In my day-to-day life, I often find myself stressing about the future or overthinking what happened in the past. There are many times throughout the day, whether it be sitting in a lecture hall or being in the middle of a hard workout, when I wish I could skip to the future and be done with the task at hand. Going into my ACE in Costa Rica trip, my main goal was to be where my feet are and to appreciate every moment. I knew that this would be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, and I should take advantage of every new experience I would have.
My time in Gandoca, Costa Rica, was unlike anything I have done before. Heading into the trip, I knew it would be outside of my comfort zone. However, I also knew that to get the most I could out of this trip and to grow from it, I would have to fully immerse myself in the experience and go into everything with an open mind. In Gandoca, there were days when we would go to the local soccer field and participate in five-hour soccer tournaments. Sure, there were times during these days when I wished we could go back and shower, or take a nap, or get some of the fresh juice that they had out every day at the place we stayed. However, I reminded myself how lucky I was to be in that moment. I grew up playing soccer and getting the chance to get on the field and play with the local kids along with other Duke student-athletes, felt so special. There aren’t many times in our busy lives that we can just put everything aside and play a fun soccer game with friends. Also at these soccer tournaments, while sitting on the sidelines, I was able to form new connections with the local kids. They loved getting to know me and the other Duke students, throwing around a ball with us, or teaching us a handshake. While the language barrier posed some challenges, the kids were all patient with us, and we eventually were able to communicate with them. And although we were all hot from the blazing sun and tired from a busy day, focusing on the moment and appreciating where we were allowed us to have the most meaningful experiences.
Through my ACE experience, I learned that when you stop thinking about the past or future, and instead appreciate the moment you’re in, you gain so much more from every experience.
Our group in Costa Rica really did take advantage of every moment and didn’t let any time go to waste. From waking up in the morning, to going on runs through Gandoca, eating local Costa Rican food, making hammocks, working on the Cocoa farm, teaching kids sports skills, going on hikes, and filling every spare moment we had with games, we made the most of every minute we had. Another thing I learned through ACE was to stop going into experiences with preconceived notions about if I would like it or not. For example, before Costa Rica, I had always thought I hated hiking. I haven’t been on many hikes in my life, but when I have, I usually haven’t loved them. However, in Costa Rica, I went into our five-hour hike with an open mind. In the end, I actually loved the hike, and it was one of my favorite things we did. Seeing monkeys and sloths in the trees, drinking and eating coconuts along the way, and seeing beautiful views of the ocean made me so appreciative of the opportunity I had to be part of ACE. Even falling down muddy hills during the hike was a funny experience that never fails to put a smile on my face when the memory comes to mind.
There is always going to be something in life to be stressed or worried about, whether it be in the future or past, or even what’s happening at that moment. But on the flip side, there is also always something to appreciate or be grateful for. Through my ACE experience, I learned that when you stop thinking about the past or future, and instead appreciate the moment you’re in, you gain so much more from every experience. Although I wish I could go back and relive my time in Costa Rica, I will live every day of my life with the lessons I learned on my trip, and I will make the most of every moment.