Alyssa: Always Be Ready To Catch a Butterfly

Today started off bittersweet as we were off to see a new part of this beautiful country but had to leave the wonderful town of Pacayitas. We have really bonded with our Tico family this week and it was much harder to leave them then you might think. However, as we said its not Adios but Hasta Luego which means it is not good bye but see you later! We spent the rest of the day at the Veragua Rainforest in the province of Limon. We say a broad spectrum of all the flora and fauna Costa Rica gives a home to. We saw snakes, frogs, butterflies, and reptiles. Not to mention the beautiful site that always surrounds us here. When we were in the butterfly garden our guide showed us how to catch a butterfly by using your two fingers and grabbing all four wings. It became sort of a joke to walk around with your two fingers up so you were ready to catch a butterfly but as I thought about it, it was really much more than that. I feel confortable saying the one thing we will all take away from this experience is the many elements Costa Rica has to offer. As I thought about it more, we should always be ready to "catch a butterfly", literally and figuratively. Butterflies are beautifully painted creatures that fly around gracefully. If you aren't ready you might miss one. If we are not ready while we are here in Costa Rica we can miss so much so easily. Every view has been a beautiful beyond words and unfortunately no picture could do it justice. However, we had the incredible opportunity to be here in this country and catch a "butterfly" to take home with us. One of my butterflies to take home is the importance of family and community. We often live for ourselves but life is much happier when shared with other people you love. I challenge everyone to catch at least one butterfly everyday to take home with them and use it to improve their life and the lives of others around them.