Trip of a lifetime

My trip to Costa Rica was the most amazing experience, and it has forever changed me. I went on the Summer Camp Leadership program with Rustic Pathways. My program was being a summer camp councilor for underprivileged Costa Rican children. Throughout the whole trip as well as before AND after, the Rustic Pathways foundation/staff was so supportive and helpful. My program leaders were some of the nicest and most amazing people I've ever met, and I still keep in contact with them; they make sure every aspect of your trip is safe and exciting, and they do everything they can to be helpful. One example is when one of my leaders knew that I was missing a lot of cross country summer practice, so she invited me to run with her in the mornings before the camp started. It was so nice for a group of us to come together early in the morning a bond over a sport we all liked. There were definitely hard parts about the trip and times I doubted why I decided to go, but as I settled in, everything became natural and it was so clear that my trip was special. My experience traveling alone has made me so much more confident and has only reassured me that I know I want to do more traveling and more volunteering. Costa Rica as a country and culture is so beautiful and I think it was the perfect place for my first volunteering abroad experience. I would recommend this trip of a lifetime, to anyone.