Transformative Travels

Lessons from a Surf Trip to Tamarindo, Costa Rica

Travel is one of the things that brings me joy, and I enjoy planning vacations. I carefully weigh my options before I book a vacation. This is because the world is large, and time is a limited resource.

When I make decisions on taking a vacation, I have 3 criteria:

• Where can I go that will inspire me?
• Where can I go to improve my skills?
• Where can I go that will leave a lasting impact on me?

For the Thanksgiving holiday, I went to Tamarindo, Costa Rica to go surfing. This vacation met all my criteria, and it far exceeded my expectations. I stayed at a fantastic surf school named Witches Rock. Many thanks to the team and coaches that went above and beyond to deliver a world-class and impactful experience. What made it great? There were countless things, but I am going to focus on the 3 items that helped me decide to take the trip.

First, where can I go that will inspire me? Location, location, location still holds true. The hotel is on the beach, and I could have a cup of coffee every morning and watch the sun rise. I had a front row seat to the waves rolling in, and I could smell the fresh ocean air. It gave me the opportunity to be grateful for the beautiful world that we live in, and I was able to be in the present moment. It allowed me to focus on the things that inspire me, and this is something that will stay with me forever.

Second, where can I go to improve my skills? I enjoy surfing, but it is not because I am a great surfer. I am a firm believer that expertise and enjoyment of an activity do not need to have a direct correlation. I do not live close to the ocean, and I had not surfed for almost 2 years. Witches Rock took that into account, and they helped me get back some muscle memory. First, there was a daily strength and training class, so I could practice out of the water. Many of the exercises focused on improving core strength and balance, and this prepared me for what would happen in the waves. After that, we went surfing in the ocean. I had a world-class coach with me, and he provided me with brilliant insights while we were catching waves. Also, he did what all great coaches do, and he pushed me when I needed it. When we get coached, we need to be pushed out of our comfort zone, but we need to be allowed to make our own insights. In addition, there was video analysis at the end of the day, where we got to watch ourselves surf. That was the game changer for me, because I could see exactly what I needed to do to improve. I have had surf lessons before, but this took it to a whole new level. These practices helped me improve so fast that I even surprised myself.

Third, what will leave a lasting impact on me? This will be different for everyone, because we all have different preferences. For example, there are many foodies that travel to taste local cuisine, or some travelers want to learn about the local history and see historical sights. While I love both food and sightseeing, my favorite thing to do is make friends. I love people, and the people that live in Tamarindo are warm and welcoming. I made friends for a lifetime, and I am extremely grateful. I was able to immediately feel the sense of community that was shared between everyone there. There were many magic moments where everyone was encouraging each other, and we helped each other achieve our goals. We all wanted to see each other succeed. That is a great impact, and I will never forget it.

Next, let’s talk about how to apply these principles to vacations where you are not traveling alone. The rules change when you travel with family and friends. It is important that you pick an activity that all travelers will enjoy, because everyone has a limited amount of vacation time per year. Using the 3 questions will help you make a decision, but the questions will not help with pick a place. Accordingly, you should make a list of everyone’s dream destinations, and you should go to all the places on the list over time. Also, everyone should have input on the itinerary, so the planning does not fall solely on one person. Also, everyone gets an opportunity to pick an activity that will inspire them.

In conclusion, the 2023 surf trip was a life changing experience, because I flew home feeling inspired, with improved skills, and it will have a lifelong impact on me. It is important to note that I love to travel, but I still get nervous about it. I hopped on a plane to go surfing, and I hadn’t been on a surfboard in over 2 years. Also, I didn’t know anyone that would be at the surf school. I had to take a leap of faith that the coach would help me refresh my skills, and I had to believe that I would make some friends. In fact, I significantly improved my surfing skills, and I made friendships that will last a lifetime. I met and exceeded my goals for the trip, and it was a successful vacation.