With tarantulas crawling over my mosquito net and bats flying around the ceiling, my service trip to Costa Rica was anything but normal. My friends and family typically label me as a “girly-girl” who does not enjoy the outdoors. Up until this trip, I would most certainly agree with that claim. When I was a little girl, I enjoyed the finer things in life, which for a six-year-old consisted of sparkly tennis shoes and princess dresses. From then on, I always assumed that I would be the girl who liked more feminine things. As I have grown older, I know that I have changed, which is a normal part of growing up. Looking back at my elementary school self, I would never have imagined myself taking a service trip to the outskirts of Costa Rica, but people change.

I believe that one of the main reasons I wanted to take this trip was to prove to my family that I was not the same person I used to be. I wanted to prove something to my family and friends, and I was not completely going on this trip for myself. The point at which my motives flipped was when I spent the night in an indigenous community. I was up for the challenge but a little afraid because the indigenous had a much different lifestyle than my own, and I did not know what to expect. Upon nighttime, the chaos, which completely changed my perception of myself, began. There were four boys, seven girls, and two counselors all in one cabin with a mosquito net around each bed. Approaching the cabin, I heard a loud scream followed by three girls running in terror. There was a six inch beetle resting on one of their beds. After much commotion, the counselors were able to restore order when a new, potentially worse, problem arose. Crawling through the cabin was a giant, furry tarantula. I watched anxiously as our counselor grabbed a water bottle and smashed it down on our uninvited guest. Everyone began to relax, and it seemed like we would survive the night; yet, our peace was short-lived due to the sound of flapping wings across the cabin. I slept with one eye open hoping the hole ridden net would protect me from the flying unknown. The next morning, our counselors revealed the truth, “You just had a sleepover with a family of bats!”

Although this bizarre incident terrified me at first, I now cherish that night because I stepped outside of my comfort zone. When I signed up for this trip, I knew I wanted to try something new, but I did not realize I would be changed forever afterwards. This made the entire experience not only rewarding but also made me aware of a new part of me that I did not know was there. Everyone goes through a point in their lives where we believe our identity to be set in stone and no changes can be made. This accusation is false. People are constantly changing, which is a part of human nature. Never in my life did I imagine myself, someone who would rather pass time shopping in New York than roughing it with Mother Nature’s critters, spending the night in a cabin with such a variety of wildlife. As I grow older, I am transforming my identity and breaking away from the one that I once believed was already set out for me.