If you’ve decided to spend your summer hiking with Outward Bound Costa Rica, then you’re in for a life changing experience. Hiking through the rainforest during the Rainforest Hike and Homestay, staying in remote villages, testing your physical and mental strength, will change the way you view yourself and the world. At Outward Bound Costa Rica, we know how impactful an experience like this can be. We want you to leave us with as many memories, new knowledge, and confidence gained as possible. Read through these tips before you start your expedition to help you get the most out of your time here!
1. Keep a Journal
Naturally, the best way to remember details is to write them down. Carry a small notebook and pen during your hike, and take a few minutes at the end of every day to write down a few thoughts. Try and vary your journal entries from not just things you did that day, but how you felt about those things. Are you enjoying Costa Rica? Did you discover a love for the rainforest that you didn’t expect to find? Writing your thoughts from the day as well as what you did physically will allow you to see how you grew mentally from the beginning to end of your course.
2. Pay Attention
When your tired, hungry, sweaty or wet from the rain, its easy for our brains to shut down and just stare at our shoes for the rest of the hike. Checking out mentally will leave you missing critical details of your trip. To keep yourself alert and paying attention, keep up an interesting conversation with one of your fellow course members, keep your eyes looking up instead of down, and try to concentrate on the nature that surrounds you rather than on how much longer you have in your hike.
3. Leave the Technology at Home
We do you a favor with this one by implementing a no technology policy while on course with Outward Bound Costa Rica. We do this to enable our students to live in the moment without worrying about what time it is or what friends back home are doing. Our hope is that by disconnecting from your phone, you will reconnect with the nature and new friends that will surround you during your time with us.
4. Stay Positive
We’ll admit, some parts of your hike will be hard. Your body and mind probably aren’t used to hiking through remote parts of the rainforest. It’s like the saying “when the going gets tough, the tough get going.” When your hike gets hard, keep your mind going with positive thoughts. Think of how accomplished you will feel at the end and how lucky you are to be exploring a new part of the world. You’ll be surprised how much small, simple, positive thoughts will keep your spirits up when the going gets tough.
5. Bring Lessons from the Rainforest Home with You
Whether it’s a new appreciation for nature or the knowledge that you are capable of more than you previously thought, we hope you can find ways to integrate whatever you learned here into your life back home. The biggest impact an Outward Bound course can have on you is the lasting impact- the one that is still with you five, ten or 20 years down the road, so start applying those lessons to your life right away. The longer you wait, the harder it will be to do!
Watch our video to learn more about the Rainforest Hike and Homestay, and visit our program page to learn how you can apply!