Once you have traveled, the voyage never ends, but is played out over and over again in the quietest chambers. The mind can never break off from the journey.

I found this beautiful quote by the writer Pat Conroy recently and I think it perfectly encapsulates my travel experience. As with anything new, it takes time to get accustomed,  but I quickly fell in love with Costa Rica during my time there. Now that I’ve returned home, I find myself constantly thinking about when I’ll have the chance to go back.  The people, the culture, the landscape, that Pura Vida feeling (which is more than mere words, it’s a way of being)–they have all stayed with me.

In the course of six weeks, I made lifelong connections. My host and her amazing family made me feel so welcome, like I was a part of their family, and in turn, they became family to me. I bonded with the five volunteers in my group and shared moments that I’ll always remember. The beauty of the My Cultural School project is that it brought together a group of strangers from various parts of the world to make an impact at a school in Costa Rica. We were there to teach, but I came away with new knowledge: I discovered a love for blogging; learned more about Costa Rica, Mexico, Brazil, and Estonia than I ever had; and gained the type of worldly perspective that only international travel can give you.

In the course of six weeks, I traveled across a country. I got to see so much of Costa Rica’s natural beauty. Mountains, valleys, volcanoes, beaches–it’s amazing how much the landscape varies. Definitely unlike anything I’d ever experienced before and I can’t wait to go back to continue exploring.

In the course of six weeks, I changed. It’s funny to look back on it now and remember how anxious (but still excited!) I was about the whole trip. I’ve learned that sometimes you have to get outside of your comfort zone to see what you’re really made of. Now that I’ve done it once, I know that I could go to a different country, perhaps on the other side of the world, and immerse myself in that culture.

Thanks for following along on my Costa Rica experience 🙂 Up next, I’m travelling somewhere I never thought I’d go…..stay tuned to find out where!

(I’d love to hear about your own travel experiences. Feel free to share in the comments section below.)