Where Pura Vida Began
I had to go back to Facebook to find the photos and I could only find 7. I haven’t been on Facebook actively in a few years. This trip was full of firsts, and it ignited the fire I feel whenever I travel that’s been burning ever since. Welcome to my travel origin story.
Imagine: the summer before senior year, 2012, 17 years old, first time away from family that far for that long (10 days in Costa Rica). I was anxious and so incredibly excited — I just received a 5 on the AP Spanish Exam and at the time, my Spanish was the best it has ever been. Like roll off the tongue, damn near native sounding. For context, that was over 13 years ago and, although I’m still bilingual, now there’s more hesitationon my end of conversation than there ever was then. Just a few days before I left for this trip, I came back from a family reunion cruise to the Bahamas with my grandparents. First international trip then, and now first international trip with no family. Thrilling, I know. Also, first born, eldest daughter and granddaughter, sheltered, talented and gifted program, etc. LOL.
The trip was designed for language and cultural immersion with classes, a homestay and adventure activities like white water rafting and waterfall rappelling. I know I wanted to go but knew my parents couldn’t afford to pay for it out of pocket. This is why closed mouths don’t get fed: I talked to my wonderful Spanish teacher, the legendary Cappy Lewis, and she somehow worked with my parents and the school to get me on that trip. That truly was the beginning of my love for travel and I’m forever grateful to her and my parents.
I don’t remember all the details of the trip, but we took classes for half days and lived with a homestay for the first 5 days, then moved around the last 5. We stayed in or near Heredia. One of the things we did was go to a coffee plantation (it doesn’t have the same connotation there as it does here) called Cafe Britt. That’s when I fell in love with foreign coffee. Maxwell House and Folgers ain’t got shit on them. Ever since then, when I’m able to bring some back from a different country, I make it a point to do so and get a mug to go with it. My familia tica was so kind, and my mama tica gifted me a beautifully bold, yellow coffee mug. It has a small chip and a crack, but I still have it and drink from it today. I hope they’re doing well. I was paired with a girl who at the time spoke a little Spanish, so it was cool to be a translator between her and the family. It was a great way for me to practice Spanish and for them to practice their English. They were so warm and sweet. I wish I remember their names. Each time I’ve visited Costa Rica, los ticos have always been warm and kind.
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I remember the classes being pretty easy for me. The adventures though were truly thrilling. I remember hiking up to Poas Volcano and the crater inside was a pale blue. On the way up (or down), our guide stopped by these giant leaves (pictured). They are called “the poor man’s umbrella” because the leaves are big enough to use as a biodegradable umbrella. I remember going to Manuel Antonio National Park and Playa Manuel Antonio, and staying at this super cool, open air, rainforest hotel not far from the beach. I can’t remember the name, but the balcony literally overlooked the jungle.
I remember hiking through the “countryside/jungle” to get to the waterfall down which we were going to rappel. I volunteered to go down first and it was one of the most thrilling things I’ve ever done. Pictured is the before and after going down. It was so much fun.
I also remember going whitewater rafting, and volunteering to be “the bull” in El Toro. That’s when one person holds another by the shoulders of the life jacket over the front of the raft. It was terrifying because my classmate let me slip to chest level in the water, and I was afraid my legs would be shredded by the rocks below. Thankfully I came out unscratched. I’ve been rafting twice since, once again in Costa Rica in 2023 and in Ecuador in 2024.
I also remember eating some of the best chicken nachos I’ve ever had in my entire life, even to this day, at some random spot on the second day there, maybe? And although I don’t recall having a bad meal, I remember becoming tired of rice and beans, or gallo pinto as the ticos call it. I also remember it being someone’s birthday and saying, “I don’t usually take shots, but when I do, it’s water.”
This trip was life changing, and it opened the door literally to the world for me. I learned and grew so much in those 10 days. The most important thing I learned is that each time I travel, I find more of myself that I didn’t know needed discovering. And I’ve been traveling pretty much ever since, whether for study, work, or pleasure. A few months before graduation, I went on a Habitat for Humanity build in Bolivia for 10 days in 2013, studied abroad in Spain for 5 weeks in 2016, cruised to places like Mexico, Cuba, the Bahamas and the Keys between 2017 and 2020, and organized and helped lead student trips across Latin America and Europe between 2021 and 2025. 19 countries and counting.
I hope you enjoy my journey of sharing my travels with you, and I hope it inspires you to travel too. Finally, I hope you get to see my vision, of educational travel for all to experience the same kinda joy I do when traveling, come to life. The world is the greatest classroom after all. If you want to keep up with how the journey unfolds, follow me on UpScrolled @adventures_witbreezy and IG @adventures_wthbreezy. Enjoy the ride.
