"Pura Vida" - the essay that got me into college
I wrote this in 2014, my junior year of high school.
The tour leader handed me a couple of berries to feed the monkeys. One of them swung from branch to branch to get closer to me. He extended his arm out towards me, and before grabbing the food from my palm, his black, bony fingers groomed the surface of my fingers so smoothly that his nails created light scratch marks on my hand. It was as though it was his way of saying hello, to show me that I needed to only reach out to those who are willing to do the same…
…My strong desire to establish a bond with my family is driven by my need to be inspired by who they are, to learn about what they do, and to have their virtues become a part of who I am and what I value. Interestingly enough, my relatives who live continents away are the ones who want to help me grow, hear my voice, and be a part of my life whereas those who live in the same borough as me will not do so much as stretch their arms out towards me...
...During my trip to Costa Rica, I thought my contact with the people would be superficial at most, but a Costa Rican by the name of Gustavo proved me wrong...
...Hiking down to the bottom of the rocky steps, my body wobbled around as I struggled to keep my balance. As I sunk my toes into the warm sand, I squinted through the light as Gustavo showed me his most precious treasure, a beautiful waterfall towering over the cliff in his hometown. He gave me a reason to cherish Costa Rica. He made me appreciate the indigenous phrase, “pura vida”, which means a pure, happy, and relaxed life. “Pura vida” is now something I think of when somebody asks me, “How are you?” That phrase is now a part of me...
...Zip lining in Costa Rica, flying past the mountains along with the radiant trees huddled together with tints of blue poking through the leaves made me speechless and helped me recognize that I need to let go of my worries. My younger cousin, with her friendly and open spirit, taught me to love people for who they are. Complex family dynamics have created negative energy between my cousin and I, and have made it impossible for our relationship to grow. While my aunt has severed our relationship, I have fought to keep in touch with her. In contrast, my relatives from Italy and Colombia have always kept in touch. My phone’s daily buzzing with their messages or calls is their way of keeping our relationship alive. Effortlessly gliding on those ten zip lines helped me realize that my relationships with my family members should be just that: effortless. Though my real family is far, it is not out of reach.
The beauty I discovered in the people and creatures of Costa Rica inspired me to be myself and reach out to those who are special enough to reach out to me. If I need to travel to Colombia or Italy to build a stronger relationship with family members who want to make an impact in my life, then I can do that, because an ocean is inconsequential in the face of our bond. I always worried that not being able to share my life with my entire family would create a void in my life, but their absence is the reason I am who I am. Their absence made me a confident, committed, and passionate woman: someone who cherishes the connections that I make with others regardless of how fleeting or unlikely. My trip to Central America was a reminder of that.
