Brynn's Adventures

At the time of initially writing the draft for this, messily, while crashing out, I’ve only been in Costa Rica for 24 hours. Things are not going to plan. Look, this isn’t my first time solo-travelling, nor is it my first time doing a volunteer travel experience. I backpacked Europe solo when I was 18, worked in a hostel in Portugal for a month, and I also moved to Amsterdam alone for university. But it’s definitely been a minute and I think I forgot how overwhelming the first few days of solo travel can be. Especially when you’re not staying at a bougie resort or cute boutique hotel. Let’s paint the picture, shall we?

I left Kamloops and hopped on a five-hour E-bus to Vancouver. Somehow my dad, who lives in Ontario, was also in Vancouver for work. We met up for lunch at Cactus Club, I needed a bellini after the bus ride. Then I made my way to YVR where I was supposed to fly to Charlotte at 10pm.

My flight was cancelled.

American airlines re-booked me on a new one ASAP, but even that one was delayed. I finally boarded at around 11:20pm and flew into Charlotte, overnight, in the middle seat. When I landed I sprinted to Auntie Anne’s to grab a pretzel, because they’re my favourite, and as soon as it was secured my flight to Liberia was boarding. Four more hours in the air, at least I had an aisle seat this time! But, an in-flight medical emergency for a passenger sitting near by made for little sleep (luckily they were okay though!).

By the time I finally landed in Liberia, Costa Rica I had collected maybe 3 hours of sleep total. But, of course the universe wasn’t finished with me yet, this was just child’s play and I should’ve known better.

Apparently Costa Rica doesn’t play around when it comes to addresses. I had my host’s address screen-shotted, as he had instructed, and as all the previous volunteers had successfully done before. However, the immigration officer was all: no this isn’t a full address. So there I am, sweating my ass off in front of the immigration desk texting my host while also trying to explain it’s literally the full address, but the officer wasn’t having it. I even called my host and put him on speaker to talk to him in Spanish but the officer refused.

So of course I was sent aside to the waiting area with several other confused tourists whose AirBnB addresses also ‘weren’t enough’. Maybe Costa Rica is cracking down on short-term rentals or something? Who knows. Anyways, my host texted me his address two different ways and then it was my turn to try my luck with a different officer. I must have been at the right place at the right time because this officer was a lady and she recognized the address immediately because apparently she is basically this guy’s neighbour? Not sure what she said exactly, half Spanish, half English, but I got through.

My host picked me up and he was super nice. We stopped by his adventure tour business that I’d be helping out with via social media, fed me lunch, and showed me the adventure base. Then it was time to drive to the house where I’d be staying. When we got there, culture shock smacked me in the face as well as unmet expectations.

I was told I’d have my own room, but turns out I’d be sharing one with a man who didn’t speak English, and wasn’t a relative or another volunteer. I’m not really sure what he was doing living there, or why I had to share a room with him. Also, there was no way for me to lock the door. The house was more of a base camp with people coming and going constantly, and I wasn’t told who they were or why they were there. There was no privacy, no way to secure my valuables, and no clear sense of who would be around and who should be around.

I can deal with cold showers and a rustic kitchen. But as a solo female traveller, not being able to lock my door at night or secure my valuables is where I draw the line.

Oh and to top it all off the place was super remote. The address I was given located the accommodation on the edge of Liberia, this place was a 20 minute drive from the town. A 2 minute walk where I was got me to a tiny mini-mart with basic grocery items but that was it. No hikes or activities near by that I could access. To get anywhere or to do anything you’d need a car (which obviously I didn’t have) or take a bus that only came twice a day.

Yea, I get it. You’re thinking I’m a privileged girl who is shell-shocked by the simple living in the Costa Rican countryside. This was more than that. I could have tried to settle in and get comfortable. But, after one and a half days of travel, three hours of sleep, and almost getting deported, I really wasn’t in the mental space to adjust to a situation that to me felt unsafe and isolating.

So I started plotting my escape.

I found another volunteer opportunity quickly on Worldpackers in Tamarindo just about 2 hours away. This was a town I’d actually heard of with surf, hostels, and other people around to socialize with. I’d be working reception at a hostel and sharing a locked room with other volunteers. There would be transportation nearby, restaurants, excursions, and a lot more things to do in my free time.

I booked a shuttle from the airport to Tamarindo, packed my stuff, and talked with my host. To his credit, he was super understanding and even helped arrange a taxi to get me to the airport for my shuttle. He was very kind and apologetic and wanted me to feel comfortable. I think that part of me being comfortable could have come from some more upfront information though…

Now I’m writing this from Tamarindo at the hostel and everything is turned around. I was literally considering booking another flight, because my current flights are non-refundable, and flying back home after only being in the country for literally 2 days. Here there is tons to do, the beach is nearby and there are people to talk to. I think I would have gone crazy out in that farm town, there weren’t even any other volunteers! Here, when I’m off from my volunteer shift, I can actually live and explore, which is literally the whole point.

Also, shoutout to Worldpackers for having a backup system in place to help out travellers when hosts don’t provide the experience they advertise.

Even though I didn’t end up needing to use the WP Safeguard, I knew it was there and that gave me peace of mind. WP Safeguard is a protection plan that Worldpackers has in place for travellers. If your volunteer experience doesn’t match what was agreed on and you feel unsafe or uncomfortable you can contact Worldpackers and they will help you find a new host. If they can’t find one quickly they will provide up to 3 nights of accommodation covered so that you’re not just stranded.

That being said, you shouldn’t be travelling without some sort of emergency fund for situations like this.

Luckily, I found my new host on my own quickly but knowing the safeguard existed made me feel a lot less alone.

Not every second or every trip will go smoothly, and that is OKAY!

Solo and budget travel is definitely not always romantic montages and cute hostel bars. Sometimes things go sideways and that doesn’t mean that you failed or made a dumb choice (okay sometimes it means you made a dumb choice). But it also shows that you’re adaptable.

I definitely have a few more questions I’ll be adding to my list before accepting my next experience. So if you’re planning to go on a Worldpackers, Workaway, or other volunteer trip, especially as a solo-female traveler, please ask these before you book.

Questions to Ask Your Volunteer/Homestay Host:

• Can I see photos of the exact room I’ll be staying in?
• Will I have a room to myself or will I be sharing? With who?
• Is there a way to lock the room or store valuables? Can you send a picture?
• How secure is the house/apartment/accommodation? Are there other people often coming in and out?
• What transportation is available nearby? How will I get around?
• Are there any other volunteers currently staying here?

I don’t think these are questions where I’m “being picky”.  They’re to help me make a more informed decision. I didn’t ask these questions since the Worldpackers experience I picked had such rave reviews and my video call with the host went so well. I didn’t even think about asking things like this!  You are allowed to advocate for yourself, especially when it comes to safety.

This hiccup definitely hasn’t left a bad taste in my mouth about volunteer travel or Worldpackers at all. If anything I’m more impressed by how quickly I was able to pivot and how many awesome hosts are on the platform.

If you’re thinking of doing a volunteer trip and want to join Worldpackers you can use my discount code BRYNNSADVENTURES to get $10 off your membership. Also, right now when you purchase a membership (just $49 for a whole year – without my discount code) you get another 3 months for free!! This is only until August 31st so make sure you scoop it up quick!

Just trust your guy and don’t be afraid to change plans when something doesn’t feel right. You’re allowed to start over. I did, and now I am having the time of my LIFE in Tamarindo with new friends.

Let me know if you’ve ever had a travel experience that didn’t go to plan, how did you pivot?

x
Brynn 🌴✨