Meet our Fall 2022 Residential Gap Semester group as they get together to reflect on their 65-day adventure in Costa Rica and Panama...
Trenton Mayberry (18 ~ Florida), Anneke Smeenk (18 ~ New York), Katherine Marriott (18 ~ New York), Duncan O’Connell (18 ~ Arizona), and Nadia McCollister (18 ~ Vermont)
Anneke, what did you learn during this semester in Costa Rica?
We learned about everything from sustainable living and indigenous cultures to scuba diving and sea turtle arribadas. There were so many different insanely interesting modules that I couldn’t pick a favorite even if I tried. We were always doing something new every day, and the hands-on, out of the classroom way we learned really made every experience one of a kind. I learned how to identify different kinds of bats by hiking into a cave and watching them zip past us overhead. I learned more about sea turtles under the moonlight while quietly lying next to a mother Olive Ridley sea turtle as she performed the “dance” her species is known for to compact the sand on top of her clutch. We also learned about the indigenous community, Boruca, and their traditional wooden hand carved masks by getting to paint some of our own under their guidance. Staying in Costa Rica for two months, we learned a lot about the history, language, and culture.
Nadia said, “I’m happy I picked up a little of the language. I have never studied Spanish, but was excited to start learning because it’s a common language heard when traveling.” Our entire group earned their NAUI scuba diver certifications, even though most of us had never even been diving prior to this course! For Katherine, the way we learned about ocean life through scuba diving amazed her. “I loved that we studied the fish we had seen during the dive that day, that way learned so much more about them,” she told me, “it made me feel so connected to everything we saw. I could look at a fish and say ‘That’s a grouper!’ or ‘That’s a whitespotted filefish!’ It was really cool!”
We learned more about ourselves too. Duncan said, “I learned more about my personal strengths and weaknesses that I would not have discovered back home. Traveling in Costa Rica has been an amazing way to find out more about me because of all the new experiences and encounters.”
Katherine was able to find an entirely new part of her personality: “I learned how to be more confident in myself and I discovered that I am more of an extrovert than I ever thought. If you asked me three months ago I would’ve laughed and said I’m an introvert all the way. But since being down here, I’ve never felt like I needed down time to recharge socially, it’s uncovered a whole new side of myself I didn’t know existed.” Nadia said she was happy to have learned to “be independent and have my own voice, but also be part of a team.” While we were on our Outward Bound course, we had to learn how to excel independently, where we had assigned roles daily, and as a team, where various activities were group oriented. Trenton said, “I learned a lot about myself as a person and a lot of life lessons I will be taking back home with me.”
Whether it’s taking care of the chickens on base (our favorite is Valentina!) or learning to cook Costa Rican dishes together, we’ve become an amazing team and I honestly hope to travel with the people I’ve met here again. Learning and growing with them is going to be something I’ll never forget!
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Nadia said, “I’m happy I picked up a little of the language. I have never studied Spanish, but was excited to start learning because it’s a common language heard when traveling.” Our entire group earned their NAUI scuba diver certifications, even though most of us had never even been diving prior to this course! For Katherine, the way we learned about ocean life through scuba diving amazed her. “I loved that we studied the fish we had seen during the dive that day, that way learned so much more about them,” she told me, “it made me feel so connected to everything we saw. I could look at a fish and say ‘That’s a grouper!’ or ‘That’s a whitespotted filefish!’ It was really cool!”
We learned more about ourselves too. Duncan said, “I learned more about my personal strengths and weaknesses that I would not have discovered back home. Traveling in Costa Rica has been an amazing way to find out more about me because of all the new experiences and encounters.”
Katherine was able to find an entirely new part of her personality: “I learned how to be more confident in myself and I discovered that I am more of an extrovert than I ever thought. If you asked me three months ago I would’ve laughed and said I’m an introvert all the way. But since being down here, I’ve never felt like I needed down time to recharge socially, it’s uncovered a whole new side of myself I didn’t know existed.” Nadia said she was happy to have learned to “be independent and have my own voice, but also be part of a team.” While we were on our Outward Bound course, we had to learn how to excel independently, where we had assigned roles daily, and as a team, where various activities were group oriented. Trenton said, “I learned a lot about myself as a person and a lot of life lessons I will be taking back home with me.”
