Travel For Teens: Costa Rica

Among all the amazing memories I made on this trip, one I will never forgot is white water rafting down the Pacuare River. I had the most amazing and unforgettable experience. Even though this excursion was only on the second day, I already felt like I knew the other teens on my trip so well. It was so easy to connect with the other kids and the trip leaders, which made this trip all the more fun. As we paddled down the river, all the kids laughed and screamed as we hit the big rocks and intense rapids. Despite knowing each other for less than 24 hours, we laughed at each other and helped each other when one of us fell out. Eventually, we stopped for lunch on the side of the river, and after, we walked over to a waterfall. It was the most beautiful sight I have ever seen; I will never forget the view. We had the chance to slide down the waterfall and jump off the side into the natural pool. The experience itself is indescrible. Overall, I had so much fun and will never forget this day.

Wow, I don't even know where to begin when it comes to sharing all of the amazing things that occurred during my time with Travel for Teens in Costa Rica. In 2014, I went on the Costa Rica Adventure and Service trip and absolutely loved it! Going into the trip I didn't really know what to expect, but I had high expectations because the standard had been set so high on my previous trip with Travel for Teens, Discover Europe. This trip was exactly what it said it was, an adrenaline rush with a huge service component. We had the opportunity to zip-line on multiple occasions, repel down waterfalls, swim in the ocean, go white water rafting and much more. The service components were fantastic as well. During my trip, we helped a local scout troop clean up their local community and my favorite which was clean the outside of a local school building. We had the opportunity to interact with the children, play games like duck duck goose and practice a little bit of our Spanish. I could expand on so many aspects that made this trip fantastic, but there is one specific thing that I would like to highlight. This trip really immersed myself and the other travelers with the locals. Whether it was at the hostel we stayed at or the vendors that would take us on our activities I didn't feel like a tourist, but a traveler. One day we had a cooking lesson with a husband and wife that taught us how to make coffee and empanadas. This was hands down one of the best parts of the trip. The couple was very warm, welcoming, and loving towards us and not to mention helped us make some of the most amazing empanadas I've ever tasted. That opportunity also really gave me the chance to really bond with other teenagers on the trip. Yes, this trip was fantastic in every way and I can say so much about it, but the one thing I would like people to know is that ,with Travel for Teens whether on this trip or another one, you will feel and be embraced as a local. This is the best way to truly get the most out of your experience and Travel for Teens does it magnificently.

This trip to Costa Rica was one that I could never have imagined, it was better than my expectations. The counselors were friendly, fun, always prepared, and always ready for any challenge that came our way.
Despite the time of year that I visited Costa Rica was during the "Green Season" or "Rainy Season"we made the most of the weather. A snorkeling trip in the Caribbean was switched out for a trip to the Sloth Sanctuary in Lima. There we had a tour of the Sloths that they had rescued, a tour via boat along the river next to the sanctuary where we saw a few wild sloths and other critters, and to my favorite part, the Sloth Nursery! We also had plenty of fun in the water, including surfing lessons in the Caribbean and my favorite, rappeling through waterfalls in Turrialba. We would rappel down a water fall and zip-line to the next one. This was a first time experience for me and I loved every minute of it. The instructors were there to help us every step of the way and had spotters below us to ensure safety. I never once felt scared. Another first for me was white water rafting where we had plenty of instruction and despite it being thrilling and exciting, I still was never scared.
Trying all of the foods there was a big plus and one of the parts I do miss is the meals we had. Fresh juices at every restaurant and fried plantains with every meal.
A rain jacket and water shoes were a must, as well as sunscreen and bug spray!
Through this trip I learned the motto of Costa Rica, "Pura Vida" which means Pure Life but truly shows that we should embrace the beauty the world has to offer and to live life to the fullest, and Costa Rica has plenty to offer.

Costa Rica has been my favorite trip with TFT. Our counselors were amazing and extremely helpful. They were willing to adapt the itinerary to the campers needs, especially when it was too stormy for us to go snorkeling and instead went to a sloth sanctuary. Waterfall repelling was my favorite activity on the trip, it was something different that I had never heard of before but was amazing. The trip was very well organized and I always felt very safe. Costa Rican food is wonderful and we had amble opportunities to sample different types of foods (even with dietary restrictions like vegetarianism and dairy allergies).