I started my 20s, and this trip, in tears. My 20th birthday was on May 29th, which also happened to be the day all of us flew to Costa Rica. I’m one of those people who always cries on their birthday for no apparent reason, but this time I actually had a good reason to. I was going off to a new country for three weeks, without knowing anyone else there, and felt totally alone, afraid, and anxious for what was to come. Plus, I had to wake up before 5AM to get to Newark airport. Newark. Who ever wants to be in New Jersey?
Once I got on the plane and took off, and dried the tears from my face, I started to change my mindset about this class.
I will never be a teenager ever again. That part of my life is over, and I am entering a new decade in my life. Having this new decade overlap perfectly with a new adventure is a gift, an opportunity to make my 20s all about new experiences, growing my knowledge and personal experience, and trying new things. Once I came to this conclusion, I knew that I could have fresh (and less watery) eyes for the next three weeks.
This first week at La Selva has been all about doing and learning new things. From trying new foods, to learning about different qualities of life and different ways of life, to stepping out of my comfort zone and seeing new animals and creatures.
I love going to new restaurants and trying new foods, and so far there has been no exception here. I loved trying gallo pinto, the traditional bean and rice breakfast dish, on Tuesday and I thoroughly enjoy eating it every morning. At the meals I have been trying every dish they serve, eating every new fruit and vegetable, and have been figuring out what I like and don’t like. I’ve learned that coffee marinated steak is surprisingly delicious, papaya is not my jam, and Costa Rican renditions of tiramisu are just as good as the authentic Italian ones. I also love the conversations and little things that happen at every meal. Learning new things about my classmates at every meal and sitting with different combinations of people makes meals extra special. Trying foods outside of La Selva, like at the beautiful organic pineapple farm and the adorable organic banana farm, was also great. Pineapple jam and fresh Piña Coladas are an unbeatable combination, and plantain arepas are a far tastier version of a banana pancake. I’m looking forward to everything else I can try as the days go by.
Another one of my favorite things about being here is learning about new ways of life. Hearing from everyone who works at La Selva about why they do what they do, and the things they love about Sarapiqui is incredible. Geiner, who guided my group’s bird walk on Thursday, was incredible. Not only were the sights of birds, howler monkeys, and iguanas incredible, along with the photos he took, but hearing about why he loves being a guide and his perspective on nature was eye opening. He told us about how he loves and cares for the rainforest and its creatures, and that you can’t protect what you don’t love, and that you can’t love what you don’t know. This discussion happened at the very end of our walk, while we were all suspended on the bridge above the river. I took a look around as he was speaking about his love and what he feels is his purpose on this earth, and I felt so grateful to have crossed paths with him and to have the fortune of going to a school like Indiana that offers students opportunities like this one to explore and experience the world. I felt the same level of gratitude when hearing from Danny, who led the tour of the organic pineapple farm that we went to on Saturday. His enthusiasm for pineapples, and his pride in the labor intensive process of growing and harvesting certified organic pineapples was contagious. He loved his work, and was so proud of his pineapples when all of us begged for more after he gave us fresh slices from a pineapple that he had plucked from the ground right before our eyes. Seeing all of these new ways of life, so deeply connected to our environment, really intersect with what Julia and I are doing for our research project. Our project is on how quality of life impacts someone’s perspective of climate change, and involves a comparison between Costa Ricans and the United States. I don’t know anyone back in the states who lives a life so deeply immersed in or affected by the weather and climate, and I really do think that everyone back north would feel more passionately about caring for the planet if they knew nature better. I can’t wait for Julia and I to get started with surveying the local community here and diving into our research.
Stepping out of my comfort zone to see and do new things has also been incredible here. On Wednesday I went on a long hike with Kyla, Audrey, and Faith after we all finished our academic work for the day, which I was borderline nervous for since none of us really knew where we were going, but it has easily been my favorite part of my experience so far. I saw so many things that I had only ever seen pictures of previously. We saw a snake in a tree high up above the river, blue Jean frogs perched on leaves above streams, and best of all, the most beautiful bird I had ever seen. While we were about two hours deep into our hike, we heard a rustle in the trees next to us and saw a perfect yellow-throated toucan. The toucan was perfectly comfortable around us, and hopped around in the tree foraging for food and just staring at us. To be fair, we were also staring right back at it, and I was mesmerized. I have never been floored by a bird before, but I couldn’t look away. For about ten minutes the five of us just stood/perched (not sure how else to describe the toucan) there, mostly in silence with only the sounds of the rainforest around us.
I cannot wait for all the new things that this next week will bring.
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