I'm 43 years old, and until recently, I'd never traveled outside the United States. I'd barely traveled outside Pennsylvania, for that matter. So when the opportunity came along to spend a week in Costa Rica, I was excited, terrified, and questioning whether I'd completely lost my mind.

I'd never been to another country. I was traveling with a girlfriend I'd only known for a couple of months. We had a full itinerary of adventures, including ziplining through the rainforest, hanging bridges, horseback riding, waterfalls, wildlife tours, and time at the beach.

And somewhere in the middle of all that excitement, I was supposed to relax. Which is funny, considering I don't exactly specialize in relaxing.

I'm someone who likes to stay busy. My brain is constantly moving, my thoughts are usually running in seventeen different directions, and when something needs to get done, I want it done yesterday. Slowing down has never come naturally to me.

But Costa Rica had other plans.

For seven days, I experienced a different pace of life. I woke up to the sounds of the rainforest, spent my days surrounded by incredible scenery, met some genuinely wonderful people, and challenged myself in ways I hadn't expected.

And somewhere between the howler monkeys screaming at 4:30 in the morning and standing on a hanging bridge wondering what the hell I'd gotten myself into, I started realizing something. Life doesn't always have to feel like one big chaotic emergency. Sometimes you can just enjoy it. Imagine that.

The Costa Rica Mornings I Didn't Know I Needed

Let's start with the mornings. Because apparently Costa Rica and I had an agreement that sleeping past 4:30 a.m. was completely unnecessary.

Between the time change, my already questionable sleeping habits, and the rainforest wildlife, I was awake ridiculously early almost every day.

Now, I know what you're thinking. Four-thirty in the morning? On vacation? Absolutely not. And normally, I'd agree. But there was something different about being awake that early in Costa Rica.

Back home in Pennsylvania, I'm often awake before most people are really starting their day. The world feels quiet, but not necessarily in a peaceful way. Sometimes it feels like I'm just awake with my own thoughts while everyone else is sleeping.

In Costa Rica, mornings felt alive. The birds were singing. The rainforest was waking up. People were already moving around and beginning their days. And then there were the howler monkeys, who apparently believed the entire jungle needed a personal wake-up call.

If you've never heard a howler monkey, let me tell you something. That is not a cute little monkey noise. That is the sound of something that could potentially be opening a portal to another dimension. And it was happening before sunrise.

But I loved it. Not necessarily the lack of sleep. Let's not get carried away. I loved the atmosphere. I loved looking outside and seeing tropical plants, mountains, and scenery that looked nothing like what I was used to. I loved hearing wildlife instead of traffic. I loved knowing that another day of adventures was waiting for me.

There was something peaceful about waking up and simply taking in what was around me. I wasn't immediately thinking about everything I needed to accomplish. I was looking. Listening. Experiencing. And that alone was something I wanted to bring home.

Ziplining: The Adventure That Almost Happened

Before leaving for Costa Rica, I knew ziplining was going to be a challenge. I'm afraid of heights. Not a little nervous. Afraid. So naturally, I signed up to go flying through the rainforest attached to a cable. Excellent decision-making on my part.

But I genuinely wanted to try it. I wanted to experience something I'd never done before, and I didn't want my anxiety making every decision for me. So I showed up. I went through the preparation. I got myself to the platform. I was standing there, looking at what I was supposed to do, trying to convince my brain that this was a perfectly reasonable activity. My brain disagreed. Strongly.

There was also another factor I had to consider. I was still healing from a broken hand, and I wasn't interested in jeopardizing that healing process for the sake of saying I'd completed an activity. Between the height, the anxiety, and my concerns about my hand, I made the decision not to go through with it.

Was I disappointed? Absolutely. I wanted to do it. I still wish I could say I flew through the rainforest. But here's something I've been thinking about since coming home. Not completing something doesn't mean you didn't try.

I didn't stay back at the hotel because I was afraid. I showed up. I put myself in the situation. I gave myself the opportunity. And when I realized I wasn't comfortable continuing, I made a decision that respected both my fear and my physical limitations. That's not the ending I originally wanted. But it doesn't erase the effort.

Sometimes courage looks like doing the scary thing. And sometimes courage looks like knowing when not to push yourself beyond what's safe or reasonable. I'm learning there's room for both.

Besides, Costa Rica wasn't finished testing my fear of heights. Not even close.

The Hanging Bridges: Apparently I Can Do Scary Things

Then came the hanging bridges. Another activity involving heights. Because apparently my Costa Rica itinerary was personally designed to test my nervous system. But this experience was different.

I was still afraid. I still had to work through the anxiety of being high above the ground. But unlike ziplining, I had something underneath my feet. A bridge. A floor. Something solid enough to convince my brain that perhaps we weren't actively trying to die. That made a difference.

