Thumbs & Good Vibes to Uvita

So, I just returned from a wonderful trip to Costa Rica.  It was my first time traveling there, and I only had a week.  Next time, I hope to stay longer and explore more, but I have a lot of little stories to share from the week-long voyage.  I should mention here that I continue to be pleasantly reminded on my travels of the goodness of people.  Repeatedly, kind strangers have helped me find my way, and been generous and helpful.  Yes, I have had some negative experiences, too, but I’m often impressed by people’s willingness to be friendly.

Costa Ricans (Ticos) were no exception.  

It was on my journey in Costa Rica with my dear friend Kendra, that I tried hitchhiking for the first time.  Yes, I have picked up hitchhikers in the past, and have often thought about doing it…but never got the courage up until this trip.  Maybe it was because Kendra was with me?  Or because our new friend, Margarita, said she did it all the time and it was safe?  In any case, at 31 years of age, I tried hitchhiking for the first time.

Kendra and I walked to the main highway in the noon sunshine, already sweating.  We started our walk along the highway and wondered to ourselves if putting our thumbs out was the correct gesture in CR (we had forgotten to ask Margarita).  Hoping we would not horribly offend Ticos driving by, Kendra bravely stuck out her thumb.  We continued our meandering down the highway, and were picked up within.  The car that pulled over was a bit rough-looking.  Kendra hopped in the front seat, and I slid into the back seat.  I suppose we should have thought that through, as I speak Spanish more fluently than Kendra.  The man who had picked us up looked gruff.  He said some things to Kendra, who couldn’t understand, and I couldn’t hear from the back seat.  I tried to lean in to understand what he was saying.  As I leaned forward, I saw how dusty the car was, and the cracks and torn vinyl in the car.  The man did not smile.  I thought I made out something about him going to Panama to see a friend who was in trouble.  Kendra smiled at him.  I leaned in, but eventually gave up trying to hear what he was saying, and smiled, too.  I explained that I could not hear from the back seat, and he did not look amused. 

So, I sat in the back seat, and watched him.  He looked tense.  I noticed he had long fingernails.  Had he forgotten to cut them?  Was this normal in CR?  Why do long fingernails on men look so creepy? 

I started to feel tense myself.  I breathed and looked out the window a bit at the lush green jungle alongside the highway.  After a while, I thought to myself, “How kind of this man to pick us up.”  I started breathing more and softening.  I started to think of what I could do to thank him.  Since we couldn’t communicate, I decided to say a little prayer for him from the backseat.  I prayed to God, the Universe, and Mother Nature that this man would understand and FEEL how thankful we were for the ride.  I sat there, intentionally sending “good thoughts” his way.  I always talk about sending “good thoughts,” and here was my first concentrated effort to send them to a stranger I was sitting right behind.  I focused on sending positive energy his way, and for him to feel good about himself and picking up to random gringas and giving them a ride 10 miles down the road. 

I hope he felt them.

He dropped us off in the town of Uvita, and headed on his way.  He didn’t look back or say much, but I hope he understood our gratitude, and felt lighter as he continued his drive.

(And on our way back, we were picked up by one of my sister’s former co-workers from Fairbanks, Alaska!  On the highway from Uvita to Dominical in Costa Rica.  We chuckled our way down the road; amused by the coincidence of it all. What a small, small world it is.)

I’ve been warned about hitchhiking a lot.  Many people in Alaska hitchhike, but I’ve never tried.  The people I've picked up have been great, though.  I gave two guys a ride from Nenana to Anchorage once, and it was such fun to have good company on the drive.  It’s such a simple way to help someone, though; to give them a ride.  I love simple, meaningful ways we can help others.  I don’t know that I’ll pick up every hitchhiker I see, or that I’ll make it a habit of hitchhiking, but it was a great experience.  I'm going to try to think about sending "good thoughts" in a more concentrated way to strangers more often, too.  I don't know if they will feel them, but I believe they will.