Mi familia was born from the rich coast, Costa Rica, in Central America. I long to live la pura vida it has to offer. Vote February 14 through March 1 to send me on a Costa Rican Explorer excursion with Gap Adventures.
People told me for years, “Travel while you’re young. Do it now while there is still time.” I never quite understood what “while there is still time” means. I don’t believe that one day the opportunity to venture around the world or even cross-country will cease to exist. However, as I grow into adulthood, I am learning how the freedom of youth can swiftly escape a person. I am not old, by any means, at the ripe age of 24. It just seems financial and work responsibilities are mounting. Evidence of the mundane future that awaits me is all around. It is approaching too quickly and the message is crystal clear: I have to get out NOW!
Don’t get me wrong. In the last two years, I have seized opportunities to adventure within my means. I leapt off a thirty-foot ledge into Kentucky’s Lake Cumberland; parasailed over the jellyfish-infested waters of Myrtle Beach, South Carolina; toured the majestic Biltmore Estate in Asheville, North Carolina; and interviewed Proposition 8 protestors at a bus stop in West Hollywood during a week-long tour of Southern California. These escapades were exhilarating, but short-lived.
Currently, I am a university graduate living at home with mom, working a hum-drum job that pays no more than my college internship. I never imagined myself here at this stage in life. I’m tired of vicariously living the life of an explorer through National Geographic articles, Discovery channel specials, and brief vacations that do not last. There is so much life beyond the sleepy suburbs of Northeast Ohio. I want to live it. I want to write about it.
All my life I have dreamt of being some grand adventurer learning about the people, cultures, and nature of the world. A passion for life on earth pulses through my veins like the tributaries of the world’s mightiest rivers. I am ready to go international. I plan to begin my world tour in Costa Rica, the country in which my mother was born. I want to immerse myself in the beautiful culture of my family. A heritage I have only experienced through my mother’s stories. Also, I want to enhance my Spanish-speaking skills so I can communicate with my family directly and effectively.
I have been planning my escape for months. I set my get-away date for August 2010. However, as I researched cheap travel options, I discovered an opportunity that could take me to my destination sooner than expected. Travel blogger Nomadic Matt and Gap Adventures are hosting a blog/video contest. The winner earns a two-week Costa Rica Explorer excursion in March and the opportunity to write about and record the experience.
This is where I turn to you, my friends. I need your votes to win this extraordinary prize. It is more than just a vacation in paradise. It is the opportunity to discover my heritage and family. Please vote for me. Voting will begin on Sunday, February 14 and run through Monday, March 1.
I will document my experience from the planning stages through my journey to discover la pura vida on the Rich Coast with my new Twitter account, TravelWits. Also, I will be sure to keep you updated with video on YouTube. Just remember, I need your help to get there first! Thank you in advance for your support.
