Emma Parmer Sweeden
Four weeks of Romelia
My experience of Romelia is amazing. It feels like I’ve been living a whole different life for the three weeks I’ve been here. It’s been three weeks of relaxation. Stress doesn’t exist here.
I chose to come to Romelia mostly because I heard that it’s the most beautiful place for volunteering in Costa Rica. I did not get disappointed. The house is located in the jungle with a beautiful garden, but still one minute away from the beach. I fall asleep to the sound of waves every night.
We usually work from 7-10 AM and then 3-5 PM. I knew when I came here that it’s the wrong season for turtles, but there’s not a shortage of work anyways. We’ve been doing other important things instead, for example picking plastic from the beach, rebuilding the hatchery and taking care of the refuge in general. I’ve spent my free time lying in a hammock reading plenty of books, swimming in the ocean or going for small hikes to different places nearby.
There’s no wifi here, something I thought that I would miss, and instead became one of the reasons that I love this place. There’s not a thing here to bother me; I’ve been shutting out the outside world a bit, just to get some space to breath. If I’ve wanted to use wifi I just took a 30-minute walk to Montezuma, sitting at the ice cream shop to catch up a bit.
I have had a great experience here at Romelia, and this is not the last time I’m volunteering for sure. I recommend Romelia to everyone who needs a break from everyday life.