And I wasn't doing it alone. Elizabeth was there encouraging me, and our tour guide helped me keep moving forward. Sometimes that's exactly what you need when you're scared. Not someone dismissing your fear. Not someone telling you that you're being ridiculous. Just someone beside you reminding you that you can take the next step. And that's what I did. One step at a time.

I crossed those hanging bridges. And here's the funniest part. I ended up going first on the longest bridge without even realizing it. Of course I did. Because why ease into something when you can accidentally start with the grand finale? But I did it. I was scared, and I did it anyway. And the feeling afterward was incredible.

Not because I'd suddenly cured my fear of heights. Trust me, that fear is still very much employed. But because I'd proven something to myself. Fear doesn't always get to make the final decision. Sometimes I can feel it, acknowledge it, and keep moving forward. And sometimes having the right people encouraging you makes all the difference.

The Rainforest Has a Way of Making You Forget Everything Else

One of my favorite things about Costa Rica was simply being surrounded by nature. I've always loved being outside. There's something about trees, water, wildlife, and fresh air that helps me feel more grounded. But the Costa Rican rainforest was an entirely different experience. Everything felt alive.

There were plants I'd never seen before, wildlife everywhere, and sounds that made me stop and wonder what was happening somewhere beyond the trees. I saw spider monkeys, glass frogs, leaf-cutter ants carrying pieces of leaves, sloths, and white-faced capuchin monkeys. Those capuchins? The Costa Rican Mafia. I'm convinced they run the place. And I absolutely loved them.

Watching animals in their natural environment was one of the highlights of my trip. It wasn't like seeing wildlife behind glass or scrolling through pictures on my phone. I was standing in their world. And it made me appreciate how much is happening around us when we actually slow down enough to notice.

Back home, it's easy to move through an entire day without really paying attention to the things around us. We're thinking about what's next. Where we need to go. What needs to get done. What's bothering us. What we forgot. What we need to fix. But when you're standing in the rainforest watching ants carry leaves across the ground, something shifts. For a few minutes, the only thing that matters is what's happening right in front of you. And there's something pretty incredible about that.

Horseback Riding, Waterfalls, and the Kind of Peace I Want More Of

Another highlight of my trip was horseback riding through the rainforest to a waterfall. My horse's name was Paloma. And I absolutely loved her.

There was something about riding through that beautiful scenery that made me feel completely present. I wasn't rushing to get somewhere. I wasn't worrying about what needed to happen afterward. I was enjoying the ride. The trees. The sounds. The experience. And then there was the waterfall.

I've always loved being around water, especially creeks and waterfalls. Something about the sound and movement is calming to me. So getting to experience that in Costa Rica felt especially meaningful.

It reminded me that I don't always need constant excitement to feel happy. Sometimes happiness is sitting near water. Sometimes it's watching wildlife. Sometimes it's riding a horse through the rainforest. Sometimes it's simply being somewhere beautiful and allowing yourself to enjoy it. No multitasking required. No problem-solving. No seventeen mental tabs open. Just being there. And for someone whose brain rarely seems to stop moving, that feeling is pretty special.

What Pura Vida Started to Mean to Me

Throughout Costa Rica, I kept hearing the phrase pura vida. It's commonly used as a greeting, an expression of appreciation, and a way of describing a positive approach to life. But after spending a week there, it started meaning something more personal to me. It became a reminder to slow down. To appreciate what was happening. To stop turning every little thing into something that needed immediate attention.

Now, I understand that I was experiencing Costa Rica as a tourist. I wasn't working there, managing a household there, or dealing with the everyday responsibilities of living in another country. I'm sure Costa Ricans have stressful days, difficult jobs, financial worries, and responsibilities just like everyone else. But the atmosphere I experienced made an impression on me.

People were kind. The scenery was beautiful. There was a warmth to the interactions we had. And I found myself appreciating how different it felt from my usual routine. It made me question how much of the chaos in my own life is unavoidable and how much comes from the pressure I put on myself.

Because I do that. I create urgency where there doesn't always need to be urgency. I want everything handled immediately. I struggle to leave things unfinished. And sometimes I exhaust myself trying to control things that don't need to be controlled in that moment.

Costa Rica reminded me that life keeps moving even when I slow down. Imagine that. The world doesn't collapse because I stop to look at a bird. Who knew?

What Traveling to Costa Rica at 43 Taught Me About Trying New Things

I think one of the biggest things I took away from this trip is that I'm not too old to experience something for the first time. At 43, I finally left the country. I traveled with someone I was still getting to know. I challenged myself with activities that scared me. I experienced places I'd never imagined seeing in person. And I discovered that I love traveling.

