Destination:  Rainforest, River and Reef-Costa Rica!

Elizabeth Anderson of Westborough submitted this article after she had been accepted to a Girl Scout destination.  Want to know how her trip went?  Continue reading, as she shares her once-in-a-lifetime experience!

“This summer, I will be taking the adventure of a lifetime in Costa Rica, on a Girl Scout Destination called Rainforest, River, and Reef.  This trip will be a wonderful experience for me because it incorporates many things that I love--backpacking, whitewater rafting, wildlife, foreign culture, and most of all, trying new things.  Although I have taken many trips before, I'm sure that this one will be one of my most memorable because of all the fun activities and new people I will meet who share my interests.  This trip is everything I've ever hoped for in Girl Scouts, and I'm excited to have been accepted.  I would like to encourage other girls to apply for a Destination.”

 “Because I enjoy doing everything that is offered on this trip, the actual application process was fairly easy.  When I was writing the application essay, I could connect to all the activities being offered and tell about my experience in each area.  My interest in this trip produced an enthusiastic tone in the writing of my application.  Perhaps because of this, I got accepted the first time I have ever applied to go on a Destination.  Although the application process may seem intimidating, if you are applying for something you really want to go on, ideas will come naturally and your writing will be sincere.”

 “Besides the application, the other main hurdle associated with a Destination is the funding.  How do you fund a $1,000 trip?  You have to start planning for it a few years in advance.  I have been saving money for three years.  I also sold hundreds of boxes of cookies and I will use the cookie credits toward my trip.  The secret is patience.  I didn't imagine anyone could earn enough money to fund a trip like this until I did it myself.  It is very hard work and it takes an enormous time commitment, but it is possible.  This summer, all my hard work will pay off with ten unforgettable days in Costa Rica!”

Home Again!  Sharing Her Experience in Costa Rica: 

“Imagine water pounding over your feet as you begin to rappel down a slippery waterfall.  As you lean back, your eyes trace the path of the rope from the carabiner on your harness all the way up to the tree to which it is fastened.  You realize the rope is the only thing keeping you from dropping a hundred feet into the roaring river below.  The rope slips through your hands as you take another tentative step back.  Panic sets in as you look down, but above the roar of the waterfall, you can hear the encouraging words of others at the base of the waterfall.  The sun shines down through the rain forest canopy and a blue morpho butterfly flits along the top of the falls.  Confident, you now finish your decent almost as fast as the water itself.”

“This may sound like a scene from a high adventure TV special, but this June I was in Costa Rica experiencing this for myself.  My high adventure experience was part of a national Girl Scout Destination trip.  I picked this particular adventure in Costa Rica out of a huge selection of Destinations that are offered by the Girl Scouts of the USA, including trips to Minnesota for dog sledding, to Sequoia National Park to backpack, to Central American countries for service opportunities, to Mall of America, and to a horseback riding adventure in Georgia, to name a few.  I felt this particular trip would challenge me, allow me to experience activities that I couldn’t ever do elsewhere, and get a chance to see new and exotic places, as well as learn about another culture.”

“My trip started out with the application process over a year ago.  As part of the application, I was required to write an essay as well as get two references.  The other major element to preparation for this trip was raising money.  Unlike the other 11 girls who went on this trip with me, I paid for my trip and plane tickets entirely with money earned from the Girl Scout cookie sale.  I sold a total of almost 4,000 boxes of cookies to fund this trip.  This was extremely difficult work but well worth it for the spectacular trip I was able to experience as a result.”

“The new experiences I gained in Costa Rica were as thrilling as I had imagined.  Besides rappelling down a waterfall, I also had the chance to climb up a tree that was covered in strangler fig vines and belay others who were climbing, try my hand at surfing on the beautiful Costa Rican beaches, go whitewater rafting, and harvest bananas using a machete.  Backpacking through the mountains was inarguably strenuous but the beautiful views all the way to the ocean were so beautiful it took my mind off my aches.  At the end of a long day of hiking, it was always relieving to see a small house nestled in between the mountains, because it meant we were near our destination.  In these tidy, comfortable homes lived local ticos with whom we would stay for the night and sample what life was like for them.  The new culture and new activities I became familiar with in Costa Rica created a once-in-a-lifetime experience that I enjoyed immensely.”

“This trip was only one of the many opportunities I have had through Girl Scouts that has been both fun and educational.  My Destination helped me to grow as a person, giving me confidence and leadership skills.  I highly recommend that every older girl who is thinking of applying for a destination make the effort to apply.  It’s well worth it!”

More Info

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