Let's step back and take a look at why: I have never done anything even remotely like this. I haven't even been out of the country before! Okay, that's not true, I've been to Canada, but let's be honest with ourselves: does that really count? Sure, they wear silly hats and talk funny, and eat a whole lot better than us here in the States, but it isn't a radically different culture (aside from all the maple syrup and hockey). State-side, I've been to a dozen or so states, but never doing much beyond walking around the city I was staying in, and going camping a few times close to home in Wisconsin.
So when I say this scares the crap out of me, I mean it really does. But am I absolutely freaking excited about it? You betcha! So despite the obvious awesome aspects of it, which I'll talk all about another day, if I list out the things that terrify me maybe I can conquer them before they're even an issue.
Bugs. Here in the States, the mention of tropical countries brings to mind images of various monstrosities people call bugs devouring your very soul. There a tarantulas and biting ants, mosquitos the size of your face and disease-ridden flies that lay eggs in your belly. They sneak about, slip into your shoes and under your covers, and lie in wait to strike when you least expect it.
Or do they? Is it really that bad? Sure, there are plenty of YouTube videos depicting horrifying bugs of varying degrees of scary, and then there are the stories people tell that elicit nightmarish thoughts of being literally eaten alive as these hellspawns feast on your flesh. But then you talk to real people who have traveled the world, and never had a single incident (okay, maybe one, but they survived). After all, we have bugs here in Wisconsin. Take, for instance, house centipedes. Those things scare the bejesus out of me, but they haven't driven me to hiding in a walled off bunker. Yet. And we have mosquitos and flies that can carry diseases. Are they the size of your face? No, but it also means they're harder to see coming, I suppose. One point to Costa Rica.
Isolation. Where we're going takes four hours to get to by car, and there's no running water or electricity. What happens if you get sick? Or there's an emergency? What if sharks wielding lasers show up and storm the beach? Well, people live there year round, with entire generations going back hundreds of years, and they've managed just fine. Should disaster strike - be it on a personal or grand level - there will be people who will know what to do.
Violence. We're going to be watching over sea turtle eggs, which attract poachers and predators, and it won't be a nice, quiet Wisconsin suburb, either.. I'm not exactly Karate Kid, so what happens if we encounter trouble? We'll have to patrol the beach at night to make sure all is well. What if someone's trying to steal eggs, and they're armed, or a large jungle predator is out trying to get a meal in the night? I don't think my charm and wit is going to get me too far in that situation, so what would I do? I assume you wouldn't go out alone, instead at least always patrolling in pairs, and we'll be informed about how to handle certain situations. And if it was a regular problem, I don't think as many people would flock to the location and volunteer if it was truly that dangerous.
Endurance. Temperatures will exceed 95°F (35°C). I'm from Wisconsin, where are summer days rarely reach that, and when they do I'm often inside in an air conditioned room. Not to mention my body's gotten a little loose over the years as I shifted to a computer based career. How will I handle working nine hour days in the hot, humid weather? My sinuses will surely be complaining.
To solve this, or at least circumvent it by a fair degree (get it? har har), I plan to get myself in shape both physically and mentally, so that when summer rolls around and we're on the beach under the sweltering sun, I can pull hours of manual labor and not break a sweat. Well, I will be sweating, but you know what I mean.
Law. This one may not be as obvious, but with shows like Locked Up Abroad, I can't help but think what if I do something stupid, unintentionally, and I end up getting myself locked away in a foreign prison? The likelihood of this is practically non-existant, and can be avoided simply by executing good judgement. I've never so much as been pulled over and ticketed, let alone arrested here in the States, so if I exercise that same common sense I shouldn't have anything to worry about. Also, the people on those shows seem to do stupid things like take a backpack full of drugs to "hold on to" for a complete stranger. Note to self: don't do that.
Security. Naturally, I want to bring my camera equipment and take lots of photos, documenting our time there through photos and words as much as I can. I'd also like to bring my Kindle to read on the 7-8 hours of flight time each way. (Note: I'd probably bring a notebook and pens for journaling, just to cut back on electronics as much as possible.) You get a storage locker to put your stuff in, but how secure is it really? Will my equipment be safe? Will I be safe walking around with my gear? With all the photos and videos taken there, I'm sure it is. I can't be the only one wanting to bring a DSLR and two lenses, right? Right.
As you can see, these are mostly legitimate, but probably premature and somewhat misplaced, fears. Rationalizing them out makes them seem all the more conquerable, and I know with proper planning and the right attitude I'll be able to overcome them. But that doesn't mean it doesn't scare me right now.
