This summer I went to Costa Rica with two of my friends and I realized how my beautiful California wasn’t so beautiful. On our way to Los Angeles, it felt surreal that we were going on our first trip alone. As we traveled through the cities to get to the airport our view changed. We went through desserts, the terrain so dry and in need of water that any drop of it would absorb in a matter of seconds. As we got closer to the city, we saw buildings of all kinds; tall skinny ones and short wide ones. We saw people everywhere going on about their business without even looking at one another, but all the nature was dead. Once we got to the airport it was a fast and smooth experience. We didn’t understand why people complain so much about it.
Each step we had to take didn’t take longer than twenty minutes, and we spent the whole time joking around to notice the waiting time to board. I got the window seat which I was so excited for. I really love seeing down below as we go higher and higher. As the plain was taking off and we were a considerate amount of distance from the floor, I was able to see the L.A freeways. From up above it looked like a never ending maze, the curves, the multiple lanes, the length of it all.
The most confusing and sad thing about that picture is that all I saw was gray and brown. All I could see was dirt and dying trees. Where was the bright green grass, the growing trees, this wasn’t the California I remembered from the past. As we got closer to our destination we were able to see the beautiful country we were going to be staying at. Even hundreds of feet above, all I saw was color. The grass was so green it almost looked painted, a color I hadn’t seen back home in so long.
The trees seemed to be a darker shade than the grass, so full of life. Even the houses had color. All I could see was the speck of red and orange roofing. The houses didn’t take over the land, there was designated spots for them to still admire the beauty of their land. Back home even the homes looked gray. Even in the city where there is more traffic and more buildings, nature does not hide away.
Although the only thing you could hear were honking cars trying to squeeze in to the next lane, I couldn’t help but feel I was in a better place. Even from afar I could see the mountains and inactive Volcanoes. I saw the trees in and around the city, their green giving the buildings life. It almost felt as if our life in the states had been sucked out and we had just become robots. In Costa Rica people are as vibrant and full of life as their country.
Everywhere you go people are greeted with love and respond to you as if you are good friends with them. Unlike back in California where it’s hard to make friends, and talking to strangers becomes a game show where you bet who will actually answer you.
