12/30/2016
Last week I had the opportunity to travel to Costa Rica with family and friends and experience what the locals call "pura vida", or pure life. I enjoy photography for its ability to capture the emotions, mood, and the feel of any place or person, but as I set out the first morning, trekking through rich green rain forests and marveling at the infinitesimal wonders of the fauna and flora, I realized that no image could possibly depict "la belleza natural," or natural beauty that I witnessed. There was no other explanation for the beauty; each and every stop along the winding roads offered the same awe and majesty as the most well-maintained national parks we visited. Reflecting back, it wasn't just the natural state of the country that made every street corner into a wildlife exhibit or picturesque landscape: it was a part of the local culture to preserve and maintain everything they or their visitors touched. In the words of an innkeeper near Volcán Arenal, "Todo lo que tocamos, protejemos." In English: "Everything we touch, we protect."
Coming back home to northern Virginia, I saw that aspect in our culture completely absent. We don't necessarily have to adopt the most stringent measures, but changing our perspective on the environment to appreciate everything that it gives us instead of asking what can come out of it may yield monumental outcomes. And just in time for a New Year's resolution, make it a part of your life to spend time outside, whether it be along a biking path in your neighborhood or a trip to Burke Lake, or maybe going down to spend a night or two in the Shenandoah mountains, anything to enjoy the nature we have with us.
Even though the muggy air and continuous downpour hampered how many shots I could take, I did find a few over the days that gets close to what I saw. Enjoy!
