm having a bad day, or need inspiration, it's so easy to think back to my Costa Rican experience and remember how much I learned about the simplicity of life.
I kept a blog when I was down there, but only posted four times due to the fact that I wanted to spend as much time as possible exploring the city, meeting new people, volunteering, etc.
What I kick myself in the butt for is that I never wrote a recap of my time in Costa Rica. I have so many thoughts in my head that deserve to be preserved and shared. Often times though, I struggle with living in the past, and facing what's in my future. This was even more true when I came back from studying abroad in Spain, and literally thought about Spain everyday for a year and half.
Anyways, here's a summary of my thoughts and what I learned while living la pura vida.
1. La Pura Vida- Can you imagine using the words "pure life" as hello, goodbye, what's up, and any other way you can imagine? The pure life. What does it mean? I learned that it means to enjoy life. If you aren't living every day as it's meant to be - enjoying the little things- then you aren't living the pura vida.
2. Volunteering abroad- I volunteered for three weeks at two different sites. The second site was the most influential for me, where we worked in a soup kitchen with Nicaurgan immigrant children. The neighborhood was poor, the streets made of dirt, and the children always showed a smile. These kids went to school, had friends, and came to the soup kitchen to get their last meal (and sometimes only) of the day. The only fear I left with is that I didn't affect the kids' lives. But they left me with an appreciation for what I have, fond memories of Zach and his rabbit named Nini, and the lovely ladies who served the children everyday.
I highly recommend volunteering abroad if you ever get a chance. It's cost-effective, educational, and provides an introduction to the heart of the country - the people. We went through http://www.volunteerhq.org, and highly suggest it to anyone who is interested!
3. Life's a beach. Enjoy it. Don't take it for granted. Take time to sit back, relax and live in the moment.
