Bridge Year Costa Rica – Fall 2024

When I heard about the opportunity to take a Bridge Year in Costa Rica, I surmised that it would be the perfect place for me to satiate my craving for adventure. I was enticed by Costa Rica’s lush rainforests, beaches, and wildlife, or rather, kayaking down rapids, swimming with humpback whales, and ascending Chirripo. In the 21st century, it’s easy to be bored. I find myself ensnared in a relentless cycle of consumerism and technology, where I feel pressured to buy the latest and greatest gadgets. Why settle for a speaker when I can have a speaker that plays music and changes color? Why watch a movie for an hour when I can watch different memes with the scroll of my finger? Simple isn’t enough anymore. I’m accustomed to briefly suppressing my boredom through “thrilling” activities, over-the-top products, and social media. It’s not sustainable to only find excitement and enjoyment in extravagant things, and I’m starting to realize that altering my outlook on tasks I consider tedious can make them more enjoyable.

As I surpass the one-month mark in Costa Rica and settle into a routine, I’ve learned to appreciate daily tasks I once considered mundane and monotonous. The first culture shock I had was learning that most Costa Rican households do not have dishwashers – dishes are hand-washed. In my host family, we rotate the responsibility throughout the week. I quickly understood that my version of “doing the dishes” (putting the dishes in the washer and pressing the “on” button) wouldn’t suffice and I’d have to put in a bit more effort to complete the task at hand. Washing the dishes had little appeal to me: where’s the excitement in scrubbing dirty plates? The first couple of days, I dreaded the task but soon, the repetitive motion of scrubbing the dishes in circular motions and watching the water disperse the soap bubbles every night became a meditative break from the day’s chaos. Although I was hesitant to forgo my modern appliance, I now enjoy my ten-minute calming hiatus masked as washing the dishes.

Unlike dishwashing, I immediately enjoyed making freshly squeezed orange juice every morning. Every Sunday, my host father buys a massive sack of ripe green oranges from a local farmer. My breakfast is always accompanied with a glass of refreshing orange juice. I asked my host parents how many oranges it took to fill a glass – roughly 5. The orange juice became a reminder of my host family’s warmth and generosity – a small gesture that made me feel at home. Soon, I started meticulously squeezing every orange until I filled a jug of juice, wanting to give back in a small way to my family while savoring the results of my newfound craft and labor of love.

During my high school years, I would start my day either scrolling through the latest news and Instagram posts on the bus or weaving through the bustle of New York traffic to get to school on time. Now, my morning routine is less chaotic and more serene, with a high dosage of exercise that entails walking one kilometer up a mountain to my worksite, Quebradas Biological Center. In truth, every morning, dread fills me when I think of my trek to work. But, about three minutes into the walk, my serotonin production increases, and I start relishing the panoramic views of green mountains. When I walk, I am programmed to listen to music. Lately, however, I pay greater attention to the chirping birds with each inhalation of fresh air. After 20 minutes of this zen-like trek, I am ready to take on the day!

My short time in Costa Rica has already transformed my outlook on boredom. Instead of perceiving humdrum tasks as a nuisance and inconvenience, I’ve learned to enjoy the “insignificant” tasks throughout the day as little moments of meditation, accomplishment, and simple pleasure.