Whether it’s taking care of the chickens on base (our favorite is Valentina!) or learning to cook Costa Rican dishes together, we’ve become an amazing team and I honestly hope to travel with the people I’ve met here again. Learning and growing with them is going to be something I’ll never forget!
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Trenton, why did you come to Costa Rica?
Personally, I could say that I came to Costa Rica for the experience, culture, foods, or to meet new people. Although those are all true, the actual reason I came to Costa Rica was the fact that I was having some troubles back home. It was my senior year of high school and my grades were not the best, my relationship with my parents declined substantially, and my grandfather passed away from COVID in February of 2022. I needed a break from life back home to take a second to find myself, reminisce on the past and look into my future. The rest of the members of my group discussed how they had already wanted to take a gap year and were just trying to decide which course they wanted to choose, which was really easy when it came down to OBCR.
Duncan stated that, “Going to Costa Rica for two months seemed like a great start to my gap year!” Nadia mentioned, “Finding this program was unexpected, but as soon as I heard what this program had to offer, I knew that was exactly where I wanted to go.” She later said, “I also didn’t want to dive into my future head first, blind. So getting to travel gave me time to really think about what I might wish to do in the future.” Anneke contributed, “Outward Bound Costa Rica’s Residential group offered so many amazing opportunities. I also wanted to enhance my Spanish, become more self-sufficient to prepare myself for college, and look for a place to learn other than a classroom.” Katherine said, “What attracted me to this specific course was the more intellectual side to it. We did research on topics that interested us, went on trips to see green energy sources, learned about volcanoes and we even had lessons in marine science, which was my favorite! Outward Bound Costa Rica is the only Outward Bound course that offers scuba diving which is something that I have always wanted to do.”
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Duncan stated that, “Going to Costa Rica for two months seemed like a great start to my gap year!” Nadia mentioned, “Finding this program was unexpected, but as soon as I heard what this program had to offer, I knew that was exactly where I wanted to go.” She later said, “I also didn’t want to dive into my future head first, blind. So getting to travel gave me time to really think about what I might wish to do in the future.” Anneke contributed, “Outward Bound Costa Rica’s Residential group offered so many amazing opportunities. I also wanted to enhance my Spanish, become more self-sufficient to prepare myself for college, and look for a place to learn other than a classroom.” Katherine said, “What attracted me to this specific course was the more intellectual side to it. We did research on topics that interested us, went on trips to see green energy sources, learned about volcanoes and we even had lessons in marine science, which was my favorite! Outward Bound Costa Rica is the only Outward Bound course that offers scuba diving which is something that I have always wanted to do.”
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Duncan, how did your time in Costa Rica impact you?
My time in Costa Rica really helped me reflect on a lot of things back home. Being able to travel is the best breath of fresh air possible and really allowed me to think about decisions from small things to the big life changing ones I’m supposed to make at this age. People say I shouldn’t run from my problems, but who said I couldn’t take a vacation? I was not the only one whose experience here had a great impact on them, Trenton mentioned how grateful he was for things such as a roof over his head, food, and his phone. He also talked about how his experience here helped him know the value and importance of different things in his life such as work, school, friends, family and how he wants to focus on what’s important to him. Anneke talked about how she had to adapt and become flexible to fit in with new settings and environments but also, throughout this process, found a second family far from home. Katherine became more appreciative of her life experiences and the people she knows, especially her family. Nadia talked about how getting to live with people from many different places and backgrounds gave her interesting experiences and new skills with social interactions.
Nadia, what will change when you return home?
Being here has opened my eyes to so much. Now I see that we live a life with so much privilege and access to a lot of stuff. The fact is I now see that, with having less, you can be just as happy. I will also be cooking a lot more when I’m home. This has been something I have always wanted to learn, but was never willing to put the time or energy into. Katherine mentioned that she would like to make the traditional dishes she learned for her family back home, and continue to cook and learn new dishes too. There’s a certain satisfaction that comes with cooking for yourself. Anneke added that she would love to share the food she learned to make and the Latin music she found with her family. She also mentioned how, before a meal, she wants to continue the tradition of saying something you’re thankful for. She even learned that doing more day-to-day and having a fast paced environment is something she likes.
