In a time such as this, where going outside in some places is not an option, it’s almost hard to believe that, just a short while ago, I spent three months living predominantly outdoors during an Outward Bound Costa Rica expedition. I am fully aware that reading a blog post about the outdoors during a time where all of us are staying inside may seem a bit strange, but I encourage you to read on and escape with me for a minute from the confines of the walls around you.
Our world, especially amidst an international pandemic, is full of stressors not helped by screens showing hundreds of advertisements and opinions all the time. Every day, we are presented with glamorized images that distort our view of beauty, reality, and distract from the world around us. On an OBCR course, I experienced quite the opposite and took a break from everyday life. Costa Rica is a world full of lush rainforests, powerful coursing rivers, and white sandy beaches. No pictures could ever do justice to the views I saw, nor the people I met, while traveling there.
During our 21-day hike from the Caribbean coast to the Pacific coast, spending a day inside was rare. The hike was grueling. Our packs were heavy, filled with supplies we needed to survive in the wilderness, we encountered hills so steep that we had to use our hands to climb them, there was mud up to our knees, more sweat poured out than we knew we had in us, and cold nights were spent under a soaking tarp. There’s not much about backpacking that is glamorous, but that is exactly what makes an OBCR expedition so valuable and rewarding.
Imagine this, you wake up to a warm feeling of sunshine seeping through the cracks of your tent. The air is cool and smells of sweet tropical fruits. The sound of wild birds and monkeys chattering is your alarm clock. You look around to see your group members also waking up and getting ready to start the day. By 7:00 a.m. you are all in the kitchen, frying up savory plantains, scrambling fresh eggs, mixing rice and beans (aka – Gallo Pinto), and making your first of many cups of coffee throughout the day. It doesn’t matter if you consider yourself to be a nature person or not, mornings such as these can turn anyone into somewhat of an outdoor lover.
Around 8:00 a.m. you’re heading out for a full day of hiking. The weight on your back is heavy, but the sights and communities that await you at the end of your day are worth it. Your muscles are sore and your lungs breathe in the mountain air, reminding you that you are alive and strong. Monkeys swing from tree-to-tree above you, while bright blue butterflies fly by your side. There are few things more empowering than pushing through the mental barriers of a day’s worth of hiking to then be greeted with, not only an insane view, but also a new community of people to meet.
There are some places that you simply have to hike to in order to fully experience. Places that, even if you could see on TV, you wouldn’t want a camera crew to come in and disrupt. Trust me when I say that the mountain communities of Costa Rica are worth the effort to get to. Thick forest trees break open and give way to rolling open fields with thriving wildlife, colorful houses, and people that are beyond welcoming and inviting. These communities taught me that the only thing that really matters in life is forming connections with others, not material things or Instagram likes.
Over the course of an expedition, you form relationships and learn things from the other members of your group that you can take with you for life. You learn how to push and appreciate your physical limits, while expanding your world view and capacity to learn. These are lessons and experiences, that no amount of money can buy, this is what makes every day spent on an OBCR course invaluable.
The world seems uncertain right now, but one thing that I know for certain is that attending OBCR Coast to Coast Expedition is one of the best decisions I have ever made. I hope, once the world opens up more again, this blog makes you want to consider attending an OBCR course of your own. Pura Vida!