Travel for Teens Summer – Costa Rica
Traveling with a group, especially a group of teenagers, is never easy, but with Travel For Teens my experience in Costa Rica was beyond enjoyable. I started looking for summer camps a few months ago when COVID was very much underway, so finally being in another country felt extremely surreal.
I was in Costa Rica with the Travel For Teens Animal Rescue program. I was located in Puerto Viejo for three weeks. The beautiful Caribbean coast was welcoming, but so was the Jaguar Rescue Center, where I volunteered with the animals.
The center has their main location in Puerto Viejo where most of the volunteers work, but they also have a location called “La Ceiba” where animals go right before they are released. I was lucky enough to visit La Ceiba while volunteering there. I was also very fortunate to work in the nursery section of the JRC. The JRC is home to multiple areas, some where volunteers work and others that are strictly off limits (to limit human interaction with the animals). When I was told I got to work in the nursery for the day, I was shocked because most people never get that opportunity.
From hard work tasks like cleaning enclosures to smile worthy tasks like sitting and watching a baby sloth, I did it all. At times the work we did felt exhausting, but never unbearable because the thought of our work helping so many animals was always in the back of our minds.
Even though I thoroughly enjoyed working with the animals at the JRC, I also loved our weekend activities – surfing, white water rafting, chocolate making, touring the BriBri community, and lots of swimming. To my surprise, I stood up surfing on my very first wave. I have never been a huge fan of the ocean, but this trip completely changed that. I found happiness and comfort in the water in a way I haven’t felt before. Maybe it was the warm water or silky smooth sand, but whatever it was made me look forward to our water activities everyday.
My new found love for water continued the next day when we went rafting. I’d only been one other time and I remembered loving it, but non the less I was nervous going into it. After the first set of rapids, I had a huge smile on my face the whole time. We even got to jump in and float around the river when there weren’t huge rapids. SO FUN. We stopped along the river for a lunch full of fresh fruit and yummy wraps.
My experience with TFT wouldn’t have been the same without my amazing counselors, Jenna and Aaron. They deserve the biggest praise.
My best friend, Ellie, deserves a huge mention too because she contributed immensely to my happiness during the trip. We formed an inseparable bond from day one and I’ll never forget our MANY memories together.
Thanks to all who made my TFT summer such an enjoyable and memorable time.
Xoxo, Emily <3
