· Usually Sunday mornings for us college students consist of
procrastinated deadlines, Netflix marathons, loads of dirty laundry, and piles
of homework. But nope, not this Sunday! After a solid night of sleep, we woke
up to the sounds and sunshine outside our window. It was a pleasure not seeing
dorms and concrete, but instead the lush flora and fauna of Costa Rica. We
began our morning hike with delicious pineapples, mangoes, and watermelons
swirling about in our happy tummies. Let’s just say that Albert, our tour
guide, is the craziest ninja turtle alive. We’re pretty sure he was born and
raised in the rainforest by serpientes (that means snake). His ability to spot
even the smallest of life is absolutely impeccable. As soon as anything was
spotted, Albert’s natural animalistic instincts would make him shout the phrase
“1…2…GRAB!” and before you knew it, the spotted species was in his hands.
Ninja, straight ninja I tell you. He picked up everything from lizards to frogs
to insects of all types. He even let a spider crawl up his arm. Ew. As we
continued our journey towards the waterfall, we encountered rigorous terrain.
Since we didn’t work on our Spring Break bod prior to this trip, the hike was
quite the workout. It seemed as though the uphill portion of the hike lasted
FOREVERRRR! But alas, the waterfall was in sight! You could hear the roaring of
the water all throughout the rainforest, but in that moment, it became
prominent. Once we all turned the corner, our jaws dropped, our minds switched
to little kid mode, and our smile stretched from ear to ear. It didn’t take
long for all of us to submerge ourselves into the gloriously cold water. It was
a wee bit nippy mate, but we didn’t care because for the first time in a long
time, the weight of the world seemed to be lifted off our shoulders. In that
moment we weren’t worried about school, grades, relationships, or social media,
but the serenity of the environment around us. In the states, we wouldn’t get
the chance to view a waterfall in such a way. There are restrictions that keep
us from experiencing nature to the fullest. But here, you truly were one with
nature. It was as if time had stopped and pure happiness took over. We could’ve
stayed there all day, but lunch was calling our name. As we stuffed our bellies
with rice and beans, chicken, and the addicting caramel ice cream (yummy), we
got the chance to talk to the staff of the Soltis Center, a first time
experience for not only us but for the program itself. It started off a wee bit
awkward as we tried to communicate and break the language barrier. The
conversation started with common questions such as “what’s your favorite
color?” and “do you have any siblings?” and quickly evolved into “will you go
to the beach with me?” and salsa dancing lessons. Luckily, there were a few of
us who knew Spanish well enough to keep the conversations flowing. What seemed
to be such a simple task turned into a rewarding and memorable experience that
we were all grateful for. We accepted the challenge and rose to the occasion. Even
though sounding stupid was inevitable, they encouraged us and we encouraged the
staff to engage in the other’s culture. As we stuffed ourselves once again with
more rice and beans, Albert decided to take half of the group on a daring and
treacherous night hike that fortunately your bloggers got to be apart of!
Albert informed us that he hadn’t taken any other group on this route before
because not only was it a likely spot to find a Ferdinand snake, but a mission
where legs could’ve easily been broken and butts bruised due to the slippery
rocks and unconventional path. But we seized the opportunity and thank goodness
we did because it was an unforgettable night. Sloths were seen, snakes were
held, and giant frogs peed in Albert’s hand. On our journey to find Costa
Rica’s most exotic animals, we slowly and steadily followed Albert (aka Tarzan)
and his trusty flashlight through the dahhhrk rainforest. Just as we were about
to make our way back to the Soltis Center, Albert asked us to take a moment and
turn not only our flashlights off but every worry and concern that was
occupying our mind. There was complete silence from us as we listened to the
heart of the rainforest. It was absolutely astonishing in how that very moment
we felt so small compared to the world around us. We soaked in everything that
rainforest had to offer and came out smiling a little bit bigger than we had
ever before. It was a moment that was truly breathtaking. We learned today to
take a step back and grab the opportunities that the world has to offer. We
learned to set aside fear and seize the moment. We were greatly inspired by the
love that Albert displays on a daily basis towards the rainforest and its life.
It’s crazy how one individual can show so much passion for something that an
average college student would take for granted. We could only hope that in our
lives we will have the opportunity to find something we could love just as much
as Albert loves his rainforest.
Yours truly (XOXO),
Yours truly (XOXO),
Chase Kavcak and Mehvish Asif
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