Traveling Outside my Comfort Zone with CCS

Never having traveled with CCS before, I was unsure of what to expect. I do not regret, for one moment, volunteering in Costa Rica with CCS. While volunteering in a daycare, I had to learn to adapt to different situations quickly. While I could speak a bit of Spanish, I still encountered a language barrier and was in an unfamiliar country. I found out very quickly that none of that mattered. The children I worked with were eager to help me learn, and more interested in what activities we were going to do for the day than my imperfect Spanish.

During our free time, we volunteers got to experience the culture in hands-on activities and excursions. We got to dance, cook, improve our Spanish, and see more of the amazing country. We got to interact with the staff, hear stories and share experiences. On weekends, we traveled as a group. There is nothing quite like rappelling down a waterfall in Manuel Antonio, relaxing in hot springs in La Fortuna, ziplining with a spectacular view of Lake Arenal or looking outside the window of your hotel room to see a volcano.

In the short time I was in Costa Rica, I met some great people and was forced outside my comfort zone in the best possible way. I highly recommend the Cross Cultural Solutions program in Cartago, Costa Rica.