“Coming back to Costa Rica the second time really showed me that you never have to say goodbye, it’s always a ‘see you later’. I’ve always recited that in my life and this held true for OBCR.”
Coast to Coast Expedition Alum, Hunter, tell us all about his experience returning to Costa Rica to complete his semester program after it was cut short by the pandemic.
Hi Hunter! Thank you so much for joining us.
Hello! I’m so happy to be here, this is an awesome opportunity.
To start us off, please could you quickly introduce yourself and tell us which part of the world you are in right now.
My name is Hunter McDavid, I’m a senior at Berea College. I’m also in Knoxville, Tennessee studying Outdoor Adventure Education and I’m a Wilderness First Responder. I do a lot of different things in the industry, I am a volunteer first responder with a rescue squad, I work as a backpacking guide for A Walk in the Woods, and I’m also working for REI as an associate right now!
And…you’re an OBCR alum! How did you find out about Outward Bound Costa Rica? Had you heard of Outward Bound before?
I first found out about Outward Bound when I was really struggling to find a study abroad opportunity that fit my needs as an Outdoor Education major. You don’t find a lot of opportunities other than major programs like Outward Bound. I originally contacted Outward Bound USA but realized that this isn’t abroad so it isn’t good enough for me. So, I searched for ‘study abroad opportunities for Outdoor Ed.’ on Google and the first program that popped up was legitimately OBCR! I called right away, I think I spoke to someone named Ryan, and explained that I was looking for a study abroad program and was an Outdoor Education major. And here I am now, an OBCR alum, so he really hyped it up for me!
You actually joined us last year for our spring Coast to Coast Expedition but had to return home due to the pandemic. What was it like having that experience cut short?
Honestly, when you think about goodbyes, you are never ready for them but, when they come early like that and out of nowhere, it is a shock. I was a little bit in despair as I had another month and a half to go and we weren’t even halfway through our program. We were doing our scuba phase in Panama and I was so stoked to be there. We were actually in the water when we got the call, so it was a bit crazy! Coming home, I had a bit of a culture shock because there was no one around to speak Spanish to. I thought ‘what in the world am I going to do’, I was so sad for three days. But then, I picked myself up, got a job, got a car, did things because COVID was here are I felt like it was going to be here for a long time… and it was!
Once you got back home, you picked yourself up and then started working. What did you get up to during that time?
The first thing I did was join my local rescue squad. I wasn’t sure what it was going to be like in Tennessee but I really enjoy it and I have been with them for a year now as a first responder. I also got a job at a grocery store for a little while because it was the only place that was hiring at the time. I thought that would be a great use of my time and I got some free groceries! They were really giving incentives to work at grocery stores because they were so overwhelmed. So, I worked at Kroger for the summer and I really enjoyed my time there before trying to go back to school in the fall. However, that didn’t go so great because I don’t do online very well!
We are seeing that with so many students who have been struggling with online learning too. This must have been a big part of why you returned to Costa Rica to join our Spring Semester for 2021! What else motivated you to return?
So, I talk a lot about opportunities and I saw this as an opportunity to go back and finish what I started. That really resonated with me because I didn’t get to experience the coast-to-coast hike and so many other things that I had planned to do. So, that was one of the big things that I strived for. Also, in a way, it was like returning home for me. I saw it almost as a second home because I had been there for so long. I had spent so much time in Costa Rica on that rainforest base, almost half of the program. So, it felt like I knew everyone and I did get to meet some new faces which is cool!
It sounds like you had some unfinished business, so you needed to come back! You actually joined one of our groups that had just started their expedition. How different was it from when you had come to us previously, did the experience feel different this time around?
Yes, I would say one difference was the number of students. Before, it was just the four of us and that was fine, we had accepted that and learned to get along. But with this group there was, at one point, 19 of us! There were so many of us and that was what I wanted, more people to talk to and hang out with. You just had so many more opportunities to meet different kinds of people. For me, that was awesome because during the pandemic, like everyone else, I had been at home all the time or at work, so you didn’t really get the chance to connect with people anymore. So, this experience was the first time connecting with people again.
Amazing, the dynamic must have been completely different! And with this being one of OBCR’s first COVID-19 adjusted programs. What were the key changes that you noticed?
