Gap Year Advice ยท 7 min read
The night before you leave, you are probably thinking about logistics. Flights, passports, whether you packed the right things, what your group will be like. That all makes sense. But after doing this for a while as an instructor in Costa Rica, I can tell you that is not really what matters.
What matters is that things are not going to work the way you are used to. And that is not a problem. That is the whole point.
When you arrive, you are stepping into a culture that operates differently, not just in language or food, but in how people relate to time. At home, most of you are used to schedules being tight and predictable. Things start when they are supposed to start. You move from one thing to the next.
Here, and in many of the places you will travel, time is more flexible. Plans shift. Conversations take priority over schedules. A quick stop can turn into something much longer because you are sitting, talking, connecting.
Locals call it pura vida. Literally it means pure life, but in practice it is closer to a philosophy: life is good, there is no rush, the moment in front of you is enough. We saw that this semester in small ways all the time. Meals that stretched longer than expected. Days that did not go exactly to plan. Conversations with host families or guides that ended up being more meaningful than whatever was next on the schedule.
If you spend your whole time wishing things ran the way they do at home, you will be frustrated. If you can learn to go with it, you will start to understand where you are in a much deeper way.
Another thing I wish more students did before they left is ask better questions. Most people do not. They skim the itinerary, glance at the packing list, and assume they will figure it out. And then the first week hits, and suddenly the days are longer, hotter, or more physically demanding than expected.
I saw that again this semester, students adjusting to long hikes in the heat, realising what they did or did not pack, figuring out how to take care of themselves while still showing up for the group.
You do not need to have everything figured out, but being curious helps. Ask what the harder days might look like. Ask what you will actually need to be comfortable. Pay attention to the details you have been given. It will not make things perfect, but it will help you show up more ready to engage.
The biggest thing, though, and the one that tends to surprise people, is this: you did not sign up for this just to see cool places.
You could have gone on a vacation for that.
You will see incredible things. There will be waterfalls, beaches, wildlife, and moments that feel unreal. This semester alone included ziplining above the forest, kayaking alongside dolphins at sunrise, and swimming under waterfalls after long hikes. But the parts that mattered most were not those highlights on their own. It was everything around them.
It was the 16 km hike in the heat where people had to really push themselves and rely on each other to keep going. It was the rainy afternoon when showers broke and the group just laughed and stood in the rain together instead. It was the long days working at the animal rescue, cleaning enclosures and feeding animals, and learning the stories behind why those animals were there. It was the quieter moments too: trying to speak Spanish with host families, helping cook meals, or just sitting together at the end of a long day.
You are not paying for someone to take you around and show you things. You are paying to be supported through those harder, less polished moments. You are paying for mentors who will push you a little, who will not let you opt out of the experience when it gets uncomfortable, and who will help you grow through it.
That is the part students do not always expect, but it is almost always the part they end up valuing the most.
So if there is anything I want you to hold onto before you leave, it is this: you do not need to feel completely ready. You probably will not. But you do need to be willing. Willing to be uncomfortable, willing to ask questions, willing to not have everything figured out right away.
Somewhere along the way, usually not during the big highlight moments, you will start to notice a shift. You will handle something that would have felt overwhelming before. You will feel more at ease in a place that once felt unfamiliar. You will find yourself laughing in situations that would have frustrated you earlier on.
I saw that shift this semester. Students who were hesitant at the beginning became more confident navigating new environments, more comfortable speaking up, and more supportive of one another. By the end, whether it was surfing their own waves, completing long kayaking days, or working through challenges as a group, there was a clear sense of growth, not just individually but as a team.
That is what this is really about.
So yes, check your bag and make sure you have your passport. But also leave a little room for things not going according to plan.
That is usually where the most important parts of the experience happen.
Costa Rica Mini Semester (6 weeks): https://www.pacificdiscovery.org/programs/costa-rica-mini-semester
Costa Rica Summer Program (4 weeks): https://www.pacificdiscovery.org/programs/costa-rica-summer-program
How Pacific Discovery Instructors Prepare for Program: https://www.pacificdiscovery.org/need-to-know/blog/post/what-a-pacific-discovery-instructor-does-before-students-even-arrive
Browse all programs: https://www.pacificdiscovery.org/programs
Book a call with our admissions team: https://www.pacificdiscovery.org/contact-us/get-in-touch/book-call-with-admissions-advisor
Posted by Doreen Mesman on September 25, 2026
