The Leap | Turtles + Surfing + teaching in Costa Rica

One of my favorite memories from my trip to Costa Rica was the first time I released a baby turtle into the ocean. I was immediately lucky because most baby turtles crawl out of their nests in the dead of night, so you don't get to enjoy the sight of seeing them walk to the water when it's so dark out. When I saw my first baby turtle it was just before the sun went down, so it was still incredibly bright out! Watching all the babies push their little flippers against the sand as they fight to get to the water is something else. They are so excited to be alive! It's something so wonderfully inspiring that I will always remember.

Later when I got back to camp after all the babies were swimming away, one of my new Costa Rican friends asked me if I was a mom yet. I knew what he meant right away and proudly exclaimed, "Why yes I am!" I'm a big fan of Game Of Thrones, so now I feel at one with the "Mother of Dragons" herself, Daenerys Targaryen - now I am the "Mother of Turtles."

This trip has left me with a group of life long friends from around the world, experiences that have plus will affect me forever, and skills to help me through life. Everyday was a new adventure, from building hatcheries for turtle eggs to teaching English at a local school to playing volleyball with the Costa Rican Cost Guard to hearing stories from past poachers to watching a turtle lay eggs to have a sing-a-long with the group. I would highly recommend this trip.

Every day was a new adventure! seeing waterfalls, surfing, milking cows, living with locals and saving turtles, hot weather, rainforests, exotic animals, friendly team members were the highlights for me!