I would describe Latin America with the following three words: lighthearted, lively, and diverse.
After graduating from high school, Emily fulfilled her dream of traveling to Latin America on her own. While volunteering in Costa Rica and Guatemala, she not only discovered breathtaking landscapes and new cultures, but also developed greater self-confidence, composure, and openness. In her travelogue, she recounts unforgettable encounters, special moments, and why she would highly recommend a trip abroad with WanderWorld Travel any day.
After graduating from high school, it was clear to me that, after 13 years of school, I wanted to see something other than Germany. I knew three things: I wanted to go far away, I wanted to improve my Spanish, and I didn’t want to “just“ go on vacation. That’s why I looked for organizations that could support me on my first long solo trip. That’s when I came across WanderWorld Travel. It was almost difficult to decide between so many projects. I booked the trip about four months in advance, which gave me enough time to prepare for everything. During the planning phase, I enjoyed telling people that I’d soon be flying off on my own. And I also enjoyed, step by step, getting everything I needed. With every little thing I bought, I got closer to my trip, and that was a great feeling. Right up until shortly before the trip, I couldn’t quite believe that I was actually going to do this. I’d told my friends and family, but the trip still seemed so far away—and then suddenly I was already on my way to the airport. Of course, I was also a little nervous about being so far from home on my own for such a long time. But that’s exactly why I chose this organization.
On the one hand, WanderWorld Travel advised me on the countries I wanted to visit and walked me through the planning process step by step. We talked about my concerns, possible situations I might encounter there, and how I should handle them. Even though I was there alone, it was a comforting feeling to know that I still had people to turn to—especially since it was my first solo trip.
I landed in Costa Rica late at night. Everyone back in Germany was already asleep, and when I arrived at the airport, I was immediately swarmed by a bunch of taxi drivers asking where I needed to go. Luckily, WanderWorld Travel had arranged a driver for me, and I’d already been in touch with him before I arrived. Right at the airport, I met another volunteer with whom I hit it off right away, so I didn’t feel quite so alone. We were driven to our hostel, where we then met the other volunteers. There were six of us from WanderWorld Travel in total who spent the orientation day together. The next day, we set out from the hostel and spent the day in Costa Rica’s capital, San José. We were shown how to withdraw money locally, told how much the currency is worth, and then we went out for a local meal.
The next day, the volunteers went their separate ways, and everyone headed to their own project locations. Once I arrived at the project site in Uvita on Costa Rica’s Pacific coast, I was first shown the hostel where I would be staying and given all the essential information I needed to know. So I had some time to explore the little town on my own. It took me about two weeks to really settle in, mainly because it was so different from what I was used to in Germany. But once I got past that, I was able to enjoy the rest of my time to the fullest.
I worked five days a week, four hours a day. My duties included hanging up laundry, keeping the communal kitchen clean, and generally being available to the guests. It was especially nice to meet so many people there. I was lucky enough to be there right when Costa Rica’s biggest festival was taking place. I highly recommend it!
It was really special to meet so many people from different countries. Sometimes we cooked together, played cards, or just talked late into the night. The staff members all got along well with each other, even though we all came from different parts of the world—Argentina, the U.S., Germany… there was quite a mix. Living on-site made everything feel very natural and easy, especially when interacting with other staff members and the guests.
Working at the hostel allowed me to meet new people every few days, and I spent my free time with them. We went hiking in the jungle, visited waterfalls, and often walked down to the beach—and above all, we drank lots of smoothies! A very special highlight was that my bosses gave me the opportunity to attend the festival I mentioned earlier. I went to the beach two evenings in a row (where admission was free), and that alone made it all worth it. Counting down the moments until sunset on the beach in the evening with hundreds of other people was a moment I’ll never forget. In general, every sunset there felt more special than the one the night before. And those nearly 60 evenings in a row were the best time of my life.
The locals are all very open. I was able to improve my Spanish by talking with them. They’re happy when you at least try to speak their language! In the little town I visited, there were a few small shops selling handmade items—jewelry, clothes, soaps… all that sort of thing. And each item had its own little story behind it, which made the whole experience even more special. In Costa Rica, the motto “Pura Vida” really does apply. People don’t take life too seriously. Mistakes can and will happen, and that’s okay. People are sometimes late (especially bus drivers), and that’s okay, too! No one lets things stress them out—especially not things they can’t control—and I’ve carried that mindset with me ever since.
The best moment in Costa Rica was definitely when I walked toward the beach where the festival was taking place. I could hear the music from a distance. After walking about 200 meters down a path lined with palm trees, we arrived at the beach, where the sun was already setting, and there were lots of people there. There were performers dancing with fire, people on jet skis, and others parasailing. It was all very overwhelming at once, but at the same time, it brought a sense of calm within me. I was there with another German guest whom I’d met earlier while working at the hostel.
At that moment on the beach, I thought about how lucky I was to be experiencing this while all my friends and family were asleep at home. It was a comforting feeling, because that’s exactly what made the moment so special.
My work on the ground, especially in Guatemala, was important in helping the children there. I taught them English, helped them with their homework, or simply spent time with them, and I noticed that they really enjoyed and appreciated it. They asked to see pictures from Germany and wanted to know what life is like there. I hope I was able to help the girls I worked with gain some self-confidence—for example, when we played princesses and put on a fashion show. I told them a lot about what life is like in Germany. But I’m all the more grateful that I was able to experience life there firsthand.
