Being outside of your comfort zone is something we all somewhat fear. However, being there is how you grow as a person. I’ve learned over the last few years in college that it’s best to not fear being outside of your comfort zone, but to place yourself there and look at it in a positive light. That is why I wanted to go to Costa Rica. When I was first meeting everybody that I would be going on this adventure with, I was a little nervous. I didn’t know anybody I was going with to a country I had never been to. It took me a bit to realize that I wasn’t the only one in this situation. We all were a little uneasy and that’s what bonded us. When we’re outside of our bubble, we look for others to connect with. It’s the idea that perseverance through adversity breeds strong relationships. When you go through a tough time with others, those people are forever connected to you. I think this is what allowed us all to bond so quickly.
I did learn a great deal about the culture in Costa Rica. It was the first time where I had been in a country where the majority of the population did not speak English. We stayed with host families and ate several times at restaurants right in the city, rode public transportation, spoke to locals, and avoided flushing toilet paper. This experience was the biggest culture shock of my life and I loved it.
We also had a lot of experiences that weren’t necessarily cultural. Such as ziplining and hiking through the forest and mountains. Ziplining was one of the most adventurous and exciting things I have ever done, and when we finished I just wanted to do it again. The views from the hiking trails were surreal.
The actual physical labor and production of coffee was very interesting and at times a blast. I wasn’t a big coffee person before the trip, but after going through that experience how could I not appreciate a cup of coffee? The entire process was foreign to me, and I loved learning about all the aspects that go into the production of coffee.
The weird thing to me is that my favorite parts of the trip had almost nothing to do with being in Costa Rica. Some of my better memories come from playing card games after dinner, or funny car rides with our taxi driver, Freddy. I think this is the epitome of “popping the college bubble.” It’s not about just travelling somewhere you’ve never been, or experiencing something different from home. Sure, it’s important to expose yourself to new cultures, but what I found from the experience is that the relationships we build and the memories we create are about what we decide to make of a situation.
Trey Kenner
Sophomore Astrophysics major