La Ruta De Los Conquistadores, Costa Rica. One of the hardest endurance events on the planet.

The dry sand crunches under my feet as I walk across the beach. Little crabs skitter out of the way, racing amongst the scattered fragments of coral and seashells long abandoned to flip into the sea. For once, the ocean is calm. There’s not a ripple to be seen, as far as the horizon. A glassy mirror, the water reflects the cerulean sky above. Besides the wind dancing through the trees and my bare feet softly padding over the sand, a blanket of peaceful silence has settled over the beach.

Gaining international experience is important in understanding different life styles, cultures, and helps you grasp a whole new perspective of the world around you. My first experience abroad came when I was eleven. My older brother Owen had just graduated from high school, and as a gift, my parents took the family to Europe for a month.

The sun was just rising over the Laotian jungle. Mist still blanketed the Nam Khan River. It was cool out. The sun glowed through the mist, providing  an eerie morning.