Not every experience went exactly as planned. Some things scared me. Some things challenged me. Some things were uncomfortable. And some things were so beautiful that I wish I could experience them all over again. But that's what made the trip memorable. It wasn't perfect. It was real.

And it reminded me that trying something new doesn't require being completely confident beforehand. Sometimes you have to show up nervous. Sometimes you have to let someone encourage you. Sometimes you have to decide something isn't right for you. And sometimes you surprise yourself.

At 43, I don't want to look at my life and think that all my firsts are behind me. I want more firsts. More adventures. More places. More opportunities to learn something about myself. And if that means occasionally standing on a platform wondering why I agreed to something terrifying, well, apparently that's part of the experience too.

Five Things I'm Bringing Home From Costa Rica

I didn't just bring home pictures, memories, and a suitcase full of laundry. I brought home a few lessons I want to carry into everyday life.

1. Slow down enough to notice what's around you. You don't need to be in another country to appreciate nature, quiet mornings, or beautiful scenery. Sometimes it's about putting down your phone, stepping outside, and paying attention.

2. Trying matters, even when you don't finish. Ziplining didn't happen for me, but I still showed up and attempted something that terrified me. That's an experience worth recognizing.

3. Fear and courage can exist together. I was afraid on the hanging bridges, but I crossed them. Courage doesn't necessarily mean feeling fearless. Sometimes it means taking one careful step while you're still scared.

4. The people around you matter. Elizabeth and our tour guide helped me through an experience I wasn't sure I could handle. Encouragement, patience, and feeling supported can make unfamiliar experiences easier to navigate.

5. Not every moment needs to be productive. This might be the hardest lesson for me to practice. I don't have to accomplish something every second of the day. Sometimes I can just enjoy being alive.

The Vacation Ended, but I Don't Want the Lesson to End With It

I'm home now. Back to Pennsylvania. Back to responsibilities. Back to routines. And yes, back to a brain that would very much like to solve every problem in my life before lunchtime.

But something about Costa Rica stayed with me. I keep thinking about those early mornings. The birds. The rainforest. The people. The adventures. The beautiful scenery. I keep thinking about Paloma and the waterfall, the hanging bridges, the monkeys, and all the moments that made me stop and appreciate where I was. And I keep coming back to the same realization. Life doesn't have to be so chaotic all the time.

I know that doesn't mean responsibilities disappear or that difficult things suddenly become easy. It means I can start making different choices about how I move through my days. I can slow down. I can take breaks. I can enjoy small things. I can try something new without needing to be perfect at it. I can recognize when I need encouragement and when I need to respect my own limits. And I can remind myself that being busy isn't the same thing as being fulfilled.

Costa Rica gave me an incredible week of memories. But more than that, it gave me a glimpse of how I want to experience life moving forward. A little less rushing. A little less pressure. A little more adventure. A little more peace. And maybe a few more mornings spent listening to birds instead of worrying about everything that needs to get done. Although if the howler monkeys could keep it down until at least 6 a.m., that would be fantastic.

Pura vida. 🇨🇷🩷

~Tj🩷

Frequently Asked Questions About My Costa Rica Experience

Is Costa Rica a good destination for first-time international travelers?

Costa Rica can be an appealing destination for first-time international travelers because of its rainforest, beaches, wildlife, and variety of guided activities. Researching destinations, transportation, accommodations, entry requirements, and current travel advisories before leaving can help make the experience more manageable.

What did I enjoy most about visiting Costa Rica?

The rainforest, wildlife, horseback riding, waterfalls, hanging bridges, and slower atmosphere were some of my favorite parts. I especially loved the early mornings and the opportunity to experience nature in a completely different environment.

Is ziplining in Costa Rica scary if you're afraid of heights?

It certainly was for me. Everyone experiences heights differently, and zipline courses vary. I attempted the activity but decided not to continue because of my fear and concerns about my healing hand. Anyone with an injury or medical limitation should check with an appropriate healthcare professional and the activity operator before participating.

Are hanging bridges easier than ziplining for someone afraid of heights?

That depends on the person. I found hanging bridges more manageable because I had a walking surface beneath my feet and could move at my own pace. They can still be high, narrow, or moving, so it's important to follow the guide's instructions and choose activities that suit your comfort and abilities.

What does pura vida mean in Costa Rica?

Pura vida literally translates to "pure life," but it's used in many different ways, including greetings, expressions of gratitude, and descriptions of a positive outlook on life. For me, it became a reminder to slow down and appreciate the present moment.

What can traveling teach you about personal growth?

Travel can expose you to unfamiliar environments, activities, and perspectives. For me, Costa Rica helped me practice facing fears, respecting my limits, accepting encouragement, and appreciating a slower pace of life