FUN IN ANY LANGUAGE

Thank goodness for Dora the Explorer! Parents may be familiar with the children's TV show that features a bilingual kindergartner who explores the jungles of Costa Rica with a map, backpack, compass, and friendly monkey. It's also helpful for adults who never learned a foreign language and will spend a week living with a family that speaks no English.

I'm embarrassed to say that the only Spanish I know came from watching that show with my daughter five years ago. Even so, our "voluntoursim" (volunteer + tourism) adventure in Costa Rica was a great success! We worked for Proyecto Asis, a wildlife refuge in San Carlos and lived with host family. In between, we experienced other parts of Costa Rica including ziplining and white water rafting.

For me, the best part was total cultural immersion with the host family. Somehow, we found a way to communicate in a mutual language that involved a lot of acting out of words. We learned that both families knew how to play the same card games, and spent our nights around the kitchen table playing Gin Rummy. While we were there life happend: a neighbor died and we celebrated my birthday. Anybody can experience the same tourist traps in a city, but those moments with our family were totally unique to us and cannot be duplicated. If you and your family think you might like to take a similar trip, check out Tropical Adventures.

Here are a few of the highlights of our trip:
We spent one night way up in the trees at the Tree House Resort. What an awesome experience to wake up surrounded by the tops of trees and a symphony of birds.

My daughter, Gabrielle with our host family's children and cousin as they headed off for school.

That's me ziplining in the jungle. Did you hear me scream?

My daughter, Gabrielle feeding a Kinkajou at the Wildlife Refuge.

Well, someone has to clean the cage of Perla, a white-lipped pecary!

Cooling off with a little white water rafting. I'm in front on the right, and my daughter is in the back - she held her own!

I can't think of a better way to have spent my 45th birthday! What a gift it was to experience the generosity of this family.