An Escape to Warmth

By Oliver Liang

The cold, dark, and snowy winter makes me feel sick. Every day, I wake up to a sight of gloominess in the sky. The snow hits me hard in the face when I walk to school. When the school day finishes, I come back and see the same gloomy sky. I cannot stand this feeling any longer.

On a chilly December afternoon, when I was about to head home, I saw a bright, vibrant poster in the corner of my eye. “Want to escape the cold? The sea turtles in Costa Rica are waiting.” I immediately dashed to Room 24 to put my name on the sign-up sheet. Day after day, week after week, all I was thinking about was this trip. This trip felt like an escape from misery to luxury, a true paradise. 

The longing for this trip was making me go crazy. Our biweekly meetings with other students, learning about the vibrant culture and environment of Costa Rica, filled my stomach with more and more excitement. On the night before the trip, I was looking through the checklist one last time — even though I already went through it a million times — checking if I had everything that was going to make this trip unforgettable. 

Finally, the day has come. Boarding the plane with my boarding pass and passport in hand, I sat down beside the cold plastic window and buckled my seatbelt. As we took off, I watched the snow-covered city shrink below, all the tiny speckles of light fading one by one. Hours later, we landed in Costa Rica, and the moment I stepped off the plane, I was submerged in a wave of both heat and humidity. The air wrapped around my skin, heavy and warm, carrying the scent of tropical flowers. Around me, the chatter of people in Spanish was quick. The words flowed around me like music I couldn't understand — Costa Rica is so different from home. The brightly painted buildings, thousands of pop-up stands, and the lively music created an atmosphere that was truly unforgettable.

Over the next few days, I tried to immerse myself in the culture, but it was not easy. Everything seemed unfamiliar. Back home, I went to the grocery store with my mom to shop for fruits and vegetables; here, I picked fruits straight from the trees. The fruits were unrecognizable as well;  plantains, star fruit, cainito. Picking fruits from the trees was the least of my worries though. The pace of life was slower and calmer, and each move and action seemed methodical, completely different from the fast-paced, skyscraper-filled city. At first, I struggled with interacting with the locals. Learning a new language has always been hard for me, and being presented with first-hand experience was definitely a challenge. I always felt frustrated when I didn’t understand what the locals were saying or the routines they had implemented throughout their culture. Throughout the eight days of this trip, we traversed an abundance of activities, each activity giving us an opportunity to learn more about the diverse culture of Costa Rica. We trekked through the dark, humid rainforest, waiting for the glaring sun to set over the sparkling horizon. At night, the mesmerizing navy blue ocean washed over the shore in intervals. The sound of the animals rustling through the grass and the roaring waves splashing over the dense sand kept me awake. I didn’t know what time it was, but I knew it was late because, besides the animals and waves, it was dead silent. I was lying on my bed, staring at the broken ceiling fan, alone with my thoughts,  so different from the artificial glow of the LED lights and the steady hum of the air conditioner back home. Reflecting on the past week, it made me feel a sense of appreciation. Every local I met, every activity I participated in, every food I ate, made me feel like I had learned something significant about their culture. 

Finally, the day has come; it was time to go back home. This trip was not only an escape from the cold, as a matter of fact, I don’t mind the cold anymore. Going from the tropical and humid Costa Rica to the cold and gloomy Toronto was a hard transition though. But, all my mind was thinking was to savour all the experiences throughout this trip, and sharing it with my family and friends. This trip has taught me how even completely different environments and climates, each culture and its experiences can be used to better our own lives.  

About the writer

Hi! My name is Oliver, and I am a grade 11 student planning to study life science in university. In my spare time, I enjoy playing tennis and skiing in the winter. I'm also actively involved in outreach at my school, where part of the program allows us to travel to different places around the world, which inspired me to write this short story.

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