Costa Rica

One of the things that make the mission of serving our Veterans possible is community collaboration. Our team recently returned from our second of two intensive surf therapy retreats, this one in Costa Rica. We're so thankful for the support of MEX1 Coastal Cantina for partnering with us to create the opportunity for our Veterans to dig deep and have life-changing experiences that work in synergy with our 12-week programs that run throughout the year. Check out some of the experiences that our Veterans had below.

Rosario Huerta Cardenas

Pura Vida. More often than not we get caught in doing, doing, doing that we forget to take even 5 minutes to ourselves to ground, breathe and be present. I was blessed with the opportunity to go on this retreat and be surrounded by a community who embraced vulnerability, generosity, adventure & all the rawness that comes with feeling safe. “Feeling safe is being able to show up authentically.” Experiences with so much impact are difficult to put into words for me. But I will say this: the wellness sessions, the experiences we shared, were impactful and taught me what areas of my life need nurturing and reminded me of how much growth I have had. We tend to forget that a simple walk in nature can calm our nervous system. Being in the ocean, dropping in on waves I have psyched myself out of in the past, while having a group of people sharing their knowledge and joy, was blissful. Water is therapy. Community is essential. There were many “aha”moments where I embraced what I was feeling and took in every bit of the experience. Yet one moment that stood out to me was when I was standing under a roaring waterfall, the water powerful and cleansing, I felt small yet so whole. It’s important to flow through life like water, live our values and leave a kind impact on others all while embracing our growth and others. I will never forget this experience and I will forever have a place in my heart and life for this community.