In the best way, being in the forest has reminded me just how small I am, and just how vast the universe is. This past Friday, on our last day in La Selva, a group of us – Kieran, Trin, Miyako, Roarke, Kayla, Edwin, and Biz – got together to take one more hike through the forest to soak in the vastness of the jungle, and the beauty of nature. Kieran, like always, brought the fascination for insects & arachnids to the group as he took time to spot damsel flies and horned spiders. Edwin had a keen eye for the many small lizards that scurried through the foliage. Trin and Miyako were as bubbly and kind as ever. All of us were amazed by the forest as we trodden the tiny path through the primary forest, completely surrounded by thousands of creatures living amongst the trees, sounding a symphony of chirps, croaks, and calls into the air.
It was a bit bittersweet for me, knowing that this would be the last time I walked the trails of La Selva, likely ever in my lifetime. I became so comfortable at La Selva, and the routine of it all – the lovely meals every day made by the hardworking and talented kitchen staff, nutritious and wholesome, accompanied by fresh pressed juice; waking up to the adorable family of white-lined bats who would, without fail, congregate at the screens lining the ceiling of my room. Those little things, coupled with the kindness and care of the people, made La Selva a lovely home. So, naturally, it was sentimental leaving.
I sometimes have a rather hard time coming to terms with the ending of things; there is such a finality to it. As a result, anxiety often builds within me as I realize my time dwindles, and I need to make the most of the time that is left. But what does maximizing my time look like? Appreciating something to the fullest? There is so much you can do, and so little time, how can you do it all and appreciate something as it deserves to be appreciated? But, we learned so much this week about how corporate agriculture is fantastic at maximizing efficiency, but horrible for the environment and health of wildlife and humans alike – so I try, now feeling my anxiety build as my time in Costa Rica with these lovely people slowly dwindles away, to take a breath and relax, and appreciate what I have, and not focus on the despondency of endings and what all could have been done but was not. Instead, I will try to focus on living in the moment, and appreciating the curious, unexpected present – as, ultimately, appreciation is accepting and loving what you have and had, and not dwelling on what could have been.
But back to the forest, and our small place in the world – it is fascinating to me how minuscule we really are, and how vast this world is. But just because we are each small, it doesn’t mean we are meaningless. Rather, quite the opposite.
The reason? There are many, and we could look to the forest for answers. Just yesterday we traveled from La Selva to Tortuguero and had the opportunity to go on a two hour hike around the area. This new location is a much more manicured existence – tree foliage is blown away for aesthetics, and paths are well established with concrete. It’s an ecotourism spot, so this pacification of nature for human comfort and ease makes sense. But with that said, we were able to see two sloths, an anteater, iguanas, spider monkeys, and howler monkeys!! Anyway, to my point – during this tour, the tour guide pointed out a heliconia, a red lobster-claw looking plant that grows in clusters all around Costa Rica. What was interesting was the flower – it was curved; and low-and-behold, the pollinator of the plant was a hummingbird with a curved beak! The plant even grew in a way that allowed for the hummingbird to have a perch to sit on as it takes nectar. The birds are small, but they have a place in the universe, one that compliments them very well.
Related is another factoid our tour guide told us – as it turns out, the leaf cutter ants my classmates and I have grown to love so much are vital to the rainforest ecosystem. In fact, if they went away, the entire jungle would collapse! Tiny, but mighty, they are important for the sustenance of the gorgeous, beautiful forest we have the privilege to exist within.
And to shift gears a bit, but still focusing on meaning and purpose within our world, I turn to a project that has taken up a great portion of my attention for the past week: Trin and I’s social survey. For this, we had the privilege of going into the local town in Sarapiqui near La Selva for a total of 6 hours in data collection, spanning two days. This village was perfect, because it wasn’t inundated with tourist attractions and merchandise, but instead showed an authentic glimpse of Costa Rican life. I was grateful for all the people who gifted us their time and attention in completing our survey, and being so patient with our Spanish. But each and every person we interviewed, from street vendors, bakers, auto-shop workers, and more, had vital and critical insight. Their opinions and experiences matter. And I could not help walking away wondering more about the locals’ lives – what got them there, what are their hopes, dreams? No matter who you are or where you live, you have a place in a community, and a story to tell.
So I come to the crux of my point – though we are small, in a great big world, our stories and lives matter. We each have the power to impact those around us, and make a difference. And together, we are even stronger. And at the same time, with how vast the world is, it’s important to know you can’t take everything in at once – breathe, take in what you can, and appreciate every precious moment, and do the best you can during it.
Pura Vida, and here is to appreciating and experiencing the journey of life!! So excited for what is in store next week! 🙂
Thank you to all the professors, locals, wildlife, and friends I’ve made – this experience has been invaluable because of all of you <3
Marinna 🙂
Leave a Reply