- Program
- Surf and Service, Costa Rica
- Traveled
- July 2026
- Hometown
- Brightwaters, New York
In this first-person account, Addison Fullam of Brightwaters, New York, looks back on Rustic Pathways’ Surf and Service program in Costa Rica in July 2026, with photos from the trip.
Addison describes a last day of surf in calm water with board tricks and a sunset boat ride, plus close friends from all over the world.
Addison’s Surf and Service Trip to Costa Rica
Hi, I’m Addison and I just went on the Costa Rica: Surf and Service trip with Rustic Pathways and it is safe to say that it is the best trip I have ever been on.
Traveling and exploring new places has always been something I loved and once I found out I could do it with other people my age I knew had to go. I had no idea what to expect so I looked at every instagram post from the trip I was doing. The only thing I knew I could do for sure was surf.
The Last Day of Surf and a Costa Rican Sunset
The trip had so many highlights and I made amazing memories. One of my favorite days was Monday which was our last day of surf. The water was very calm so I was trying different tricks on my board and playing around with my friends. Even the instructors got involved pushing up my board while I attempted to do front flips off it. After surf we went on a boat ride and watched an amazing sunset. Costa Rican sunsets are incredible.
Friends From All Over the World on the Costa Rica Trip
Rustic Pathways helped me to find some of amazing friends.
I met people from all over the world. I became pretty close to three girls in particular (shoutout chicken wrap) and we are already trying to figure out when we can see each other again.
The group I had was amazing and everyone got along pretty well. Our Program Leaders were so nice and they just made the whole experience so much more enjoyable. I 10/10 would recommend that if you are thinking about going on a Rustic trip, do it because you will make great friends and memories that will last a lifetime.
Addison describes friends made from all over the world. The memories concern the July 2026 session, and Addison first shared them on the Rustic Pathways Instagram account on July 24, 2026.
The program still runs as Costa Rica: Surf and Service. It runs 8 days for students ages 14–18, with five days of surf lessons on the Pacific coast and about 12 hours of beach and community service. See the program page for the current itinerary, dates and activities.
