Costa Rica Soles 4 Souls Update – Ohio State Buckeyes
5/13/2015 12:00:00 AM | General
May 13, 2015
Wednesday 5/13 Morning — Bridget Skinner — WSOC
The trip started early with a 3 a.m. arrival at Fawcett Center. Surprisingly, all 12 of us made it on time and had a lot of energy for such an early morning. Not a moment of our travels was missed because Sam Jardine was on point with his GoPro.
Our first flight took off from Columbus smoothly and we had a short layover in Houston. Our flight arrived later than expected but luckily we made it to our final flight to San Jose! The scenery flying into San Jose was incredible and I could tell everyone was filled with excitement. Once outside, the heat wave hit us and we could all tell we were not in Columbus any more.
Once we arrived at our destination we all could not be happier to finally get a meal and relax after a long day of traveling. I can already tell this once in a lifetime trip is going to be a great experience. Now everyone awaits to explore the area and see what the city has to offer before dinner tonight.
Wednesday 5/13 Afternoon/Evening – Lisa Blair – WBK
When told I was going to Costa Rica to help give out shoes to less fortunate children I assumed the area we were planning to be in would not be pleasant. On our way to CEDCAS from the airport the scenery was breathtaking. It was not the Costa Rica that I expected, but it was the true country. Driving through the town we were able to get a view of the mountain ranges and the homes that sat on hilltops. When we got to the area where the clinic was located, we were able to take 30 minutes of our spare time and walk around the neighborhood. The homes were personalized and homey by adding little things like bright colors flowers, and chairs on their porches. This neighborhood may not have been full of wealth, but it was full of Costa Rican culture.
Honestly, coming into this trip there was not much that I knew about Costa Rica and its culture. After exploring the neighborhood we met with the person responsible for us being here, Lillian. Lillian had a guest speaker named Daniela come and give us a brief summary of how Costa Rica came to be, down to literally the actual formation of the country. Also, as an avid coffee consumer, I was surprised to find out that Costa Rica is a major coffee bean supplier. I also then found out that Costa Rica was actually famous for their coffee, and this all started by a group of five women looking to start a business that will take care of their families. The fact that these women had a dream that they were determined to see come true, and it ended up becoming an international success is phenomenal and noteworthy.
The BEST part of our day definitely came during dinner time. Probably caused by a lethal dose of testosterone, the boys decided that for our first dinner on the island they will try cow tongue…Yeah a COWS TONGUE! Obviously after making them take the first bite, I decided to be a brave and try it for myself, and believe it or not it was pretty good! Aside from the weird slimy texture and pieces that looked like an actual tongue, this was something I would definitely try again, if I ever run across it of course. They say “when in Rome do as the Romans do” right? Well when in Costa Rica you order up a nice steaming plate of cow tongue, plantains and rice and beans.
Day 1 of Costa Rica has definitely been marked as a success. Ciao!
Thursday 5/14 — Joshua Perry — FB
It was so fitting that our first morning in Costa Rica was kicked off with a 5:30 a.m. workout. I mean, we are elite athletes (warriors) and THE GRIND never takes a day off. The majority of us athletes as well as most of the advisors went out to a little park just down the road from where we are staying and got some work in. The park was very well suited for working out. It included public exercise equipment, a soccer field and a skate park that we saw as the perfect spot to do our thing. We did the best we could, using resistance bands and park equipment to keep up with our normal fitness needs. When we finished, we jogged back and got ready for our day.
Upon our arrival back to CEDCAS, we raced to the showers and down to breakfast. We had eggs, rice, bread and, of course, beans. I’m allergic to beans, so meals are a little funny for me. It is a staple of their diet I have to try to work around. That said, the rice and eggs were the bomb! There was salsa to go along with it and it was a game-changer.
After breakfast, we went to work. An unforeseen circumstance meant that we had to change a tire on one of the cars we rode in. It took four college brains to figure out how to do it, but it finally got done. We proceeded to load the cars up with shoes, tables and chairs and began our journey to the school. We made a stop in one of the poorest ghettos in Heredia Province. It was eye opening because I had never seen anything of that magnitude in America. The homes were made of old worn-out materials, there was trash everywhere and it was extremely crowded. Even so, there were children walking to school and people going to work. It was their way of life.
