My Media Internship Experience

My name is Caleigh Smith, I’m here to tell you a little bit about my enchanting journey here at Anamaya Resort as the Media Intern for the summer of 2015. Just recently this spring I graduated from Colorado State University with a Bachelors of Science Degree in Natural Resource Recreation Tourism, in search for a new adventure and a place to get certified as a Yoga Instructor for the winter. The application process was extremely easy and next thing I knew, I was in the middle of the Nicoya Peninsula, on a Ferry, in Costa Rica on my way to Anamaya Mind Body and Spirit Resort for the next four months. I had no idea how much this internship experience would change me as a person, and all the unforgettable amazing people that would impact me for the rest of my life. The pictures don’t do it justice to say the least, it is the free spirits that truly make this place, the fairytale that it  is.

The entire staff here at Anamaya is the most thoughtful, caring, hard working, lovable people I have ever encountered. Always flashing a genuine smile, hug and kiss on the cheek, they treat the resort guests like family and cater to their needs with joy in their heart. Laughter echoes through the upper and lower yoga decks with YTT students, guests and Instructors learning and growing as one. The energy Anamaya holds is powerful and uplifting, something you feel deep inside your soul. But this energy source is powered by the beautiful souls that are always coming and going, leaving a special part of them behind here at this paradise. Having the opportunity to take photos around this resort and Montezuma of these wanderlust yogis is beyond incredible. Watching the guest’s blossom into their full potential and learning to let go of all their worries, transforming their unconsciousness, turning it into total Bliss.

There is more than just yoga and good vibes going on here at Anamaya. Many adventure tourism excursions and activities are offered and available for guests to experience. Nature isn’t just a place to visit. It is your home, leading you back to your true north, triggering your inner compass. This is so important to keep in mind and is why Anamaya gives people the opportunity to fall back in love with nature, leading them to “The Fountain of Youth”, one of the worlds most famous waterfalls located right in their own backyard! Which is why I wanted to incorporate the unique adventure tourism concept with my media internship, using my GoPro Hero 4 camera to capture adventure tourism photography around Montezuma and the resort. Anamaya has paired up with local tourism companies in Montezuma such as Young Vision Surf School, offering guests weekly surf camps, Zip lining with Canopy Suntrails, Butterfly Garden and Brewery Tours down the road at Mariposario Montezuma Gardens / Cocina Clandestina, and Boat Excursions through CocoZuma Boat Tours, to near by Islands.

Surrounded by nothing but jungle, salt water kisses and the freshest produce provided by colorful Costa Rica, you can’t help but feel reconnected with your truest self and back to your roots. Everyone that comes to Anamaya is passionate about staying present, and absorbing this experience, that is life. Truly living in the NOW. I could not have asked for a better Internship experience with even better people. Through my unique photography skills, I tried to capture guests and students in their element, through simply being present and in nature. With a quick snap of my camera, I captured the moment; the rest just fell into place. I am eternally grateful for this experience, may the journey continue onward.