Posted by Rick Civelli | 02.15.2013 | Costa Rica Surf Camp, Teen Camps

Camper Journal: Costa Rica Part III

It’s hard to believe that I’m sitting here writing this on our final day in Costa Rica. The time has flown by way too fast and I don’t know that I’m ready to go back to the real world. We sit here, our small group, and look at each other hoping that we’ve embraced and celebrated every moment. Looking back on it, I’m not certain that any of us can really understand quite yet how monumental of an impact this trip will have on our lives.

These last few days have been full of more thrilling activities like touring a real working farm, feasting on an authentic home cooked meal with our Costa Rican friends, and an exhilarating ten course zip line tour of the breathtaking Costa Rican countryside. Through these sorts of inspired and shared experiences, we began to develop a true appreciation and respect for the land and its people. As such, I cannot thank enough our local guides, Rafa and Monica, for their assistance, humor, and hospitality. Nor can I fail to mention how our WB surf instructors have gone so far above and beyond duty to accommodate this group.

Of course we spent the last few days doing more of the same. Our surf learning curve has been steeper, more challenging, and the most fun in these last couple of days as we’ve been learning to take on bigger and bigger swells near Avellanas. As our skill level has grown exponentially, so has our respect for the surfing environment; from the dim morning when we catch that first ride until watching the sun set while floating patiently for the last wave, every day has been timeless and every day we are reborn.

That’s not to say that surfing was easy- we all got our share of bumps and bruises to show off. But that was small in comparison to the restorative waves that remedied our souls and nurtured our spirit.

None of us had our experience simply handed to us nor did we turn out to be inherently world-class surfers, which is okay. Because, as it turns out, it doesn’t matter whether you’re crushing ten foot swells or cruising on a couple inches of white water- if you love what you do and it enriches your life, then you’ve embraced the spirit of surfing. And, in that, on land or in the sea, we are all surfers.