This month, we said adiós to a group of young adults that we have seen thrive over the course of their 85-day Coast to Coast Expedition! These students were the first to complete one of our COVID-19 adjusted semester programs in Costa Rica and Panama. We take a look back at their experience and what they have achieved during their semester abroad.
This group spent the first part of their course completing a 14-day quarantine together at our rainforest base. On arrival, they had a tour of the surrounding reserve (where they could go for walks and runs in the morning or during their downtime) and spent plenty of time getting to know one another, taking a dip in the river, playing volleyball, spike ball, and foosball!
During this quarantine, they earned two of the seven certifications offered on this course: Wilderness First Responder and Recreational Rappel Operator. These two weeks were full of lessons, hands-on practice sessions, tree climbing and rappels, and Wilderness First Responder (WFR) scenarios. On Day 11, the students were cleared to complete the last few days of their quarantine mask-free in their pod!
Next, the group headed to Rio Sarapiquí and Rio Pacuare to earn their Whitewater Rescue Technician and Whitewater Raft Guide certifications. While learning rescue techniques, water hydraulics, guiding, and individual inflatable kayak navigation, the group also built camaraderie, teamwork, and friendships during their time on the river.
After mastering some of the best rivers in the world for whitewater rafting, the group returned to base for some reflection time. The students completed a 48 hour ‘Solo’ behind our rainforest base to reflect on all that they’d learned so far, their life, where they are headed, and more. Students were strategically placed with distance between each of them with supplies, a tent or tarp (their choice!), and methods to call for any assistance needed to their instructors. This is always an impactful point for all our semester groups to take the next step in their personal growth.
Then, it was time to head to our beach base on the Central Pacific Coast of Costa Rica for scuba and some surf! Having already completed the initial part of their training for their Lifeguarding with Waterfront Module and NAUI Scuba Diver Certification, it was time to put all they had learned into practice. While scuba diving amongst tropical coral reefs, they managed to spot eel, pufferfish, stingrays, starfish, parrotfish, lobsters, and clownfish (or “Nemos” as the group called them!).
When it came to learning to ride the waves during their surf phase, the students had a special guest along to keep them company: OBCR pup Caly! This is Instructor Bailey’s pup who is an occasional guest for superbly performing groups. She became such an integral part of the group that the students insisted on giving Caly her own chair in their nightly meeting!
At this point of the program, the group took on one of the most rewarding and challenging parts of the expedition: the cross-country from one coast of Costa Rica to the other! This is a mentally and physically challenging phase and the group did an incredible job at supporting one another and working together alongside their instructors. They also gained a vast amount of knowledge about Tico culture by seeing the full scope of the entire country.
Once they completed their impressive 22-day trek, the group celebrated their accomplishments and enjoyed recovering at the beach. They went to Dominicalito where the group swam at the base of a waterfall & outlook point & they enjoyed some nice small waves to get back into the swing of surfing. On the last day of surfing the group went to Jaco, the biggest surf spot in Costa Rica. Here, they started the day with a hike to an outlook point of the entire beach and finished the day off with an epic surf!
The goal of the group’s final phase was for the students to take everything they’ve learned over their course experience and put it all together to operate autonomously. They planned their menu, packed their bags, and organized campsite setups before setting out on a three-day rafting expedition on Rio General. They finished their epic experience by ziplining through the rainforest canopy celebrating their achievements with a final dinner and ceremony! On their arrival back home, the students reflected on their time with OBCR:
“This course challenged me both mentally and physically and it made me realize that I am capable of so much more than I think, and I am very grateful for that. I feel so much more confident to push myself out of my comfort zone and to do things that might intimidate me. I gained so much self-confidence and independence during this course and I am forever grateful for my instructors and group members for making my experience unforgettable.” – Lily
“This trip sparked a sense of passion in me that I haven’t ever felt and made me feel like it was just the beginning of the rest of my life. OBCR gave me so much and much more than I could’ve ever asked for, and I’m so grateful for it all. My advice to future travelers on this program would be to keep an open mind and always expect the unexpected.” – Thomas
Ready to join us in Costa Rica and Panama? Check out our fall Gap Year & Semester Courses.