Written October 28th
In August, I quit my job, moved out of my apartment in Chicago, and embarked on a year long journey to travel Latin America.
Among the many factors leading me to this decision, my biggest goals included immersing myself into other cultures to witness ways of life and environments different than what I know, building my Spanish to a conversational level, and spending daily life exploring new things – anything from learning new physical skills to hearing new perspectives from travelers from across the globe.
It was striking to me how many friends back home weren’t at all surprised to find out about my plans, even my running coach saying something along the lines of “Are you going to go herd sheep in the mountains?” when I mentioned that I had big news. From my perspective, however, it was a difficult and overwhelming decision, with plenty of fears to overcome. I was worried about sacrificing my career, leaving behind my friendships and community, if it would get lonely, if this would be a sustainable way of living for an entire year. Knowing that I likely would face each of these fears to some degree, I trusted my gut that overall this was the right decision and would lead to a beautiful experience.
Even with the unknown of what this year may hold, nothing felt more right than showing up at my first hostel in Costa Rica. It was the perfect place to kick off the journey – from day 1 I was launched into a nonstop frenzy of fun with instant friends.
It was there in Puerto Viejo that I started to understand “Pura Vida,” a common phrase and more importantly a way of life for the people of Costa Rica. In my longest previous solo travel trip, I spent 3 weeks in Mexico City while I worked remotely. Now, without a job, there was no responsibilities, nothing dictating my daily routine. Each day could be anything I wanted it to be. It was a strange feeling, substantially different from taking a vacation with a known end date. I began by spending the majority of days the only way that made sense, at the beach. Basking in the sun, I tried let go of any self induced pressure of what I should be doing with my time to be “productive” or to “maximize” my experience. My internal clock slowed down dramatically and I gained an admiration for the relaxed lifestyle of the local culture. There was no rush, no worries, just being present.
Beyond learning from the culture, I was also meeting other interesting travelers every single day. It’s magical what happens you when bring together likeminded people from across the world and cram them in a hostel. It’s a lively environment full of people wanting to experience new things, share their perspectives, and to willingly go beyond their comfort zone. There was never a shortage of people to hang out with and no face a stranger.
It was jarring to me how many of them appeared to live as though traveling was the primary part of their life, the default state. Many would find temporary work for the exclusive purpose of saving up enough money to travel again, stretching their savings as long as possible before needing to return home and repeat the cycle.
It felt like meeting them while they are traveling was having the chance to meet the purest version of themselves, in a state where they feel most alive. This made it surprisingly easy to be able to get to know someone in a very short period of time.
Having met so many others doing similar things as me, my plan began to appear pretty normal compared to how crazy it seemed when I first dreamed it. After only 6 weeks, my fears have been replaced with wondering whether a year will be long enough. The more I see and hear about what’s out there, the more urgent it feels to catch a glimpse of it.
Enjoy these highlights of my experiences so far in Costa Rica and Panama:
