More Time for Family and Appreciation

LaShai, 17

Well I've been home for about a week.

When I first got home, I was excited. I had my room back, my phone for texting, my television with over 200 channels in HD, and my laptop with all the wireless internet I want, but I didn't want it.

I had gone so long without these things that they had become a luxury instead of my everyday necessities. Instead of going straight back to my old everyday necessities, I spent my first couple of days back home with my family and friends. I never really cared to spend time with my little brothers before I went to Costa Rica, but after coming back from this trip I realized that they are all I have, that they have always been there for me.

It's only in coming back from a place where everyone is so kind and caring for
each other that you really know what is important to you.



After having a couple days of down time, I went back to work. I thought it was going to be a normal "low key" day. As time went by my mind started to wander. I tried to remember everybody's name that I had met. I was surprised at how many people's names I remembered and what memories came with every person.

For instance, Pepe, he brought Larry, Cherie and Ashley pop and chocolate because we weren't allowed to have any American food. Then there was Evar, he played guitar and sang us songs every night that we were in the rain forest. Then I started to make a list of all the different foods that we ate in Costa Rica, but all I could really think of was 'gallo pinto and casado'. As I was thinking of all the different foods we ate, Larry, who also works with me, started to look for the foods we ate. It was really bizarre because not only did he find some of the foods that I listed, but they all said 'Products of Costa Rica' on their labels. I see several different types of foods at my job, but until now I've never cared about where they were coming from.

Since I've been home, everyone always has questions about how my trip went, and all I say is that I love it there and everything about it. The people there are so beautiful and genuine. They love being where they are and embrace who they are. Then they ask what was my favorite part about this trip, and I always tell them it's the people. Even if I don't ever see the people that I've met in Costa Rica ever again, I will never forget them. We were only with the high school students a small amount of time, but yet it feels like a life time. Then they finally ask what the worst part of the trip was, and I say having to leave. It seemed like every time we were just getting used to being around new people and starting to really like them for who they were, we had to leave them. It was almost like having to leave family behind, because that is how the people in San Jose and Yorkin made me feel--I was part of their family, and I truly miss and appreciate them.

A not so distant past .

Siena, 17

I sense that something in my life is missing. It's around 9:30 pm on a Friday night and no form of entertainment is suiting my craving. I don't want to watch TV. I don't want to read a book, surf the internet, talk on the phone, or have a grand old night on the town. What I desire most is to sit in that dimly lit room and have the young boy of the Bribri tribe sing Spanish lullabies on his guitar and lull my mind to sleep.

I believe I have reached the point of this journey when realization blows out my dream clouded mind and leaves me fully aware that we aren't in Costa Rica anymore. Although our homecoming was just over a week ago, it feels as if our expedition took place somewhere in the distant past; as if months have gone by since we were in that luxurious land. I miss waking up to those sun filled sky's and having fresh fruit juice every morning. I miss the beautiful plants and equally beautiful people.

The memory of this trip give me a nostalgic feeling, like recalling a childhood summer. I am unable to give one distinct quality I am taking from this trip for I feel as if I have gained them all; whether that be appreciation, awareness, open-mindedness, or self discovery. Through this trip I have taken a little of each of these qualities and more.

Simply put, I feel this trip has given me a greater sense of unity in the world. I now can wholeheartedly say that neither gender, language, age, nor race are able to create barriers to extinguish the human bonding experience. I feel blessed to have met the people I did and create stronger bonds with those I already knew. I wish the best for all the friends we left behind and hope that someday in the future our paths may cross once again.

Too Much To Say

Matyas, 16

I don’t think my last post did any justice to how I truly feel about my experiences in Costa Rica. I may not have realized it at the time, but as I settle into my home here in America, I’m reminded of all the stresses and issues that I escaped for those 12 days in Costa Rica. Now I find myself longing to return to Costa Rica and push all my troubles and anxieties away and live the "pura vida," forgetting about the stresses that Western civilization pushes into our daily lives. I WILL be returning. I no longer have my Western desires as much as I used to. It’s not about being successful, it’s about being happy. I’ve always had a hatred for materialism, greed, and sloth, but this trip made me realize how much I actually have of those things, and I want to change that picture of myself.