At the school, we got a warm greeting. The kids laughed and smiled and told us how big we were as we walked in, supplies in hand. It was a great feeling that our presence was exciting for them! After we set up, the kids started piling into the gym. We sized their feet, put the shoes on the kids (we didn’t wash their feet on this trip) and then got to play with them. It was so rewarding. The kids lit up hanging out with us. Something so little as giving out Croc-style shoes and boots made a difference to someone. It was a little tough at some points, though. We only carried up to size 8 shoes, so kids with bigger feet couldn’t get shoes like the others. We also started running out of some of the popular sizes, so some of the kids were running around in shoes that were too big, which isn’t all bad because they can still grow into them. The language barrier was tough, and it was so humid outside, but somehow all of that went away as the smiles started rolling in. When we played with them, everyone had a blast. We played soccer, basketball, volleyball and frisbee. It was ultra-competitive and it was refreshing to be able to act like a kid again. We ended up giving shoes to 956 individuals and it was AWESOME! I had never seen anything like it. This first school visit has changed the way I view life in other cultures and lower income areas. There was a feel of gratitude and on outlook of positivity despite any situation that they may have been through. AMAZING!
When we left, we were pretty tired. We all emptied out the bus and went to the kitchen of the clinic and just hung out. They had a spread of fruit and coffee laid out for us that was very good. After that snack, most of us got together and went for a walk around the community. It was pretty fun and we did a lot of bonding. We also got some fantastic pick-ups (food) from a local store…you know how that goes. When we got back, it was dinner time. We ate chicken, rice, potatoes and plantains. The food was top-notch, so you know I had to get two plates. Yum! We listened to a speaker about sustainability and service. The service part struck a chord with many of us, obviously, because we all know the importance of giving our time and efforts to others–or else we wouldn’t be on this trip. When that ended and we were free to go, we had a collective meeting of the minds, where everyone came to the room in which Chase and I are staying. It was so fun! There wasn’t a dull moment, there were laughs everywhere and we all got to know each other a little better.
Hopefully tomorrow brings more great experiences, both in service and fellowship. We shall see come 5:30 tomorrow morning!
Aim High! Go Bucks!
Joshua E Perry, #37
Friday 5/15 — Sam Jardine – MHKY
THE GRIND, as Joshua dubbed it yesterday, continued again this morning at 5:30 a.m. Some of the girls did jogging and sprints, the fellas got swole getting upper body pump in by getting creative with resistance bands. However, it was our fearless leader Cierra who really stepped up the workout game this morning and organized a PiYo session. It’s awesome being around such a motivated group of individuals where we’re all pushing each other to not only maintain our athletic fitness while we are here in Costa Rica, but also learn some new tricks from each other to incorporate into our training back home.
After some breakfast back at the CEDCAS clinic and Dmitry putting back his sixth cup of coffee we packed the bus to the roof with shoes and made our way to a school in Guarari for today’s distribution. I have to be honest, after staying up to the wee hours of the morning in Joshua and Chase’s room sharing some stories/laughs with the whole crew I was exhausted wondering how I was going to get through the day. You can imagine how excited I was when we got to the school and they had Sandstorm blasting through some real old DJ speakers (seriously click the link and listen to this song while you read the remainder of this blog and see if you’re not sweating by the end). The place was poppin’. I’ve never seen a place pumpin’ with so much energy like that at 8 a.m. Walking into the schoolyard, arms full of shoes, with all the kids waiting for us on the bleachers and having that entrance music blasting was the closest I have felt to being a rockstar.
