A Birthday Road Trip Gone Wrong in Costa Rica: Lessons on Traveling Smarter

It’s 10 p.m., and I’m lying in the pitch-black car on the side of the road, wondering, "Where did I go wrong?”  

I thought I’d planned everything perfectly for my birthday trip to Costa Rica with my best friend and cousin. After visiting the northern region the year before, we decided to set out on an adventure to see the Caribbean side. Flights were cheaper flying into the north, so I mapped out a road trip, convinced it would be a fun way to see more of the country. Key word – convinced. 

We landed at the airport in Liberia in the early afternoon, picked up a rental car,  grabbed lunch at a nearby cafe, then set out on what I expected to be a six-hour drive to the Caribbean coast. In hindsight, we probably should’ve taken it as a warning when the rental agent looked stunned after hearing our destination. 

Having driven through Costa Rica’s winding mountain roads before, I felt mentally prepared to conquer them again. What I hadn’t planned  for was the heavy construction or how quickly nightfall would set in, making it more challenging to navigate the unfamiliar roads deeper into our journey. Add in very little sleep the night before – and an entire weekend spent hosting friends for my birthday – and I had a recipe for extreme exhaustion. 

With two hours still left to drive and midnight approaching, I made the decision I thought would keep everyone safe. I pulled over to take a short nap – much to the alarm of my best friend, who woke up asking, “What are we doing?” We were all running on fumes, and this journey – dodging semi-trucks on the highway – felt nothing like the carefree trip we’d taken to the country before. I was genuinely scared for our lives, and at that point, my only wish was to make it to midnight and actually see my birthday arrive.

After pushing through the final stretch, we finally arrived at our Airbnb in beautiful Puerto Viejo. Ironically, shortly after, my affirmation app sent me a notification that said, “I am grateful to be alive,”  a sentiment I had never felt more strongly. 

The rest of the week unfolded at the relaxing pace I’d hoped for – slow mornings, delicious Caribbean food, playing toss with fallen coconuts on a black sand beach, a hiking/kayaking tour where we spotted sloths and monkeys, and most of all, celebrating the gift of life to the fullest. 

That trip taught me a valuable lesson; plan smarter not cheaper. What I thought I saved in flight expenses was made up for tenfold by the emotional rollercoaster of not knowing whether we’d even make it to our destination safely. It was also a reminder that staying flexible, knowing when to pause, and listening to my limits are just as much a part of the adventure as the destination itself.

What lessons have your travels taught you?

Joyfully,

Temitayo