Now that I’ve been in the states for a few days, I’ve found myself falling back into the routine of sitting around on the computer for endless hours with nothing to do. I do catch myself sometimes and try to do something like cleaning up my room or helping my dad with things to do around the house, like cleaning out the attic or some yard work. But a few days ago, without knowing it, I let myself go and did nothing but watch all my DVR recordings while snacking on candy and gummi worms and played videogames for countless hours. I didn’t realize it until I was laying in my bed around 1:30am still awake from all the sugar and caffeine I had put into my body, and I felt disgusted. I actually did sit there thinking “Man, I wish Matt were here to tell me something to do” hah.


With Earth Day being yesterday all I have been thinking about was all of the trees we planted in Yorkín. How something so small as a seed can be a message of hope for the earth, to repay all the wrongdoings mankind has done to the very planet it calls its own.

Back to the point, I don’t think I described how much I benefitted from the experience in my last post, and I guarantee that after I hit “submit post” I'm going to realize I forgot something. While working in La Carpio I was exposed to poverty that I never had seen before, and the fact that it was so close to San José, the idea seems crazy, like it shouldn’t be so, but it is. And hearing the political advisor, “Chico,” laughing at the matter at first, but later admitting that they aren’t doing enough to help them, perhaps because he saw that none of us felt the same comicalness of the situation, made me feel like it’s going to be a long time before these people get what they need and deserve, which isn’t right. It makes me feel even better about how much we really did help them.

The experiences with the Ticos and the volcano were some of the highlights of the trip. Being able to communicate on a fairly decent level (finishing my 3^rd year of Spanish this last trimester) I could speak with Pepe, Sam's and my pen pal, the first day pretty well, and he knew a good amount of English which also helped. What I liked most was how he was trying to communicate the word “Poland” to me, but I wasn’t understanding the Spanish version, so he started to describe it as the first country that the Germans invaded in WWII. I just thought it was cool how we had found a way around the language barrier with words we DID know and the fact that it was history and about WWII. I just really liked it, it was a clever way to get around the barrier.

When we all went to the volcano I got a sense of how powerful the Earth can be, even though this one wasn’t erupting with exploding fireballs and lava everywhere, I still got a feeling…similar to the feeling I got when we were in the airplane above the Earth (it was my 1^st time flying), a feeling of how small I am, how small we all are on the Earth, not to mention the Universe. I just felt miniscule but humble at the same time. I’ve wanted a career in Biology, but the experience is making me think of shifting gears a little to maybe wildlife conservation, ecology, or environmental protection. I feel like the Earth should be our top priority and we owe it some respect.

Needless to say, the trip to Yorkín was amazing for me. As I mentioned before, I’ve always had a connection with nature and sympathy for the environment and animals, so I was perfectly fine with getting dirty and being hot, and working with the Bribri people. However, I didn’t enjoy constantly being wet. Other than that, I think everything was enjoyable and rewarding. I have nothing but optimism for the Bribri people; their ability to be happy and reject outside influence is something to be admired. Awesome. Even as I sit here, I wonder what it is they are doing and how our trees are getting planted/growing and how their building developments are progressing. I hope for the Bribri to continue their ways and stay a happy people.

The trip to Puerto Viejo and the Caribbean was mind opening as well. The culture, being more laid back and Rasta, was interesting to see and experience, even if we weren’t there long. However, it has rubbed off on me and I now have an extensive list of Bob Marley that I'm trying to put on my iPod. Not to mention the beach, with the Sea Urchin that Mr. Moreland, Shalyce, Arturo and I managed to get to shore and observe.

All in all, the trip has made me a more independent person. I feel like I can do anything, it just takes a little effort. I feel more grateful for all the little things that I have that I used to take for granted. However, I prefer the life in Costa Rica, even if it’s not so technologically advanced. That’s perfectly fine with me. I feel proud now, and happier about myself. I had experiences that a lot of people won’t ever have in their lifetime. And for all these reasons, I’m proud to now have this “little” reminder, of the Pura Vida that I plan to live, hanging in my room.