The energy that I felt first walking into the schoolyard continued to rise as we set up our tables and assumed our roles. On only our second day of distribution our crew is already working together like a well-oiled machine. Andrea and Alex worked station 1 where the kids get their feet measured and then are sent to the fitters. Today’s fitters were Lisa, Chelsea, Bridget, Joshua, Chase, Dmitry and Kat. This is where the kids sit in a chair across from their fitter and actually try on the shoe to make sure it fits. Cierra, Brett and I worked as the runners making sure the fitters always had the size they needed for the kid they were sitting with. It was non-stop action sending the kids through for five straight hours. 836 PAIRS OF SHOES WERE GIVEN OUT TODAY!
For us workers there is never a dull moment, but for the kids it probably can seem like forever before it’s their turn to get their pair of shoes. To keep the kids occupied the school had this Zumba teacher guide the kids through a massive dance party. The energy was electric and I had the perfect job because I was constantly running around getting new boxes of shoes while jammin’ to whatever fire track the DJ had the kids boppin’ to.
When we finally got through most of the kids and the pace slowed a little we were able to interact and play with the kids. Naturally you could find Bridget playing soccer, playing at full effort and taking out kids left and right. The kids stare in awe of Lisa and Andrea’s height and also Joshua and Chase’s muscle. I love giving the kids my GoPro and letting them run around taking pictures of each other. They are all so fun and polite, but also fiercely competitive when playing a game. My favorite moment of the day came when we had packed up all the remaining shoes and were ready to head back to clinic when a teacher and her young student came running to the bus to ask if he could get a pair of shoes. Unfortunately there was no way that we could go in and get him shoes, but I noticed he was wearing a Hot Wheels t-shirt. Because I remembered how much fun I had as a kid playing with Hot Wheels I brought a few of them to give away. Thankfully I had two left. I got down to his level and pulled them out of my backpack to give to him. I’ve never seen a child’s face light up like that in my life. Just because we didn’t speak each other’s language our communication was clear. I pointed at the Hot Wheels logo on his t-shirt and then at the logo on the package he was holding. He raised his hands up in celebration and came in for tight hug. That moment alone has made the trip worthwhile.
It has been so fun to get to know our crew. I truly believe the kids here are bringing out the best in all of us. Funny how you come down here to Costa Rica to help them put shoes on their feet, but in the end they actually do so much more for you with a simple hug and beaming smile.
Heading into the jungle tomorrow…Hope all the Gators are ready for me, `cause I’m coming for them with nothing but a GoPro.
Cheers,
Sam Jardine
Twitter: @jamsardine4
IG: samjardine21
Saturday 5/16 — Chelsea Quinn — FH
4:30 a.m. – Beating the sun to its wake, an alarm pierces through our ears (and after several snoozes) we were out of bed and on our way down to the bus. Quite the task you might think, but luckily, motivation came in fear of the consequence of missing the bus (being without food for the next three days; something I think we can all agree would not be pleasant). However, since being here, it was not long before the boys spotted a Little Caesars Pizza down the road, so if one of us did get left behind, I think survival would be quite a bit easier.
Over the past two days, we established a nice routine consisting of morning and afternoon shoe distributions in two local schools around the area, breaks for meals of course, guest speakers sharing humbling messages of service and brie histories of Costa Rica, and last but surely not least, some quality time with the team…and our lone wolf, Chase, aka Mucho Big One, aka Grande Oso, aka Mucho Snorro. Coming into our third full day of the trip, we were uprooted from CEDCAS, our home away from home, and more importantly, our WiFi hotspot (just kidding) (but not really), told to pack a bookbag or two at most, and were on our way to Tortuguero. First by a three hour bus ride and then by an hour ride on a boat we arrived at our destination. After loading some shoes and our scarce belongings onto the bus, the morning hadn’t really begun until DJ Jazzy Josh, aka @RIP_JEP, came down the stairs bumpin’ some Snoop Dogg out of his jambox which has surely kept morale through the roof, at all hours of the day and night. After expecting to catch up on my sleep on our three hour journey, the beautiful mountainous scenery was more than enough to keep me awake. However, this did not have the same effect on everyone so with my new found energy, fueled by the surrounding Costa Rican nature, you know I had to get the slump cam goin’. Needless to say, no one was safe. After an early morning stop