For me, it felt even more safe because I had the opportunity to be vaccinated as a first responder beforehand. We also did a COVID-19 test before and we had another test when I quarantined. For my flight to Costa Rica, I felt super prepared. I got a N-95 mask and everything that could in terms of sanitization, I didn’t take my mask off even for a second and I waited to eat all day just because I don’t want to get COVID-19 and spread it. I think it helped that I felt so conscientious and all the other students took it seriously, so we had no COVID-19 exposures and we can safely say that and proudly say that. Then, integrating with the group was the big next step. When I arrived onto the rainforest base, I had my own room and I kept to myself. I did some painting, had some fun, and took a class with the group while being socially distant with a mask. I met a lot of different people but also kept to myself, I had time for both even though I was in quarantine.
And quarantining in a rainforest base is not too bad, right?
Yes, a lot of people like my friends said ‘so you have to go into quarantine, what’s that like?’, and I said ‘I’m going to be on the rainforest base’. Their response was ‘oh poor you, you have been in quarantine in the rainforest while the rest of us are stuck at home still!’.
So, when you rejoined, you got to complete the coast to coast hike and earn some more certifications. Can you share with us some of your top highlights, or just one major one from your trip?
I think one of my first major moments was when I was riding in the OBCR van to finally come and see Bailey, Karina, and Carlos (my instructors from before). I feel like we all cried a little bit! They had a sign waiting for me to say welcome with all the students. There were so many of them so I felt a bit intimidated at first, but they quickly realized and were like ‘wait we’re overwhelming him!’. They knew they were a big group, so they divided up a bit. So it was a big moment for me, arriving at the Manuel Antonio base (which I had never been to before) and doing some days of surf…it was awesome! I think that was one of the first major highlights and the second was during the Coast to Coast Expedition hike. Everyone wants to say that their highlight is at the end when they feel most ethereal, but for me it was conquering the highest point of elevation at Cerro de la Muerte. It is 11,322ft of elevation and, at that point, I took a photo because it was the highest point of elevation that I had been at in a long time. When you think of Costa Rica, you don’t think about those high elevation points, you think of tropical islands, but when you are hiking on the coast to coast you really get to see a whole different side. I just remember coming out and seeing these beautiful rolling hills, like something you’d see in movies. I thoroughly enjoyed seeing so much different terrain.
What advice would you give to students who are interested in joining the programs for this fall?
Part of me just wants to say ‘just do it!’. But, in all seriousness, if you’ve ever thought about taking an opportunity to go travel, this is that opportunity. A lot of people are saying that it is a great time to start traveling again and I would agree with that. As a first responder, my recommendation for people is that it is a safer time. Despite what you see in the news and the media, you should do what is right for you. If there is the possibility of going to Costa Rica, and it excites you even just a little bit, I’d say do it because, in the end, once that trip is coming up you’ll be counting down the days, and find yourself eventually going and you’ll be like ‘this is so awesome!’. And, even if you aren’t so sure about the program or maybe it was your second choice, you’ll end up enjoying it a lot more than you thought you would. I talked to a lot of students who said to me ‘this was the only program open so I came’ and I thought that’s awesome, you saw the opportunity and you went for it. So, that is what I would say to those students who are considering it, even just the possibility of it, now is a great opportunity. We are now not in full quarantine as a nation anymore, so it is finally the time to be free and fly and do what you want to do! It is sad to say that before that we had to encourage people to stay home and be like ‘hey you can’t do the things you want to do’. We aren’t doing that anymore, so this is a great time to go to Costa Rica.
Yes, things are definitely opening up and it is great to have the opportunity to get outside and explore again! Finally, what is on the horizon for you?
Coming back to Costa Rica the second time really showed me that you never have to say goodbye, it’s always a ‘see you later’. I’ve always recited that in my life and this held true for OBCR. I really think that, although I have ended my Coast to Coast Expedition, I still feel like I have some unfinished business. There’s still some stuff I need to go back and do. I don’t know when I’ll do it but I certainly think that the day will come when I will return and do something else with Outward Bound Costa Rica. So, that is on the horizon, I feel myself drawn towards maybe a possible internship or work opportunity. I also have other opportunities, for example, I am working for this backpacking company in the Smokies. I haven’t done my first backing trip with them yet but that’s coming up soon and I’m really excited about it! I also need to go back to Berea and finish my senior year and finally graduate. Things are coming back in person, so that’s really something to be grateful for. I mentioned before that my college campus was on a strict lockdown and everything was online, and it was just so not enjoyable for me. I think a lot of students felt that way, so finishing my final year and rollicking across that stage gets me excited!
That is so exciting! Thank you so much for sharing an insight into what your semester experience was like and we would love to welcome you back to Costa Rica!
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