- Program
- Pura Vida Service, Costa Rica
- Traveled
- August 2025
- Hometown
- Stitzer, Wisconsin
In this first-person account, Payton Reynolds of Stitzer, Wisconsin, looks back on Rustic Pathways’ Pura Vida Service program in La Fortuna, Costa Rica, in August 2025, with photos from the trip.
Payton describes joining the last trip of the summer, meeting new friends, and seeing the community and culture of La Fortuna.
Payton’s Last Trip of the Summer, to La Fortuna
I went to Costa Rica with Rustic Pathways on their last trip of the summer! And I loved meeting new friends and seeing the community and culture that La Fortuna has to offer.
What Payton Took Home From Costa Rica
It was truly an amazing experience that I will remember for a lifetime.
Payton describes meeting new friends and getting to know the community and culture of La Fortuna. The memories concern the August 2025 session, and Payton first shared them on the Rustic Pathways Instagram account on December 8, 2025.
The program still runs as Costa Rica: Pura Vida Service. It runs 8 days for students ages 14–18 and includes about 16 hours of community service near Arenal Volcano, with improvements at Escuela Linda Vista, a local elementary school, and trail maintenance in Arenal Volcano National Park. See the program page for the current itinerary, dates and activities.
