Taylor, San Diego native and future lawyer, did an internship with us earlier this year, helping us develop the Ocean Guardian Program. Specifically, she helped us refine our Ocean Guardian Pledge, My Ocean Guardian Journey Contest, and use of the Blue Marbles. Here is her reflection after several months of travel and starting law school!
There are no words to describe or do justice to the experience I had during my month in Bahia Ballena. That being said — I will try ☺. Earlier this year, I stumbled upon Bodhi Surf on the Internet (where else?!) through a Google search of something along the lines of “volunteer surf yoga costa rica.” I was searching for a way to travel, practice Spanish, make some positive impact… on the beach…. with yoga. The list was a long one, and Bodhi Surf ticked every box. If you know anything about Bodhi, it goes without saying that I had found my match. After nearly two years on the East Coast of the United States and a particularly long winter in Washington, D.C. I was looking to escape the snowy corporate world and get back to the beach! Law school was only a few months out and I felt the need to see the world and gain some perspective before taking the plunge.
How it all began…
Palm-tree-hugger
I emailed Bodhi Surf on a whim about their internship/volunteer program and was thrilled to hear back from Travis a couple days later. Through the interview process I found out that Travis and Gibran are fellow San Diegans and began to feel more at ease at the thought of packing up my life and heading to Central America for a month to work with complete strangers! After spending a week in Nicaragua with friends I began my journey to the town of Bahia Ballena.
Travis picked me up at Quepos airport and we discussed anything and everything on our drive to town; palm oil, Bodhi’s vision, why I wanted to come to Costa Rica, and, most importantly, the Ocean Guardian Program that I would be helping with. As we turned onto a dirt road off the “main road”, it hit me that I was had quit my job and moved to Costa Rica for the month. Bodhi had arranged for me to live at a local hotel just up the hill from Bodhi Surf Headquarters. I was blown away when we arrived and it was a moment I will never forget. I couldn’t believe that a week prior I was standing in the snow. That’s the beauty of travel; it serves as a reminder that we are not as far removed from one another as it may feel at times.
A welcome change
View from my new porch
After a year in the 9-5 working lifestyle I was ready for a change of scenery (sound familiar? – head to Bahia Ballena now). Instead of snow-covered cars outside of my window, I was surrounded by jungle and nature, staring over the treetops at the ocean. It was breath taking, the air was warm, and the sounds of toucans, frogs, and waves surrounded me. Over the next day or two I met the rest of the Bodhi gang — a group of welcoming, smiley individuals. I arrived during the week of Semana Santa so the beach was particularly busy (by Bahia Ballena standards — I couldn’t believe how empty it was!). A week later I was enjoying morning runs with no one around.
My life in DC was a far cry from the routine I came to love in Costa Rica. I was no longer waking up to the sound of an alarm but instead rose with the sunrise (thanks to some particularly loud roosters). My Starbucks triple latte was replaced by delicious local beans and my “office” consisted of my balcony overlooking the ocean — no fluorescent lights from mother nature here. In Bahia Ballena, I went for walks out to the whale tail or attended Pili’s morning yoga classes, spent time with the Bodhi team discussing ways we could help save the ocean, and thought of fun ways to encourage and educate guests how to do the same through the Ocean Guardian Program. I spent afternoons surfing in 80 degree water, and watched the sunset with my new friends; Travis, Pilar, Gibran, Adrianne, and — of course — Maya Paz. Pura Vida never tasted so sweet.
In a place where the ocean feels like a bath, the sun shines, and you are greeted by the words “pure life” daily, it’s nearly impossible not to be happy. Although my educational background has geared me towards attending law school, I have always had a passion for the ocean and beach; particularly in doing anything to help preserve it. Focusing on the Ocean Guardian program gave me the chance to delve deeper into that passion and brainstorm how to inspire the same dedication in Bodhi guests and others to join us in protecting the planet and our precious resources.
My “job” with Bodhi Surf School
Living the dream in Costa Rica
As a Del Mar native and UCSB grad, I’ve always considered myself pretty conscientious. However, Number 5 of the Ocean Guardian pledge is: Don’t Purchase Or Consume Products That Exploit Marine Life. Honestly — the thought hadn’t crossed my mind that the seafood I was buying at the grocery store could have a negative affect on our oceans. My main role as an honorary Bodhi team intern was to brainstorm ideas of how to grow and improve the Ocean Guardian Journey. This project gave me the opportunity to share my love for the ocean and the environment with like-minded people and learn more about what I could do in my daily life to make a difference.
The members of Bodhi Surf all bring a special set of skills to the table with the common goal of getting people stoked on surfing/yoga and sharing their passions. Never have I met such a motivated, intelligent group of individuals doing what they love and making a positive impact along the way. It was inspiring to see people with an alternative lifestyle and career path that allows them to give back to the local community and the world through their work. As I begin my career as an attorney (I started law school a month ago!) these are ideals and goals that I hold close to me. I have done my best to stay true to the Pura Vida lifestyle, and remain connected to nature by getting to the beach as often as possible and spending time outside of the city of San Francisco. I encourage you to take the Ocean Guardian Pledge and join us on this journey!
The post Surf School Intern Experience: Taylor’s Reflection appeared first on Bodhi Surf.