On the fourth day of the Costa Rica experience, we got to travel to Mystico Arenal Hanging Bridges Park to walk on the bridges. When we arrived, excited to walk on the hanging bridges, the rain that was already pouring got worse. The sound of the rain as we stepped off the bus was terrifying, and looking into the dripping forest was already far outside many of our comfort zones. As we began to walk the trail, everyone was low-energy and did not look happy to be there. But the minute we crossed that first bridge, everyone finally saw what we came here to do: live through a once in a lifetime opportunity that might require us to be uncomfortable. Being someone who actually enjoys heights, walking across that first bridge felt like relief, and like I had pushed myself to create growth and enjoyment. After that, everything went more smoothly. Everyone was looking forward to the next bridge, and since we were all slowly gaining confidence, my whole group ended up talking to each other even when we normally don’t at school. This is a connection and a memory that we will all be returning with. We were all soaked and dripping with water, but the perseverance we observed was something that I truly never could have imagined. We were uncomfortable, but we were uncomfortable together, and that pushed us to step away from making easy choices and grow together as people.
After we finished hiking, we got on the bus while still soaking wet and headed to lunch. The view that we were hit with when we first stepped in was unforgettable. The fog, mountains, trees, and lake all came together to paint a beautiful picture of what Costa Rica is truly like, and how something so normal here isn’t something we ever get to experience back home. Everyone was not only just taking pictures, but also trying to absorb the view and feel the experience. The sun had finally come out, and we all ate together, not caring about usual friend groups, just community.
After lunch, we made a brief stop at a souvenir shop to buy some gifts to take home. While we were there, we had a lot of fun shopping and showing each other what we got, again making everyone feel like part of a bonded community. Then, we stopped at the hotel and finally changed out of our wet clothes before heading to a farm slightly outside La Fortuna where we got a tour of the farm and got to help make the dinner that we were going to eat. Our guide made us feel immersed in the tour by making jokes and connections to things that were common in our lives, allowing us to feel immersed in nature on a new level. Because of this, we were able to understand how much time and effort truly goes into producing organic food, something that is clearly taken for granted back home. Once again, this made us all truly appreciate the lifestyle in Costa Rica and how that knowledge is going to contribute to our perspective as individuals.
Making dinner together was honestly a lot more fun than expected. As we learned to roll the tortillas, we definitely made mistakes, but it was something we could laugh about both in the moment and after. Sitting and eating dinner together surrounded by wildlife was when it all came together. All the learning, observations, and connections we had made over the past few days made this moment something we could truly embrace.
