We catch up with Anne-Marie and Danny as they come to the end of their summer internships with OBCR.
The funny thing is, we couldn’t be more different. Danny consistently starts his days off with coffee (he likes to say that his first cup is like a warm hug). I can’t function without coffee. I drink more than the rest of the office staff combined. Luckily, Costa Rica has some of the best coffee in the world, and I quickly learned how to use a chorreador (a popular brewing device). On the other hand, I prefer to begin my mornings with a swim or a run in Costa Rica’s Central Valley. You couldn’t catch me exercising before 9 AM if my life depended on it. After 9 AM either, if we’re being completely honest. Hahahaha, well that is true. Despite our many differences and being born on different continents (Danny was born and raised near Chicago and I’m French), we both have a passion for traveling, learning languages, and discovering new cultures. Danny and I were supposed to intern for Outward Bound Costa Rica (OBCR) in the summer of 2020, but the program was canceled because of COVID. We feel extremely lucky to have been able to come this year instead.
We started and ended our days together. We like to joke about the fact that we spent every waking moment of the day together, except when we were showering or going to the bathroom. It’s a miracle we didn’t drive each other crazy. We spent so much time together and got along so well that some people started calling us Dan Marie/siblings. Our short walk up the hill to the office was always paired with a language lesson, where I taught Danny “essential” French expressions, swears, or popular song lyrics. On s’amusait bien ensemble. Then, our busy work days would begin. We typically rolled our chairs out to the balcony, our favorite “office” space, and enjoyed a stunning view of the rainforest. Our responsibilities varied from day to day but we typically managed student enrollments, wrote press articles and releases, interviewed students, and carried out a variety of other activities needed to help Outward Bound Costa Rica’s summer programs run smoothly.
I’ll admit, Excel was not my friend before this internship. I’d never used it for more than a school project. That certainly didn’t stop you from stating that you had a mastery of Excel on your resume ahaha… Shhhh Anne-Marie, they don’t need to know that. Anyway, the internship required that I use Excel practically every day. OBCR was great at teaching me the ropes, but Anne-Marie taught me little tips and tricks that really made me a master. For real this time, I swear. We’ve learned a lot from each other and the other amazing people here. OBCR is truly made up of an incredible group of kind, generous, and sincere individuals, all of whom are passionate about what they do. It’s been a gift to be a part of the team, even if it was just for a summer.
Although we spent all of our Saturdays on airport runs, picking up and dropping off students traveling to and from countries all over the world, we also had the opportunity to go on our own adventures. From hiking up a river for hours to reach a gorgeous waterfall, to exploring San José and taking a five-hour bus ride to the Caribbean Coast, we had the time of our lives exploring Costa Rica and learning about all it has to offer. One of my favorite Dan Marie outings of the summer was going to the Lankester Botanical Garden in Cartago. I love plants – I have over a hundred houseplants back home – and seeing them in their native habitat was incredible. I’ll never forget dragging Anne-Marie along the trail to show her yet another plant I knew and telling her way too many fun facts along the way. I’d have to say that one of my favorite moments of the summer was when we traveled to the Coast. The bus stop we were dropped off at was located on the beach. As soon as we stepped off the bus, Danny and I looked at each other, dropped our bags, and ran straight into the water, where we swam and sang songs for the better part of an hour.
Above all, we adored tasting the country’s culinary treasures. Patacones (double-fried plantains) are my favorite. I tried them at every restaurant we went to. Plantains were definitely a highlight for both of us. We had them for the first time here, in Costa Rica. Now, we eat them as often as possible and in any way we can: fried, baked, grilled, in pancakes, or in bread; we don’t discriminate. Other must-tries are gallo pinto (traditional Costa Rican rice and beans), chifrijo (pico de gallo, tortilla chips, and chicharrón pork pieces), and enyucados (peppers, beef, onions, and seasoning wrapped in a yucca-based dough). The list could go on to include the wide variety of delicious, fresh, and locally grown fruits and vegetables, but we’ll let you discover those yourselves when you come to Costa Rica.
While our journey with nonprofits began years ago and will continue long after Outward Bound Costa Rica, our paths will likely look pretty different. I’m moving back to Chicago at the end of the summer and plan to work at a local nonprofit I interned with in 2018. I don’t know how long I’ll stay in the United States, but I’ll be searching for my next chance to move abroad and experience what the world has to offer. Soon, I will be starting my year of service as a Team Leader with the AmeriCorps NCCC. I like to go with the flow so we’ll see what the future holds for me after that, but I would love to continue traveling and working with different nonprofits all around the world. We’re both definitely looking forward to hearing stories about each other’s future adventures.
To be honest, despite the occasional chaos, stress, and last-minute changes associated with picking up large groups of eager students from the airport all summer, the very worst run for me was the last one, when I had to see Danny off. Yet, while our adventure working with Outward Bound Costa Rica may have come to a close, our shenanigans certainly won’t. We’ve already made plans for Anne-Marie to spend Thanksgiving with my family in Chicago. Yes, we’re going to make that happen, seguro.
Could you be our next OBCR intern? Visit our jobs page for upcoming opportunities.