Back to the Beginning

My love for travel wasn’t something I was born with. In fact, my urgency to explore the world rooted from my very first trip outside of the United States. I visited Costa Rica with my only intention being to watch my cousin get married to the man of her dreams. Little did I know, this trip was going to change the entirety of my life.

The trip took place in the middle of my senior year of high school. Before then, I had only traveled to a few states and I had only been on a plane once. I was eager to experience a different country, but I honestly did not know what to expect. After a five hour plane ride, we arrived at our beautiful resort where we would spend the next six days. The views from our room were unlike anything I had ever seen before. I was in a “Pinch me, am I dreaming?” moment. Whereas the resort was beautiful, kept us entertained, and provided us with everything we needed for our stay, it wasn’t until I left the resort where I fell completely in love.

The day before the wedding, we got together at my cousin’s house. Both sides of the family met, and it was the first time I got to experience another culture first hand. The food, the music, the people, the language, everything intrigued me and I needed to learn more, know more, and experience more. Seeing my cousin so beautifully fit into this other culture opened up my eyes to an entire new perspective on life. It was as if everything I had learned or thought I knew up to that point, went right out the window. I suddenly wanted more for my future, I wanted to do more, see more, experience more. I wanted to learn about other cultures and authentically experience them. I wanted to speak the languages of the world, eat the local foods, immerse myself completely into a world so different than my own. Something about seeing my cousin do it so naturally, intrigued me enough to make it my life’s mission to experience all that this world has to offer. Returning back to the resort that evening, I felt as though I had been reawaken. Like I finally found my purpose, something that caught my attention. I knew I had to honor myself and say yes to any adventures that came my way from that day forward.

The following day was the wedding, and it was one of the most beautiful and unique weddings I had ever been to. They exchanged vows on the beach, had the reception on a boat, and then sent wish lanterns off at the sea. It was a magical day, and I am so blessed to have been able to be apart of it. Celebrating love and two people coming together is always something special to experience. Although, throughout the rest of my trip, I couldn’t help but think of all the ways that I could begin seeing and experiencing the world, just as my cousin had.

Remember when I mentioned that saying yes to any adventures became my life’s work? Well, the first adventure happened my last day in Costa Rica. At that point in my life, I had barely ever taken any risks and I was terrified of heights. But that day I decided to say yes. I said yes to adventure, I said yes afraid, and I said yes three times. The first yes was to driving ATV’s through the Costa Rican jungle. The next yes was to cliff jumping into a freezing body of water. And the last yes was to zip-lining over the tree tops. The adrenaline rush I received that day was unlike anything I had ever felt before. I knew it was time for me to start taking some more risks.

Although I did not get to see a lot of the country during my trip, I was able to meet some locals, do some adventuring, and experience a beautiful wedding. In six short days, my life was forever changed. I knew this trip was only the beginning.