As much as I enjoy my life the area in which I currently reside, when it really comes down to it I would be lying if I said that this is where I truly feel my so called "sense of place". I think that this probably has something to do with the environment that I was raised in my whole life. Since before I can even remember I have always lived in a semi-secluded, but still metropolitan-like, upper-middle class neighborhood. Growing up in this type of environment has surely shaped who I have become as a person, and has had a huge impact on my desired living conditions for the present and future to come. Living in an apartment complex has taken away a lot of the things that I consider to give me that feeling of a sense of place. The lack of perfectly cut bright green lawns, driveways displaying freshly washed cars, the landscapes with unique variations of trees, plants, and more is all just something I can feel missing from my life. By living in a suburban community outside of a metropolitan city, you are given the satisfaction of quiet friendly neighborhood living, while receiving the benefits of the cities opportunities, attractions, and resources; these are the qualities of a community that make me feel at home. However, after a recent vacation to Costa Rica, much to my surprise, I discovered some new environments that gave me a whole new sense of place. On this trip I went out of my comfort zone and explored various rain forests, where I hiked up water falls, swam in natural springs and rivers, ate wild fruits, and so much more. This was all brand new to me and something that when I thought about in my mind beforehand, I never really expected to be too keen about; but after facing fears and taking leaps of faith, I came out with a whole new respect for nature and a huge sense of fulfillment. Since leaving Costa Rica, I have constantly reflected on my experiences there and have pondered when the next time I will go back there will be, as well contemplated other places I'd like to go in the future. Although a safe neighborhood outside of a developed city may be where I want to reside, these new experiences have enlightened me to the fact that its possible to feel a sense of place in many different types of environments, and the only way to discover where you might find that feeling is to go out explore new things.