My time in Jacó, on the Pacific coast of Costa Rica, was truly special. The town was a mix of tourists and locals. Every evening, together with another volunteer from WanderWorld Travel, I got to meet new people and hear so many different life stories—I really enjoyed that! During the trip, I often found myself thinking that I was experiencing a feeling I’d never felt before. You just have to experience it for yourself. The whole local mindset is very different from the German one—especially when it comes to how seriously people take life.
In Costa Rica, I slept at the hostel where I worked. We volunteers shared the top floor, and each of us had a mattress and a mosquito net. The hostel was made entirely of wood, and the front was completely open. That, too, was very different from German standards. But waking up in the middle of the jungle with a view of the ocean is simply incomparable to anything in Germany.
In this lifetime, I want to travel to Costa Rica and Guatemala one more time. Costa Rica has one of the greatest biodiversities in the world, and it’s definitely worth visiting. Spending two months there was, on the one hand, a long time, but at the same time, far too short. Costa Rica has an incredible amount to offer, including stunning natural scenery and fascinating wildlife. But Guatemala also captivates with its rich biodiversity. You should definitely go on the volcano hike—or at least see it erupt. Antigua, the town I visited, was so vibrant, and it would be worth seeing again and again. I’d recommend that other participants approach these countries with an open mind. My advice would be to talk to as many locals as possible to learn the language and get to know the country. There are always hidden gems you’d never come across on TikTok or ChatGPT. You should also always listen to locals—for example, regarding safety, where you can go in the evening, and which areas are best to avoid. I’d recommend WanderWorld Travel any day because I always felt well taken care of. WanderWorld Travel helped me out in difficult situations and checked in with me from time to time to see how I was doing. Before and after I arrived at the projects, they followed up to make sure I’d arrived safely and that the trip was going well. At the same time, they didn’t reach out too often, so I really felt like I could have my own experiences there.
While I was there, I had a range of feelings. I felt safe there because I’d talked to people beforehand who gave me tips. But I was also often told that I shouldn’t go out alone at night. I sometimes felt a bit uneasy during the day because, with my European appearance, I was often stared at and approached. It was difficult to get used to at first, but things were just different there than in Germany. I never felt threatened; instead, I realized that there it was more of a compliment. And that’s exactly how I took it. I would recommend that participants not only do tourist activities but also ask a local for insider tips—for example, regarding local restaurants or private tours. Participants shouldn’t be too set in their German standards and ways of thinking, because they simply aren’t comparable to those in Central and South America. Still, locals also understand that you’ve grown up with a different mindset and are used to things being different, and they won’t hold minor slip-ups against you.
I’ve learned to go through life with a sense of ease, not to take everything personally, and not to let irrelevant things affect me emotionally. To be honest, Costa Rica in particular has helped me stop getting so startled when, for example, insects land on me. It’s just normal there. Because of living standards in Germany, I was used to not having small animals show up in the kitchen. At first, that felt strange to me there. Today, it almost seems strange to me to be startled by that—after all, we live alongside nature and its animals. I remember a situation in Guatemala that really left an impression on me. I was working there at a children’s aid project. I was waiting for the last girl to finish her meal so I could clean up and go home. All the other children had already left, and at some point the local project director told me that this girl, who was only four years old, was always so hungry because she didn’t get any food at home. And suddenly, it didn’t matter whether I got home an hour earlier or later. And I realized that I take what I have in Germany far too much for granted. It’s just a matter of geographical luck that I have the privilege of having a steady supply of enough food and hot water.
Latin America offers plenty of opportunities for a wide variety of interests. If you’re a big sports fan, it’s worth heading to the Pacific Coast to go surfing. There are also many hiking trails, for example through the jungle. But even if you just want to relax, the beach is the perfect place for it. You can easily spend time there on your own, and at the same time, you’ll almost inevitably meet other people and end up doing things with them. And the best experiences usually happen spontaneously anyway—or through something you might not have done on your own. You should definitely bring a certain openness with you. But if you find that difficult, I’m sure you’ll learn it over time—which is perfectly okay.
It was definitely the people I met there who made my stay special. There were people from so many different countries—some were travelers themselves, while others were doing volunteer work—and I was able to learn something from each and every one of them. Life there seems simpler than it is in Europe, even though they had less. People were content with less. Yet they still had a very natural zest for life. Now that I’ve seen how some people in Central America live, it seems completely ridiculous to me to complain about things in Germany. Living conditions there were very different from those in Germany. Food was bought at the market, and fruit was grown locally. It was also much more religious than Europe. I would describe Latin America with the following three words: first, lightheartedness—even though some people had to work very hard for the money they earned. Nevertheless, the people carried this lightheartedness within them, along with an openness that I’ve rarely experienced before. Few people spoke English, and my Spanish wasn’t quite that good at first, but we always managed to communicate somehow. Another fitting word is “lively.” People were out and about for long periods of time. Many people were in the park, even though they had to work the next day. There were local performers singing or dancing, and everyone was in good spirits. Latin America is also diverse. I wanted to go to Costa Rica and Panama, but through WanderWorld Travel I decided on Guatemala instead of Panama, and although these countries aren’t far apart, Costa Rica and Guatemala are quite different. The mindset remains similar, but in Guatemala, for example, women still wear handmade traditional costumes. I couldn’t take my eyes off them because they looked so beautiful.
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