Trenton added that he will be more productive at home and work, as well as improve his mentality on life and the way he treats other people around him. Then, he would like to do more to benefit his community. Duncan says that he always liked the outdoors but found himself becoming disconnected in recent years. Being in Costa Rica has inspired him to reestablish that connection and explore the beautiful areas back home more.
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Trenton added that he will be more productive at home and work, as well as improve his mentality on life and the way he treats other people around him. Then, he would like to do more to benefit his community. Duncan says that he always liked the outdoors but found himself becoming disconnected in recent years. Being in Costa Rica has inspired him to reestablish that connection and explore the beautiful areas back home more.
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Katherine, what will you remember most?
Looking back at this experience, there are so many things that stood out to us that we all found it hard to pick just one or two to share. For me, however, SCUBA diving was a big one. Especially the moment I was about to fall backward into pitch black water for the night dive. I was sitting on the edge of the boat and couldn’t see anything down below or around me. Falling into the water, it was just darkness but then I would move and tiny glowing lights would twinkle and disappear in a flash. It was magical. The cool thing about this program was that, because we did so many activities, each of us remembers something different that stands out. For Anneke, the indigenous community of Boruca made a huge impact. “It really gave me insight into my own life,” she told me, “and the appreciation that they had for everything around them really made me think about how I could change my own world view for the better.”
But, it’s not just big cultural moments that make an impact. During the course, Anneke had her 18th birthday (and of course we celebrated it!). It was her first birthday away from home and without family, so we were all so excited to make it memorable for her. As Trenton points out, it isn’t necessarily an activity we did that is what we’ll look back on, but the friendships we’ve formed. “I will remember the people in my group and the bonds we have created, these are friendships I want to last forever, people I would travel with for the rest of my life.” I couldn’t have said it any better myself.
Duncan is on board with the traveling plan that’s for sure. He recounted a time at his school’s travel club sharing a quote the teacher said, “You never forget the people you travel with.” He continued on in agreement saying, “That is most definitely true.” I certainly can’t argue with him. Having been complete strangers less than two months ago, I now can’t remember my life without knowing them. We’ve traveled all over Costa Rica, spent time on the highest peaks of volcanoes and dove around the deepest parts of shipwrecks together. I think Nadia sums it up perfectly when she says, “I can’t honestly tell you what I will remember most because I hope I don’t forget anything from my trip. It has all been eye-opening and breathtaking. The friendships have been so special to me and I hope to keep in contact with everyone I’ve met here and maybe we will travel to see each other or plan a trip together in the future.”
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But, it’s not just big cultural moments that make an impact. During the course, Anneke had her 18th birthday (and of course we celebrated it!). It was her first birthday away from home and without family, so we were all so excited to make it memorable for her. As Trenton points out, it isn’t necessarily an activity we did that is what we’ll look back on, but the friendships we’ve formed. “I will remember the people in my group and the bonds we have created, these are friendships I want to last forever, people I would travel with for the rest of my life.” I couldn’t have said it any better myself.
Duncan is on board with the traveling plan that’s for sure. He recounted a time at his school’s travel club sharing a quote the teacher said, “You never forget the people you travel with.” He continued on in agreement saying, “That is most definitely true.” I certainly can’t argue with him. Having been complete strangers less than two months ago, I now can’t remember my life without knowing them. We’ve traveled all over Costa Rica, spent time on the highest peaks of volcanoes and dove around the deepest parts of shipwrecks together. I think Nadia sums it up perfectly when she says, “I can’t honestly tell you what I will remember most because I hope I don’t forget anything from my trip. It has all been eye-opening and breathtaking. The friendships have been so special to me and I hope to keep in contact with everyone I’ve met here and maybe we will travel to see each other or plan a trip together in the future.”