for breakfast, we loaded back onto the bus for the remaining two hours of the trip, awaiting the much-anticipated boat ride. After an excessively long trip through a 23-kilometer, pothole-filled road, we finally made it to the boat, kicking off the second and final part of our journey. After passing by some interesting scenes, including a dead cow in the water, the area where Jurassic Park was filmed and a path leading to Nicaragua, we pulled into our hotel, located in the middle of the jungle, amidst a downpouring rain. So naturally, we changed into bathing suits, and immediately ran to the pool. After much clowning around with Sam’s notorious GoPro while swimming in the forest during a rainstorm, we decided it was time to hit the showers and prepare for what we truly came to do, serve the communities of Costa Rica. Loading our Skechers and pink rain booties back onto the boat, we had a much shorter trip this time around, arriving at a school right along the water, ready to put shoes on feet. This time around, our shoe distribution was open to the community, meaning we had to size and provide shoes for all ages of children and adults. With team members loaded into one classroom and students lined up on the outside looking in, we set up shop and got right to work. Unlike the past two days of distributions, today’s students came in with nothing but their bare feet, meaning we were not just giving them an upgrade from their old, worn shoes, but what might very well be their only pair. Seeing this happen all around us, it was absolutely necessary to just stop and take a second to think about what this really means to the children that came through our station today. I think I speak for everyone when I say we walked away with full hearts, knowing that we are taking part in something bigger than ourselves.
Coming back to our jungle resort, we made quick pit-stops to our own rooms, although we quickly found ourselves together again, trying to pass the time until dinner, which seemed to be an eternity away. When the time finally came, we all agreed that this might have been the best meal we’ve eaten since being in Costa Rica, which was very fitting for the night that was lying ahead of us. Following dinner, we circled up for a team huddle and discussed some of the moments throughout our trip thus far that have had an impact on our lives and the lives of others around us. After thinking of my own “ah-ha” moments and hearing the perspective of our team, we came to the conclusion that on this unique, once in a lifetime experience, we will all be coming back to Columbus not only with the amazing memories of making our small difference in the world, but with a better understanding of ourselves and changes that we want to make in our own lives.
8:30 p.m. – We’re in the middle of a dance floor, 150 locals and tourists in seats around us, watching as we shamelessly broke out into the dance party that we had been talking about for days. With Sam’s GoPro at it again, in and out of hands, we all took a turn in the circle-some of us more than others, cough cough someone who shall remain nameless – and before we knew it the dance party turned into limbo contest. Despite the valiant efforts of our team members above 6 feet tall, which is surprisingly the majority, Bridget was by far the star of the show, winning the whole contest. At the end of the day, it was a night that is truly hard to put into words, but definitely something that we surely will all not soon forget.
Stay classy, San Jose,
Chelsea L. Quinn
Sunday 5/17 — Dmitry Dolgov – MSWM
It has been a long but exciting four days, filled with distributions, travel and adventure. But after serving so many kids it was time to take a short break and explore the country and see what it has to offer. Sadly, a member of our clan has fallen. Sam has come down with some sort of sickness and was not able to partake in the activities we had planned for today, but we had to press on. As usual, the day started decently early with a 7 a.m. fresh, delicious breakfast. After breakfast, we had a scheduled canopy tour right here at the resort so we all dragged ourselves back to our rooms to prepare for the hot, humid climate in the trees. I got ready early so I decided to head to the lobby to access the wireless and let my parents know I was still alive. While sitting on the steps I heard a ruffle in the trees so I nodded my head back and saw a little surprise. There were monkeys scaling the trees and jumping on roofs. I see part of the group coming my way and wave them down, notifying them of the exciting view. They all rush over taking out their phones and snapping pictures left and right as the monkeys climbed and jumped right over us. Everyone was in awe of how close they got to us. Naturally we followed the monkeys down the path as they were heading in the direction of our canopy tour. When they finally disappeared into the distance the group came together and arrived at the canopy lobby. There we were strapped up and guided to the first line.
