Pre-trip Jitters -- Costa Rica
The weeks before a trip to another country are both exhilarating and very stressful. So many questions, so many unknowns. When you have never been to a certain country, the possibilities are truly endless; at least in your own mind. What will the people be like? Will I be able to communicate effectively? Will I get robbed/scammed/have the time of my life?
I think it's one thing when you go to a country where you aren't realistically expected to know the language; I.E. china or Indonesia. But for me the mindset changes a little when you go to a place where you could know the language, in this case Spanish. I think it puts a little more responsibility in your lap, but the benefits can be priceless--getting a little closer to the people of any country, to see the world a little from their eyes, that is the prize of traveling.
That being said, there is a little freak out going on. No matter how many packing lists I have generated over the years, each place is unique and tweaks need to be made. This trip is a little more tricky, than, say, Thailand, where 2 pairs of shorts and tevas are almost all you need. This time its cloud forests (read: rain forests) that get 300 inches of rain a year, down to the Caribbean coast of teva fame. If there is one thing I hate its packing too many clothes.
The purpose of these "pre-trip" blogs is to document my hopes and fears, misgivings and theories, so I can compare them to the reality of the experience later. This way I can see how "right" or "wrong" my preconceptions were, so that on future trips I can see how silly / stupid / right / wrong I was. And maybe help out others with the same fears and phobias.
I think it's one thing when you go to a country where you aren't realistically expected to know the language; I.E. china or Indonesia. But for me the mindset changes a little when you go to a place where you could know the language, in this case Spanish. I think it puts a little more responsibility in your lap, but the benefits can be priceless--getting a little closer to the people of any country, to see the world a little from their eyes, that is the prize of traveling.
That being said, there is a little freak out going on. No matter how many packing lists I have generated over the years, each place is unique and tweaks need to be made. This trip is a little more tricky, than, say, Thailand, where 2 pairs of shorts and tevas are almost all you need. This time its cloud forests (read: rain forests) that get 300 inches of rain a year, down to the Caribbean coast of teva fame. If there is one thing I hate its packing too many clothes.
The purpose of these "pre-trip" blogs is to document my hopes and fears, misgivings and theories, so I can compare them to the reality of the experience later. This way I can see how "right" or "wrong" my preconceptions were, so that on future trips I can see how silly / stupid / right / wrong I was. And maybe help out others with the same fears and phobias.
posted by Klaus Larsen at 10:59 AM
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