Dunia Vargas hails from the small mountain-shrouded town of El Almendro, Nicaragua in the heart of farm country. At the age of 15 she left her native country of Nicaragua and moved to the area of La Fortuna near Volcan Arenal in Costa Rica. After three years of jewelry, hammock and souvenir-making as well as cooking for local restaurants, at 18, Dunia traveled with friends to the coast of the Nicoya Peninsula to fulfill her childhood dream of seeing the ocean for the first time. Whilst traveling, she stumbled across a secluded beach in Northern Guanacaste, and as soon as she laid eyes on Avellanas she knew that she wanted to live there. After her trip, she returned to La Fortuna with the mentality that she was going to work as hard as she could, save money and move to the beach as soon as it was feasible. After six months of diligent hard word, Dunia packed up her few belongings and headed to Avellanas to try something completely different from what she had ever done before.

When Dunia arrived in Avellanas she had no idea what to do. All she knew was that it was the most beautiful place that she had ever seen. She started making jewelry and walking up and down the beach and from table to table selling her designs at a local restaurant, where she ran into someone from La Fortuna who rented her a room in her house right on the ocean.

She realized that she could make a living selling her jewelry on the beach and became entranced while watching surfers during sunset after sunset. With no notion of what surfing was or what a surfboard was, she borrowed a short board from the family she was staying with and began teaching herself how to surf at age 20. She wanted to do what everyone was doing and had the drive to do it. No fear of water. No fear of the unknown. Just straight up passion.

Dunia is a student at the University of Life – she takes advantage of what comes at her. After taking a 100-hour English course in La Fortuna, she became fluent with the help of her Canadian roommate Linda.

One afternoon on her way home from selling jewelry she saw a sign hanging from a coco tree (placed there by the infamous driver Don Otto) looking for female surf instructors. At this stage, Dunia had been surfing almost daily for a year and a half and loved her life at the beach, but she was looking for a change. She wanted to improve herself and help others improve their surfing skills, so she called CRROBS, became acquainted with Outward Bound’s philosophy, and taught her first surf course shortly thereafter in Manuel Antonio.

Outward Bound has helped Dunia not only with her own personal development, but it has also helped her to find a love of working with kids who are constantly happy and excited about everything. Dunia continues to live a simple life teaching surfing and being grateful for what she has in the moment.

“When I came here I didn’t have anything and I was happy,” Dunia says. “I am happy to be surfing and camping and near the ocean and feel the sun on my skin. You don’t need a lot in this life: beach, food, roof, that’s all. You don’t need material things. So many people in this life have nothing and they are so happy for what they have. I want the students to have this same mentality: live simply and happily and be grateful for what you have every day.”

When Dunia left Nicaragua she told her mom that she was going to build her a house, and through her dedication and hard work she has done just that. Enjoy what you have. This is the Dunia Vargas way of life.

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