EDGE Tour - Costa Rica

Day #1 - Excited to be on our way!

Kokona - I still can’t believe that we already left school, and we are on the way to Costa Rica. The flight between Victoria and Toronto was very quick and I slept the whole time. I am very excited to feel the fresh tropical air. Also, only few people know each other, so I can feel the awkwardness between people. My goal for the first 3 days is talking to the team members as much as I can.
Jerry - I am going back to my grade 8 wiring style for the next 2 weeks because I don’t need to be cautious of my diction and I just get to write whatever I want. It’s been hard trying to escape the school mindset especially when you still have responsibilities back there, but I would say that so far the trip is going great. I didn’t sleep last night and got in my feelings (opps) but when I arrived on the bus by 2:45 in the morning I slept for an hour and that was just all gone. I must admit that I have a little bit of headache. What’s surprising is that I arrived at Toronto in 3.5 hours, which is like a big deal for me since I used to go from Vancouver to Ottawa all the time. I have been eating good as well and my team so far are all good and well. I packed for 1.5 hours last night and I think I packed everything I need to do. I am most excited about exploring the country, helping those in need and getting closer to my team. It’s another six / seven hours before I arrive at San Jose so wish me luck!! I will try to write my novel or read my book today since I have so much spare time. My goal for this trip is to understand the world from a different perspective and gain new insights on how I should live my life. Another goal is to help those in need because I rarely have an opportunity to do that since I am usually occupied with other responsibilities.
Expectations: Water should taste good, big bugs will haunt me, super hot, McDonald’s would be different and my Spanish would sound terrible. Hopefully I actually get to speak Spanish.

Tarek - So far, everything seems to have went smoothly, apart from having spilled Sprite all over myself! Fizzy drinks seem to hate me during flights, as this is my fourth time that I spill a pop all over myself during trips. I slept through the first flight because I didn’t have time to get a proper sleep the night before, so the flight was fairly swift. However, I’m sure that the flight to Costa Rica is going to be tiring. I am looking forward for the trip, but very skeptical about the hike; I’m hoping that it won’t be long (especially considering the high temperatures in Costa Rica 😬). My goal for this trip is to meet as many new people as I can, and to just have fun. Other than that, I am optimistic about the trip and can’t wait till we get there!

Chelsie W - This all feels unreal. I still remember the day I applied for the trip, to interviews, team meetings, fundraising, and now here we are, in Toronto airport waiting to board the plane off to Costa Rica, writing our first blog. Travel can be daunting and can bring both positive and negative feelings. I’m feeing all these mixed emotions: excitement, anxiety, fear, self-doubt and anticipation. Despite the months of counting down to the moment where I would be free and ready to go, I feel 100% overwhelmed. Of course, I will be looking forward to the amazing adventures we will be experiencing, but I am also looking forward to what this trip might do to me mentally. To be honest, I have been having a tough few weeks at Shawnigan. I am hoping to gain a new perspective on life, and becoming a stronger person mentally after this trip. Off we go!
Seamus - I stayed up all night double, triple, quadruple checking if I had everything and moving all of my items inside of my duffle bag to make sure everything fit perfectly. I had to be sure because once we leave campus, there’s no coming back until another 2 1/2 weeks. Today has probably been one of the most days I’ve washed my hands because of this new –adapting virus called to Corona Virus. It’s also has been one of the most self cautions days I’ve had in a long time, but I feel like once our EDGE team lands in Costa Rica everything will take off more smoothly and we will start to work and further learn.

Kathleen H - Something I am really looking forward to is spending time with our group, and getting to know everyone well! I am also excited to be doing volunteer work with turtles and indigenous communities, as I feel it will really help me grow as a person and gain a new perspective. One of my main goals for the trip is to push myself out of my comfort zone and try as many new experiences as possible!

Hannah - I’m really excited to go to Costa Rica with our amazing group. I can’t wait to get to know everyone better and to end to the travel day.

Paige - During the trip I am looking forward to all the different experiences and activities that we will get to do! I’m excited to learn about the Costa Rican culture and see a new country!

Ella - My day has been a lot of sleeping and snacking. I slept the entire ride from Victoria to Toronto because anticipation had kept me up all night. Right now I am most excited to just get to Costa Rica after all this traveling.

Mimi - I’m really excited and I just can’t wait to get going. I’m really scared of the bugs I’m about to meet, but I know the experience is worth getting a little scared. I’m really excited to help in the communities, hike, and bond with everyone else on the trip.

Jake - My goal for this trip is to get outside of my comfort zone and do things that I normally wouldn’t do. I want to get immersed in a whole new culture and feel what it would be like to not live in Canada.

Maya - This morning we arrived at the Toronto airport and we will soon be on our plane to San Jose. I am very excited to learn all about the country we will spend the next 17 days in. I am most looking forward to learning about the culture in Costa Rice and becoming close with our team. My main goal is to learn as much as possible and to have fun.
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We acknowledge with respect the Coast Salish Peoples on whose traditional lands and waterways we live, learn and play. We are grateful for the opportunity to share in this beautiful region, and we aspire to healthy and respectful relationships with those who have lived on and cared for these lands for millennia.