Enjoy the Little Things

Yesterday's dazzling sunset here in Costa Rica. No picture does it justice

            The past few days have been full of more enrichment work here in Costa Rica! Yesterday I set up yet another new sloth garden, climbing up the tree to tie and attach five more baskets for their food and water, like I talked about in the last blog post. Yet again, I never used a ladder, and yet again, I didn’t die (though I might’ve come close once or twice). Taylor decided to make his trip longer than he originally intended- I haven’t seen him since before my La Fortuna trip. I’ve heard he should be back tomorrow though; we’ll see. Erandi has had a lot of administration type work to do, so I’ve mostly been working by myself the past few days, but I don’t mind that.

            I’m sad to say it, but my time in Costa Rica is coming to an end. I have four more nights in my bunk here at the center, four more nights of sleeping under a mosquito net (I honestly won’t miss that), four more dazzling sunsets to see here, four more days to spend among the monkeys, sloths, and fellow volunteer friends. I love the greenery of this country, the wildlife, the friendly people who always try to help me despite the language barrier, and the overall easygoing, “pura vida” attitude that Costa Rica has. I think I’ve picked a really good amount of time to be here. I’ve loved everything about the past month in this country and at this center, but I think that when I get on that plane Thursday morning, I’ll be ready to come home. I already know for sure that I’ll take at least one more international trip this year, hopefully two (but I won’t give away details about that yet), so my traveling for this year is just beginning. Costa Rica has been a great sixth country for me, and I want to really enjoy the last few days that I have here.

            I was just thinking about it recently and I realized that the day I return home, February 22^nd, will be exactly one year since I flew out for my second trip to South Africa. I’m glad I didn’t have to go a full year without gaining a passport stamp.

            Last night I was sitting on the second floor balcony here at the center watching a beautiful sunset stretch across the sky when I thought of something, which has been at the back of my mind ever since. Travel isn’t always about doing huge, expensive tours. It isn’t always about staying in five star hotels. It isn’t always about eating at very fancy, pricey restaurants. Travel doesn’t have to be super expensive, and it isn’t something that’s just for the rich. Travel can be pretty simple, and inexpensive, if you learn to simply enjoy the little things. Enjoy things like watching a lizard climb along a tree next to you, or sitting by a river and listening to the flowing water. Enjoy sitting on a hammock on a balcony and watching a bright sunset fill the sky with light. Enjoy drinking the water from a coconut that’s just fallen from the tree, or chewing on some sugar cane that’s been cut down in front of your eyes. I’ve done all of these things since being here in Costa Rica. These are experiences that I’ll remember and cherish for as long as I live, and they didn’t cost me a dime. That’s the main message I want people to take from this blog post- learn to enjoy and appreciate the little things, in travel but also in life in general. You’ll be a much happier person if you do. This post’s food for thought is a quote I’ve used before, and it’s perfect for this post: “Enjoy the little things in life, for one day you may look back and realize they were the big things.”- Robert Breault