Horseback Riding and Enjoying Nature

       In Nosara, the three "main activities" are surfing, horseback riding, and yoga. As of today, I have officially tried two of them. At the end of another amazing weekend, I went riding with a new friend of mine whose family owns several horses. They live in a part of Nosara that I had not yet been to, and riding horses was a great way to explore that land. One of the many amazing things about Nosara is that you are always only about 20 minutes from both the ocean and the mountains. Both of these environments offer different exciting activities as well as different looks at the beautiful land. Riding was my first "mountain experience," and it was a blast. Watching the sunset while we were riding was incredible and completely different from watching it from the beach. I can understand why the people living here try to be very eco-friendly and focus on protecting their environments. They live in such a beautiful place, and they want it to stay that way in years to come.
       This has been mentioned in several previous blogs, but it can't be stressed enough how much people love their lives here. I think the environment really contributes to how much joy people feel living here. I have read that being in nature, or even just seeing trees can improve your mood, and in Nosara it almost always feels like you are outside surrounded by nature. Even at school, the campus is mainly outdoor space. I think that being near other people who feel this joy in their environment is contagious; positive, happy people make you happier, so the overall effect is a feeling of connectivity and happiness in everyone. I feel so lucky for the opportunity to be living in this community of people and this beautiful nature. I hope that Andrew, Ilan, and I will bring some of the peace and happiness we feel back with us to Houston to share with others.
       This demonstrates activity because of the surfing and riding that I have been doing. I think it also demonstrates Learning Outcome 1: Identify own strengths and develop areas for growth. I am not very good at surfing or riding, but I am definitely improving, and I keep trying to get better.