“Congratulations! Global Social Impact House 2023.”

The subject line took me by surprise. I didn’t think I’d be chosen, and I had no idea what to expect. All I knew was that I’d be traveling to Costa Rica for a week-long program hosted by the University of Pennsylvania’s Center for Social Impact Strategy.

Before arriving, I received a PDF introducing the 20 participants. Their home countries and cities jumped off the page: India, Hungary, South Africa, China, the Netherlands, Thailand, the United Kingdom, Nigeria, Colombia, Canada, Texas, New York, Minnesota, Philadelphia. Each was creating social impact through innovation, passion, and thoughtfulness.

There’s no way I belong in this group, my imposter syndrome whispered.

What on earth did I have to contribute to this group of changemakers from around the world?

Arriving at Macaw Lodge in Carara, Costa Rica, was a full immersion into nature. After a two-hour drive into the tropical forest, we were surrounded by enormous emerald palms, vibrant plants and wildlife, and the constant sounds of the rainforest.

It quickly became clear that this week was going to require something I’m not always very good at: slowing down.

There was nowhere to be but here.

The internet didn't reach our three-person bungalow tucked behind the trees, so there was no pre-sleep scrolling. A few nights, electricity became an optional luxury too. Instead, I checked my bed for scorpions and fell asleep to cicadas and the rhythms of the rainforest.

By day three, I was completely unbothered by the lack of technology, screens, electricity, and perceived connection to the outside world.

Disconnection made way for intense connection.

Our first few days of sessions started to expose some of the patterns I had brought with me. As an introvert who needs space to recharge, I could feel myself pulling away from the group in the name of self-preservation.

But really, I was hiding.

What if they think Giving Connection is unnecessary? Redundant? Unoriginal? Too big? Too small? What if I’m not enough?

Eventually, I stopped those questions in their tracks.

Maybe this was exactly why I was there.

To build my confidence. To stand in a room full of passionate leaders and speak honestly about my experiences, our mission, and why I believe Giving Connection needs to exist.

Soon, the program became much more than classroom sessions. Exercises turned into bigger conversations about how we lead and create change. Meals with fellows became rich conversations with friends. I was learning about myself, other cultures, organizations, systems, ideas, and entirely different ways of looking at the world.

I left Costa Rica with a list of 21 lessons—I actually wrote them all down—but many of them came back to one idea: pura vida.

In Costa Rica, pura vida is everywhere. In its simplest form, it means “pure life” or “simple life.”

For me, it came to represent letting go of resistance, self-doubt, perfectionism, and the instinct to shrink away. It was a reminder of what remains when so much of the noise is stripped away: air, water, food, shelter, community, connection, and care.

And that brought me right back to Giving Connection.

Our work is rooted in the belief that everyone should have the opportunity to find the resources they need, build the life they want, and experience connection and belonging. Behind every search on our platform is a person looking for something that matters to their life—whether that is food, housing, support, community, or an opportunity to help someone else.

Spending a week outside the confines of walls, away from many of my usual distractions, gave me space to reconnect with why that work matters so deeply to me.

I arrived in Costa Rica wondering what I could possibly contribute.

I left with a new community, a stronger belief in what we are building, and a reminder that sometimes moving forward starts by stripping everything back to what matters most.

Connection. Community. Care.

My own version of pura vida.