Zipping through the jungle and feeling the humid wind on my face was a thrilling experience. After the first line, we were told to climb a tall ladder. At first it seemed easy, but the higher I climbed the more anxious I got. Having a fear of heights did not put me in a great position but I sucked it up and eventually made it to the top. After the initial climb, all we had left was ziplining. Generally everyone in the group loved the exhilarating experience but there were some (Lisa) that were gritting their teeth the whole time. After the tour we were all hot and sweaty and ready for some nice cold water. The second our gear came off, we all rushed to the pool. I have never been so happy to jump in a cold refreshing pool in my life. Through all of this adventuring we really worked up an appetite. Lunch was delicious and put us all in a food comma. Some people like me decided to go take a quick power nap before heading to a boat tour at 1:45 p.m.
I was having a sweet dream when all of the sudden I hear a knock on the door announcing that it is time to leave. I jumped out of bed, gathered my things and was on my way. Luckily, Sam was able to join us on the tour. We all hopped on the boat and were on our way to observe nature on the open water. We slowly drifted down the river eagerly looking for any sort of wildlife. In all, we saw an alligator, some iguanas, birds and monkeys. Although it wasn’t much, it was still very different than what we are used to back in the United States. Much time had passed and we decided that it was time to visit the town in which we distributed shoes in to walk through and purchase souvenirs. At the end of the road, we went back onto our boat and returned to the resort. Once again, we ate and found a way to kill time before leaving for our second tour of the day at 9:00 p.m.
This was the tour I was waiting for all week, the sea turtle tour. We were to go by boat to a pier then walk to the coast to see sea turtles laying eggs. Although the probability of seeing the turtles was low due to the fact that they usually come around August, I was still eager to walk the beach and scan the coast. Sadly, about 8 minutes in we decided to drop the tour and go back to the boat since people were losing shoes and visibility was very low. This was a bummer but there was nothing that could be done. Instead of being all salty about it we all walked back laughing and smiling together. We rode back to the resort and sat down by the pool together playing music and socializing. Needless to say, we still had a great time together and that is all that really matters. There truly could not have been a better group of people put together for this trip.
Monday 5/18 — Alex LaMere — WHKY
The past several days have been absolutely amazing, and although today was not packed with adventure, it was no different nonetheless. Today we had to make the trek back to CEDCAS. As a whole I think the group was ready to get away from the jungle. Even though the jungle is one of the most amazing landscapes I have ever been in, I think it was a bit too hot, humid, wet and buggy for some of us.
The morning started off the same as usual, with a fabulous breakfast. After that we all had to head back to our respective rooms to pack. This was a bit of a task as all of our stuff was still wet from the previous day. We boarded the boat at 9 a.m. Surprisingly, the cow carcass we saw on our way to Tortuguero was still there and smelled terrible.
Once in the van, Chelsea got a hold of Josh’s jam box. It started to die pretty early into what turned out to be a nine-hour drive. Lucky us, Dmitry noticed Andrea’s portable charger (from the scholar-athlete banquet) which ended up saving us from a music-free car ride. THANK YOU Ohio State! We had some great tunes to help pass the time.
All morning long people were dozing off in the most random positions and places. So you know Chelsea was ready with the camera. Astonishingly, the only person I didn’t see fall asleep was Dmitry; likely because he had taken a nap before we even left Tortuguero.
The original plan for the day was to stop about two hours into the trip in a small village called Guapiles. However, that plan changed when we got a call from Lillian saying that the road through the mountains was closed and she couldn’t get the shoes to Guapiles. This meant that our distribution was cancelled and that a four-hour trip was now going to be a lot longer than expected. We made several stops throughout the day, first at restaurant, then at a bakery that had amazing brownies, and finally at a street market in the heart of San Jose.
When we FINALLY got back to CEDCAS everyone was suddenly in such a chipper and energetic mood. It was like coming home after a long time away…to air conditioning. We had a delicious dinner of tilapia and potatoes. For desert we had chocolate cake, made especially for Bridget because today is her 20th birthday! Earlier in the day we attempted to sing “Feliz Cumpleanos”, but that failed miserably. Everyone just mumbled gibberish. Anyway, happy birthday Bridg!
