Time in Rio Oro changes you as an individual. I have never encountered a place that has altered my perception of the world so much. When I arrived, I saw the glamping aspect of the camp that everyone had talked about. All the people in Drake Bay mentioned the amazing cooking and long days spent free from technology in Rio Oro. But after my first patrol, my perception of the entire place changed. Instead of farm, isolated and stuck in time, I saw a piece of paradise. 

And if the camp impressed me, I was absolutely hypnotized the first time I saw a mother turtle. I could not believe that anything so primitive could be so beautiful. When our guide went to run his hand across the top of the shell, the trail of his hand left glowed a brilliant blue. I noticed the glow in the sand for the first time. When you disturbed the sand, it created a shower of stars where you walked. I tried to look up and down at the same time (allowing me almost faceplant over a coconut) because the stars were so bright and the sand was so beautiful. Luckily, we walked with no light so I could observe my surroundings as they were meant to be seen. I wa

s fortunate enough to encounter a turtle who was nesting too close to the high tide line on my first night. We had to move the eggs in order to save the babies from destruction from the waves. With gentle encouragement from my guide, I caught the eggs before they touched the sand. My blood was pounding against the walls of my ears and I knew that I was grinning from ear to ear. My movements became automatic for a minute while I fantasized about being a vet. I snapped myself back to reality quickly because I knew this was something I needed to remember forever. The entire week away from reality is an experience of a lifetime and I cannot wait for my next trip to the isolated paradise that I called home.