Snapshot of a Costa Rican Adventure

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I remember the moment quite clearly. On the eve of our journey to Costa Rica, fourteen delegates (five Deaf or hard of hearing and nine with physical disabilities), two American Sign Language (ASL) interpreters, two personal assistants and three MIUSA staff members gathered in a hotel meeting room in Houston, Texas, for program orientation.

The room was full of unfamiliar faces, everyone eager for the awkwardness associated with first meetings to dissipate. Some of us were nervous, others were excited, but all of us came with a unique perspective to share as a person with a disability. None of us could have foreseen in that moment that fifteen days later we would all be changed forever. And that saying goodbye to those once unfamiliar faces would be one of the hardest things any of us would ever do.

I am overcome by memories from my Costa Rican adventure. I look at pictures and read through journal entries thinking about the most significant parts of the trip. I could discuss the host families, the culture, the food, the sights, the seminars, but I won’t. Not because they are not profoundly significant but because I want to honor a more specific part of the trip… the delegates themselves.

The only word to describe what happened those fifteen days is “synchronicity” at its best. It was as if all the forces in the universe chose each one of us specifically, and our separate worlds mixed and molded together to create an unstoppable force. Each of us had unique talents and strengths which came to the aid of others in the group. We created a safe, understanding and respectful environment in which we could discuss how disability affects our daily lives, how it separates and ultimately unites us.

Each of us came to Costa Rica at a different place in our lives. Whether we were finishing high school, just about to enter college, or looking for that 1st awesome job; we all had encountered obstacles navigating in a world that is often unaware and unaccommodating for those with disabilities.

I came as a girl who has always struggled with being disabled. (Who hasn’t? I came to learn…) I have Scoliosis that was corrected through spinal fusion surgery at fourteen and Muscular Dystrophy which is dormant for now, but which I describe as a genetic time bomb waiting to unleash its wrath upon my body. I used to live in fear of the day that I become immobile, a burden, a prisoner of my own body and mind.

I resented the label, the diagnosis, the prospect of getting sicker as I get older, what it means for my chances of having healthy children, how it makes others feel sorry for me, how it makes me different. In Costa Rica, I found others with similar stories and we were able to relate to each other in a way that able-bodied, hearing individuals often cannot. We talked about the future, our fears and concerns, our hopes and dreams. For once, I didn’t have to try to be ‘normal.’ I was me, as I am.

Journal Entry – July 4, 2008
“This time last year I was grieving for all the things I felt my MD was taking away from me, awaiting its slow and torturous demise. But this year I am fighting back, enjoying every single moment of strength and mobility. These wonderful people, this experience, this gift from MIUSA, taught me to be exactly who I am, and to love every bit of it, flaws and all. It also gave me the courage to challenge, love and forgive myself for all the things I am not."

Journal Entry – July 11, 2008
“I take home awareness. Awareness of disability rights and a little taste of the daily struggles and challenges other people with disabilities face every day. I am aware of myself; my insecurities, my body, my words, my actions, my strengths. What I do matters… I am loved…for exactly who I am, no more, no less. I am blessed.”

To anyone considering travel of any kind, I leave you with some tips from my new friends from Costa Rica:
•    Don’t inhibit your authenticity
•    Step outside of your box
•    Push your limits

Someone once said, “If you haven’t traveled, you’ve only stayed in the 1st chapter of your life.” My international exchange experience has become a new chapter in my life story. What will yours be?

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