I never had any specific plans for my 21st birthday. I assumed that I’d just have an intimate birthday dinner. But that changed when I was finally given the opportunity to study abroad in Costa Rica. 🇨🇷 Going there was on my bucket list (not that I ever had one), it seemed like a paradise to me.
The time came to leave, at 3am, to Dulles International Airport in D.C. It was the only straight flight I could get, it was my first time flying alone. I was afraid that my Spanish wasn’t where it was supposed to be, but I was having full blown, Spanish conversations with my host family, I impressed myself. I was in San Jose for a month, I’d be there on my 21st birthday.
I usually don’t go out at home, I’m an outgoing introvert. But when I travel, it’s a different story. On the weekends, I went out. One weekend we went to the movies (we saw The Fast and the Furious 6), then Isla Tortuga, then Playa Tamarindo. I already knew we were going somewhere for my birthday weekend. We decided to take a trip to Puerto Viejo in the province of Limón (on the Caribbean coast). The Caribbean coast is a completely different vibe from the Pacific coast. It’s a Bob Marley music kind of day, everyday. Before arriving in Limón, we were informed on how dangerous it was. Well, the ancestors were surely our body guards because, we felt perfectly safe.
We took a bus to the town and arrived at the hostel. The good vibes and the locals just give you a slap of love, and zero worries. We checked into the Walaba hostel (I love hostels), then we went to the beach which was right across the street. It was quiet, and picturesque, that’s a great way to describe the beaches in Costa Rica. We later went to local restaurants, and even the grocery store. As we hung out with the locals, and walked through town, I was thinking: “These people are living the life, and they don’t even know it.” We were treated as if we belonged there, which amazed me. Because Limón is on the Caribbean coast, the population mostly consist of people from the islands (Jamaica, Barbados etc.), that’s why Limón is so great. I really can’t describe this experience into words, you’ll have to experience it yourself to see what I’m talking about.
Instead of getting wasted for your 21st birthday (or any birthday), just travel.
Loray’s Journeys 