Pura Vida

The one word I keep using over and over to describe my trip to Costa Rica is AMAZING.  I have to keep pinching myself because I feel so damn lucky to have been able to go on this trip and stay at the most amazing place...for so cheap!  It's great to have great friends who, in turn, have great friends.  

I know vacationing in a place is different than actually living (and working) there, but I really feel that Costa Rica is a place I could live.  The southern Osa part, near Dominical.  I liked the atmosphere, the people, the beaches.  Oh my god, the beaches.  Like the one I pictured above and below.  Simply breathtaking. 

I spent the whole trip really never knowing what time it was.  I don't wear a wristwatch and my cell was turned off the whole trip (I had no service).  I simply woke up when the sun rose (around 5ish in the morning) and went to bed when I was tired (usually around 10pm by my best guess).  And what a pleasure it was to fall asleep to the sound of the ocean and wake up to the ocean and all the birds.  Had one bird who decided that he would be my personal alarm clock -- he liked to knock on my window every morning between 5 and 5:30am. And when I'd swing my body up out of bed to peer over at him, he'd cock his head at me like "Wake UP! You're in paradise, don't sleep the day away!" and fly off.   Now I'm not usually a morning person but I had no problems waking up so early.  Maybe the first time ever I ENJOYED waking up to greet the day.  I'd lay on the bed, peering through the screen door, across the balcony, and watch the ocean waves or the dozens of little silly birds that would flit from tree branch to tree branch.  When I felt ready, I'd walk down to the main dining area, have a cup of 100% Costa Rican coffee and sit some more, watching the landscape.  Very cool to be sipping coffee and watch a flock of macaws fly past.  

I traveled with 3 other derby girls.  It proved to be a winning combination - we all got along really well.  Sometimes traveling with other people can end up not being so fun but thankfully this wasn't the case.  Truly, it was a dream vacation.  And we hope to do it again soon...