I can’t believe the time has come to start packing for home. 9 a.m. is going to come way too soon! I am so sad to leave this amazing country, but am so grateful to have met all of the people I now call my friends.
Well that’s all for now,
See you soon Columbus!
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Tuesday 5/19 — Andrea Kacsits/Chase Farris – WVB/FB
Andrea: So Chase, I heard you have one or two nicknames. Can you elaborate on that?
Chase: Si! As soon as we arrived in Costa Rica I was immediately welcomed with open arms as locals began the nicknames with Mucho Big One. My second nickname came from our translator, Adrian, who simplified my first name Mucho Big One into Grande. I then received my third nickname from the children at our first distribution site. They said I was big like a bear so they called me Oso Grande. So by the end of the trip I just took bits and pieces from each and announced them when needed.
Andrea: Woooowwww, so you enjoyed your time in Costa Rica?
Chase: Qué?
Andrea: Well, between the late night pow wows at CEDCAS and Tortuguero Park, we had a pretty amazing time. When I came on this trip, I didn’t know what to expect from the group of people picked by the athletic department. The only people I knew were Dmitry and Lisa which was more than what some others could say. I can’t believe how close the entire group got over this trip. Ohio State couldn’t have picked a better group to embark on this Soles 4 Souls experience. I know that I’m more than grateful to have had this be my first out of the country experience. One of my favorite memories was dancing with the other residents of the hotel we stayed at in ortuguero Park and having the limbo contest and learning to salsa dance from the local Costa Ricans. I love how comfortable we all were to be fun and get outside of our comfort zones regardless of the fact that we had just met each other three days before. What’s one of your favorite memories from the trip?
Chase (Oso Grande): The group chats that that we had throughout the entire trip were definitely interesting. It was very eye-opening to realize how many similarities the struggle of each individual student- athlete actually contained. It didn’t matter if it was volleyball, basketball, soccer, hockey, football, swimming or fencing. These talks helped us all (especially me) to realize that no matter what the playing field or arena, there are just certain things that only student-athletes can understand and relate to. By helping us find this common ground, I feel these talks are truly what drove us to become closer as a unit.
Once we became closer our trip leader decided to take us on an adventure that really put our newly found bond to the test. So the last night we spent in Tortuguero National Park we are taken on a trip to try and spot a Tortuguean Leatherback sea turtle. Now I’m no nature boy, nor am I much of an explorer, but when I’m walking along a sea shore with a very aggressive tide, abandoned ship anchors, fallen trees, stray dogs, no lights, a guide who barely speaks English, and potential jaguars (yes, jaguars) I have a problem. Fortunately for me our turtle search came to an unforeseen stop due to common sense, overwhelming sketchiness, my constant complaining and the loss of a couple shoes. We returned to Tortuguero National Park that night. It was then that I felt the need to express a few emotions and a couple “I told you so’s ” as we spent the remainder of the night by the turtle-shaped pool as a consolation prize for our failed efforts.
Andrea: I thought that was so cool! We were faced with a few scary moments that even though it seemed like we were going to die, we had to laugh about all of it later. It became an ongoing joke with the group to hide in the jungle and pop out when no one was paying attention. Now, this would seem really funny…but if you’ve never been to the jungle before you haven’t REALLY experienced true darkness. At the lodge we stayed at, there was a jungle trail that had a swinging bridge which dipped into the water. For some reason, we decided to venture into the dark but INCREDIBLY alive jungle. I have never been so scared in my life!!! Things were flying out at us, vines were brushing our shoulder and it was like the jungle was speaking to us it was so loud. It was one of the craziest moments of my life when this moth the size of a bat landed on my shirt and I SPRINTED out of the jungle faster than I have ever ran in my entire life. Coach Glass would have been pleased by how I made sure I was the first one out of the jungle. Writing this now I’m laughing so hard because the whole group was running, screaming bloody murder like there was actually something coming to get us when really…a moth landed on my shirt…oh to be a in the jungle again. The memories I made while we were staying in Tortuguero will be the memories that stay with me for the rest of my life.
