- Program
- Surf and Service, Costa Rica
- Traveled
- Summer 2024
In this first-person account, Dottie looks back on Rustic Pathways’ Surf and Service program in Costa Rica in summer 2024, with photos from the trip.
Dottie describes a soccer game with the kids at the school where the group worked, fruit at every meal, and late-night talks and swims with new friends.
Dottie’s Soccer Game at a School in Costa Rica
Hi, my name is Dottie, and I did the Surf and Service trip in Costa Rica.
My highlights of this trip included spending time with the locals. We got to play a wonderful soccer game with the kids at the school where we worked. We knew some Spanish but not much. We were able to connect with them through playing soccer.
Fruit, Late-Night Talks and Swims on Surf and Service
Another highlight was all of the delicious foods. There must have been fruit in every meal. I enjoyed all the late night talks and swims with my new friends. I got to learn so much about the culture and how to connect with others.
What Dottie Took Home From Costa Rica
I can’t recommend this trip enough and Rustic Pathways as a whole. Everyone was so kind, welcoming, and generous. I will never forget the memories I made on this trip.
Dottie describes learning how to connect with others across a language gap. The memories concern the summer 2024 session, and Dottie first shared them on the Rustic Pathways Instagram account on May 3, 2025.
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 in Nosara, Guanacaste, on the Pacific coast and about 12 hours of beach and community service. See the program page for the current itinerary, dates and activities.
