We’re always proud to hear about our Outward Bound Costa Rica alumni and their amazing accomplishments. Participants of our Alumni Ambassador program help spread the word about their life changing experiences on course. If you would like to join the team and be a featured alumnus on our blog, start by filling out our Alumni Ambassador form.
Name: Samantha Warren
Hometown: Sutton, MA
Year in school/Occupation: 9th
Course attended with OBCR: Catching Waves (2015)
FAVORITE MEMORY FROM COURSE
My favorite memory was learning to ride my first wave alongside the four other girls on course with me and our amazing instructors!
FAVORITE MEAL FROM COURSE
My favorite meal I had on course was soft shell tacos that we made ourselves at our beach base. Our instructors taught us to make fresh, homemade tortillas from scratch and they were so delicious! Also, I loved the crepes and fresh fruit smoothies we had!
FAVORITE WILDLIFE INTERACTION ON COURSE
My favorite wildlife interaction was seeing the huge howler monkeys in the mangroves, just off the beach!
FAVORITE ACTIVITY FROM COURSE
My favorite activity on course was surfing, but I also loved whitewater rafting, zip lining, and our many beach games!
BIGGEST SURPRISE FROM COURSE
My biggest surprise was how close I became with all of the people I met! I would’ve never thought before I left that I’d make life-long friends from all over the country and meet role models that would completely change my views on the world and how I dreamed my life would be one day. I am so grateful for all of the wonderful people I met along the journey!
MOST VALUABLE LESSON LEARNED ON COURSE
The most valuable lesson I learned was to find happiness in everything you do.
MOST INSPIRING MOMENT FROM COURSE
My most inspiring moment on course was visiting and painting a local elementary school. I met so many little kids and saw how the smallest, most simple things made them so incredibly happy! When I visited the school, it happened to be the day that their province, Guanacaste, joined the country of Costa Rica, so they were having a traditional celebration for the occasion! They were playing games and doing other festivities and took us in and taught us to play too! I will never forget the look on one of the younger chica’s faces when we were dancing to music and I took her hands and spun her around in circles. Her face lit up with the brightest smile! Also, as we left the children’s appreciation for spending the day with them and their sadness as we had to leave almost made us all cry! This experience made me so grateful for everything I have, including running water at home and at school, and changed my ideas on what I want to do when I grow up.
DESCRIBE OUTWARD BOUND COSTA RICA IN ONE WORD
Empowering
HOW HAS YOUR EXPERIENCE WITH OUTWARD BOUND COSTA RICA HAD AN IMPACT ON YOUR FUTURE?
Outward Bound changed my perspective on many things and shifted things that I used to call priorities in my life. So overall, it changed me as a person which made a positive impact on me and my future. I used to think that people could never make their passion and gift into a career for themselves, and I used to picture myself doing something just in order to make money to do the things that make me happy. Now I realize that work can be something that makes a difference in the world and something that I am truly passionate about doing. Happiness truly can be found in anything, including a job. So for now, I’m not sure what my future will bring me, but I do know that Outward Bound has given me the confidence, skills, and realization to pursue anything I set my mind to. But on course, I learned to live in the moment, so my future is unknown, but I am making the best of right now and appreciating every second of it.
WHAT ADVICE DO YOU HAVE FOR FUTURE PARTICIPANTS OF THIS COURSE?
If I could give future participants of this course any advice, I’d tell them to be open to anything and go with the flow because you’re bound to step out of your comfort zone, and if you embrace those daring experiences, you will not only have tons of fun, but you will discover things about yourself that you never thought possible. You will realize that you are capable of much more than you may have previously given yourself credit for. I could go on and on about how trying new things on course helped me develop confidence and many life skills that school back home would never have taught me.
Want to have your own Costa Rican adventure just like Samantha? Applications are now open for our 2016 Girl Scout Destinations. If you’re not a Girl Scout, join us for a service-based course on our Summer Expeditions.