My brother was full of life and curiosity, constantly exploring and looking for new experiences. For these reasons it wasn't a total surprise when Jeff presented to my parents the idea of sending him to Costa Rica to complete a 30-day surf instructional course with the Outward Bound organization. I know my parents were apprehensive, letting their 16-year-old spend thirty days surfing in a foreign country, but my mom was familiar with Outward Bound and knew that Jeff was a good candidate for such an experience. Plus, there was no holding him back once he knew he wanted to do something.

When my brother came back, brown, skinny, and covered in mosquito bites, his aura had changed. I could tell something about him was different, but he was still the same person. I had already known Jeff to be resourceful, independent, strong-willed, and so many of the things Outward Bound helps you to become. However, he, as a whole, was strengthened. He was able to apply what he already was during his time in Costa Rica.

Being twelve, I thought my brother was the coolest person in the world. It was obvious that both his Spanish and his surfing had improved, and he had countless stories to tell my family and me. He went back the next summer to complete the 15-day surf course and ended up wishing he had stayed a longer period of time. Furthermore, when he wasn't sure that college was the right path for him, Jeff considered becoming an instructor for Outward Bound Costa Rica. To be honest, at the time I was never sold on the idea that a similar experience would be right for me. However, when my brother was killed in a car accident on Thanksgiving weekend of 2007, my perspective on many things changed.

My decision to come to Costa Rica was entirely spontaneous. It wasn't until this past July that I was hooked. Summer had, up until that point, been very unfulfilling. So, somehow, I ended up scrolling through the Outward Bound webpage. I remember looking at the available courses, thinking that there must be something I would be interested in besides the surf course, since thirty days of surfing sounded monotonous to me. The 24-day multi-element course was scheduled to start two weeks from then. Bingo. This course was much more fitting to my personality. I loved the idea of hiking, rafting, roughing it, and interacting with people native to Costa Rica, and I wanted to get away as long as possible. I made my plea to my mom, sent in the paperwork, and next thing I knew I had arrived in Costa Rica close to midnight and was driving in a van to the base camp.

It is hard for me to describe the next twenty-four days in so few words. I had never been so physically and emotionally challenged before my Outward Bound experience. I was amazed at how much I needed to do and was able to depend on myself. But what really blew me away was my newfound passions, for the language, the food, the culture, and the country. Many nights I found myself having extensive conversations about life with my instructors, Carlos and Diego, and my soulmate, Emily, another girl on my course. They never failed to enlighten me in some way. Felipe, my rafting instructor, was often able to express many of the things I was feeling better than I could myself, and English is his second language! I was also able to connect with their families, some of the most charismatic people I've ever come across (not to mention, the best cooks). It wasn't until this summer that I had a good idea of what I wanted to do in the future. I was able to grow to love and make connections with many of the same things and people that my brother once did, but in my own way. Now I can look at Jeff's picture of him and Don Otto and understand why he loved this eccentric (a.k.a. crazy) guy. I will forever have Costa Rica in common with my brother. A film documentary on Jeff and the way he impacted the people in his life is planned to be finished sometime this holiday season. The footage portrays Jeff's spirit better than I could have imagined, and anyone familiar with Outward Bound who watches it will further understand why he made such a connection with Costa Rica and the Outward Bound organization. The documentary captures a similar passion that I now have for the Costa Rican culture, and I am very fortunate to have come across an opportunity such as the Outward Bound program that allowed me to realize this passion. For info about the documentary, please email info@crrobs.org.

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