One of the biggest lessons I’ve learned while traveling is how to balance plans with spontaneity. Even the most perfectly planned trip is inevitably going to change at least somewhat. Learning to go with the flow of a change of plans is a lesson in accepting any present situation. Even if I had a vision of the experience I wanted to have before arriving, expectations are rarely a reality. In my personal travel experience, I have learned to expect the unexpected. I have even found that an unfortunate situation can be an opportunity in disguise. The following are excerpts from my personal journal that describe this process of learning and acceptance.

March 23rd - San Gerardo, Costa Rica

It’s quite funny how I’d thought now weeks ago that the only way this trip would be more interesting was if I had no money, and then I lost my debit card. But now I am hoping to God a wire transfer works. I went to town today with the family that owns the farm where I’m working just to find out. The language barrier makes seemingly simple conversations that much more complicated. Even still, I have enough cash to last the week-long easter holiday before the stores will open again. Tonight, the holiday kicks off with a ton of locals in the hotel’s bar, with salsa beats and Spanish chatter.

April 2nd- Playa Uvita, Costa Rica

I’ve grown to love the bittersweet feeling of leaving one place for the next. I’ve loved getting to know my fellow travelers from (mostly) all over Europe and learning the ways our homes are similar and different. The wire transfer has left me with a little extra money, so I decided to spend my last couple days alone at an unfamiliar beach.

I got off the bus too late, not realizing the small collection of hotels/shops was Uvita, only to wander down a dirt road and accidentally end up at the exact hostel recommended to me by a neighbor of the farm in San Gerardo, named Helen. It wasn’t until I heard the name Jose mentioned in the hostel’s office that I remembered Helen knew this man personally. It seemed beyond coincidental that I should end up here.

Next door to the hostel lives a man named Elvis, whom I met trying to find the hostel after dark last night. He invited me to come back today and see his coconut project (which I did). Upon arrival, Elvis stuck a straw right into a coconut, handed it to me, and proceeded to demonstrate how he makes coconut oil to sell right out of his home. He husked the coconuts, scraped the meat out, and soaked the meat in water to make milk. He then left the mixture to sit in the warm humid air and the oil would naturally separate. I am still amazed at how simple this process is, and of how many uses he and his wife have found for the coconuts.

Reflecting back on my trip, I had come with the intent to immerse myself in the culture by volunteering on family farms. I wanted to learn sustainable farming techniques to build on some knowledge I had learned in college. Although I loved the experience of work exchange staying with local families, Elvis taught me a unique skill that was unexpected, and he desired nothing in return. I realized that if I hadn’t lost my debit card in the first place, I would have never come to the beautiful open beach in Uvita or met Elvis. The synchronicity of landing in the hostel of Helen’s recommendation only further led me to believe everything happened exactly as it should. Even 6 months later, I think back to this situation when I think things are going wrong. I remind myself that every event is a part of something greater. Keeping faith that everything will work itself out will undoubtedly lead me in the direction of my goals in an unexpected way, more profound than I could ever imagine.