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Finally, all of you, how did your time change or reinforce your interests or passions?
Katherine responded that you can’t go through an experience like two months completely emerged in Costa Rica WITHOUT personal growth and change. We all thought we came here for different reasons but really we all came for the same one. We needed a reset. Regardless of whether it was family, school, etc., we all just needed a fresh start before moving forward. When asked this question, Trenton found himself looking ahead, “I had it implanted in my mind that I needed a well-paying job, higher class status, however after being in Costa Rica and seeing all the different communities I realized that you have to do what makes you happy. So, instead of following my career as a pilot I will be going to school for Marine Biology to later become a Marine Biologist.” For him, his interests have changed quite a lot but he’s learned to put his happiness first.
Anneke had previous passions reignited and new interests sparked saying, “this trip really got me back into clean energy and climate friendly ideas like a 0km kitchen (the idea to locally source ingredients). After Boruca, I have found that I have become worlds more interested in indigenous cultures and their sustainable lifestyles.” As for myself, I loved the ocean long before this trip and have been planning on studying marine science for a while now, but I had never been SCUBA diving before. Experiencing the underwater world as a diver (and getting SCUBA certified) has only made me more fascinated with marine life.
Nadia gained an even deeper appreciation for the outdoors and shared that, “Being here in Costa Rica has made me so grateful for getting to travel as much and as far as I’ve gone. I have always loved the outdoors and using my whole body in whatever I am doing. Whether it’s walking through a community to see how they live or swimming in the ocean I just always want to be outside in the world, moving.” And Duncan made a pact with himself saying that he, “will for sure be more brave and willing to try new things. Going to Costa Rica for two months is a huge deal and scary. But after being here and having a blast I feel more confident and also passionate about experiencing new things that may not always be in my comfort zone.” At Outward Bound Costa Rica we learn that there are three “learning zones.” The “comfort zone,” “challenge zone,” and the “panic zone.” The “comfort zone” is safe, it’s home. The “challenge zone” is anything that pushes you outside of your “comfort zone” but that isn’t a no. The “panic zone” is anything that makes you say no (or panic). All five of us can agree that this trip was in our challenge zones, as were many of the activities we did, but if you only live in your comfort zone you will miss out on amazing experiences and opportunities. Life is a balance of comfort and challenge, Outward Bound Costa Rica has definitely been a challenge but a truly life changing one that none of us will ever be forgetting.
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Anneke had previous passions reignited and new interests sparked saying, “this trip really got me back into clean energy and climate friendly ideas like a 0km kitchen (the idea to locally source ingredients). After Boruca, I have found that I have become worlds more interested in indigenous cultures and their sustainable lifestyles.” As for myself, I loved the ocean long before this trip and have been planning on studying marine science for a while now, but I had never been SCUBA diving before. Experiencing the underwater world as a diver (and getting SCUBA certified) has only made me more fascinated with marine life.
Nadia gained an even deeper appreciation for the outdoors and shared that, “Being here in Costa Rica has made me so grateful for getting to travel as much and as far as I’ve gone. I have always loved the outdoors and using my whole body in whatever I am doing. Whether it’s walking through a community to see how they live or swimming in the ocean I just always want to be outside in the world, moving.” And Duncan made a pact with himself saying that he, “will for sure be more brave and willing to try new things. Going to Costa Rica for two months is a huge deal and scary. But after being here and having a blast I feel more confident and also passionate about experiencing new things that may not always be in my comfort zone.” At Outward Bound Costa Rica we learn that there are three “learning zones.” The “comfort zone,” “challenge zone,” and the “panic zone.” The “comfort zone” is safe, it’s home. The “challenge zone” is anything that pushes you outside of your “comfort zone” but that isn’t a no. The “panic zone” is anything that makes you say no (or panic). All five of us can agree that this trip was in our challenge zones, as were many of the activities we did, but if you only live in your comfort zone you will miss out on amazing experiences and opportunities. Life is a balance of comfort and challenge, Outward Bound Costa Rica has definitely been a challenge but a truly life changing one that none of us will ever be forgetting.
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