Reflections on Costa Rica
In this first full day in Costa Rica, I can honestly say it was the best day of life so far. We met so many great people and experienced so many new things, some of which inspired me and caused me to rethink my original mindset.
Today we woke up and had our first yoga session. Yoga felt so good and made me feel connected to myself that then caused me to be in sync with my environment. After yoga, we had an amazingly nutritious breakfast.
We went to a seed farm that was run by an inspiring man named Gonzalo. We entered his seed bank. He explained that the seeds were native and not processed. As he walked us through his land, he made it clear how important is is to preserve our natural surroundings provide, noting that the environment was in better condition when he was a youth. His passion was evident through everything he said.
After leaving Gonzalo, we met a remarkable individual named Junie, our guide. He was much more than someone who led us through the forest. Junie held our hands and was there every time any of us fell. The hike led us to a beautiful rainfall. As we left Junie, we were looking forward to seeing him again, which we got to do the next day.
Our last activity of the day was meeting with the indigenous youth group who performed an intense portrayal of the colonization of Costa Rica by Christopher Columbus and the Spaniards. We were confronted with many emotions. After the show, we had the opportunity to interact with the performers. We learned about their culture and beliefs.
At the end of the day, during our reflections, the biggest thing that I had to process was the culture shock. What is important to them is so different from my daily concerns– the environment has a major impact on their beliefs.
This day made me look forward to the rest of my time at Costa Rica.
–Juleisy Polanco Garcia, GK Leader and student at Bronx Studio School for Writers and Artists
