Whats Important?!

Lovely Ladies

2010-02-27T10:31:00.000-08:00

Its so hard to say goodbye, especially to the 4 most inspirational women in my life!

My mother (Betsey), cousin (Meghan), Aunt Judy and Aunt Janie came to visit during the start of December 2009. What an amazing visit it was! Catamaran sailing and snorkeling, walking on the beach, hot springs, playing in the water and my favorite, cocktails by the swimming pool.

I picked them up at Liberia Airport in Guanacaste early afternoon. Took them to a nearby soda for their first taste of Costa Rica and then headed to Arenal and Tabacon Hot Springs. What a treat?! We soaked in the, what felt like 200 degree waters of the springs, played on the water slide into the hot swimming pool and walked through the beautiful gardens. This something I was really happy to share with them, its such a relaxing tranquil place. After we were thoroughly cooked, we headed to the Asian themed buffet. (NOTE: I hate buffets. BUT, and big BUT, this is the classiest and tastiest (and cleanest) buffet I have ever been to.) Then off to our hotel, Arenal Lodge.

Stop at the soda near Liberia Airport.

Dinner at Tabacon.

Tabacon Hot Springs (during the day).

The next morning we returned to Tabacon to take a few pictures and purchase some goodies from the Guatemalan women across the way. Everything was "handmade by them and it took them months to do" and it only cost $60. Think thats true or were we suckers? Hmmmm...

Suckers at the Guatemalan stand.

Lake Arenal on our return trip to Tamarindo.

We then headed back to Tamarindo to check into our private villa, Villas Cerca del Mar in Langosta (managed by Horizon Pacific). Everyone was very surprised and extremely pleased to have such an amazing place to spend the week. We relaxed by the pool, drank some cocktails and took it all in.

Picture of Villa Cerca del Mar.

The following days were filled with hours of relaxing on the beach, relaxing by the pool, relaxing sunsets, "relax-fully" collecting sea shells, eating relaxing dinners and sipping relaxing cocktails...sounds rough huh?!

Here are some relaxing pictures:

Dinner at Season's by Shlomy and serenaded by local mariachi (Nana you would have loved it.).

Dinner at Dragonfly. Yum!

Dinner at Vita Bella/Bruno's, delish Lebanese food. Followed by a cramped, but hysterical and tipsy ride home in an tiny little taxi.

Collecting Sea Shells...Playa Grande, Playa Avellanas, and Playa Langosta.

We did enjoy a trip to Playa Avellanas. Mom's favorite place. We read on the beach, collected sea shells and lunch at Lola's restaurant, where it could be that my family was suckered into buying more "hand made goods".

We enjoyed multiple rousing games of Cranium. Of course Meghan and I won!

I think we all enjoyed the Blue Dolphin Catamaran, we went snorkeling, had some cocktails and enjoyed a beautiful sunset!

The hardest part for me was saying "goodbye", but better goodbye, then never having had you down here.

It was an amazing week and I'm so lucky to have these women in my life. Lucky to be able to share this with them. I know its not something that can happen every year and it means so much to me. Thank you and I love you! The pictures and the memories will last forever!

Fish don't wake up until 12:30.

2009-09-13T13:34:00.000-07:00

Today was a great day! Ain't nothing like a Sunday morning spent trying to fish, chatting with friends, getting some sun and watching the sea life.

I spent the day with Patrick and his poker buddies on a friend's deep-sea fishing boat, Capullo, which means asshole or idiot in Spanish (Spain). We got up around 5:45am to get ready and head out. Got on the boat, headed straight out to sea. A few miles later the boat staff prepared the lure and bait. Patrick was to bring in the first fish and me, the second. We were very ready, I didn't realize this was a sport of patience. Luckily there was a lot going on.

About 1 and a half hours into the trip, Patrick found himself crying, "Ralph". I felt awful for him, but not bad enough to not take a picture.

Perhaps a little chum will help to catch a fish or 2...fat chance!

And yet another one, cause I like it...

We had a humpback whale spotting. Check back later to see the video, can't seem to get it to work right now.

It took me about 30 minutes to get this thing in! Okay okay, its the bait!

Learning about the different hooks. Did you know if you use a round hook verses a flat or straight hook, that it does less damage to fish if you want to catch and release? This is great really, but after not even a bite in 4 hours...catch and release, shmatch and shmelease, I WANT SUSHI!

The boat! Great picture thanks to Patrick.

A picture of the boat from the front. I climbed up there to watch the dolphins play under bow of the boat

Here are the dolphins.

Our return trip back into the bay. We pulled in around 12:15pm empty handed. I guess the fish don't wake up until 12:30.

Had a great time! Thanks Captain Steve, with Capullo Costa Rica Sportfishing, looking forward to the next time!

Little Corn Island, a "country" of its own!

2009-04-08T18:54:00.000-07:00

Every 3 months or 90 days, one must leave Costa Rica to renew his/her Visa. This is the only requirement to reside here.

My friends Philine, Jon, Melissa and myself all went to Little Corn Island. Little Corn Island (we'll call it LC for short) is about 3 kilometers off the Caribbean coast of Big Corn Island, which is about 10 kilometers off the Caribbean coast of Nicaragua. To get to this itsy bitsy island was quite the adventure, had it been in the states, it would take approximately 3 hours, maybe, but in Costa Rica and Nicaragua its so much more of a "treat". Really, it is part of the allure.

We left my apartment at about 0800 (pronounced, Oh 800) hours. Its about a 2.5 hour drive to the boarder, which might I say, is quite the enjoyable place. Picture 5 tour buses pulling up and unloading passengers to go through customs, this is the line you have to wait in. You have 20 dirty cheating men in your face asking if you want to change your money to the Cordoba (Nicaraguan currency). They're cheating, because all the calculators are rigged, so if you don't know, then you could loose some money in the transaction. Then you get up to customs, they don't do anything, just stamp your passport, no questions, nada. I think the guy in front of me had a picture of a 4 year old, Asian girl, he got through. Then you have to walk along a dirt path, where they make you wait again and stamp your passport. Don't know what they're doing, cause the stamp looks exactly like the last one to me. Look, I'm just following the 4 year old, Asian girl (45 year old Tico).

FINALLY, its approximately 1200 hours (is that how you say it?) and we've made it! Across the boarder. We grab a cab. This is fun, cause there are 4 of us, not including the driver, who looked a bit like a Latin Elvis (we'll just call him Elvis), so we are 5 people in a tiny little car. The AC is broken, thank goodness the windows "work" at least 2.5 of them do. Its HOT needless to say! Its okay though, the airport is only 2 hours away. Elvis was really funny. At one point Jon asked Elvis if he would like a SIP of water from the water bottle. Elvis takes the water bottle and squeezes it as hard as he can, fills his mouth with water and has it running down his chin and onto his shirt. The four of us (minus Elvis) were laughing hysterically, because we couldn't believe he did that. Then Elvis started laughing, who knows why, cause we were laughing at him. I'll stop here, because I think you had to be there. Just about 30 minutes before we arrive, Elvis began praying, because Jon told him, if he didn't get us there in time for our flight, he wouldn't get paid. So he started praying. We got there with an hour to spare.

Nothing interesting about the flight, only that the airplane was an old thing (you'll see pictures).

We arrive on Big Corn Island at about 1600 hours. You then need to take a boat over to LC. It was quick and painless. We've made it. At 1700 hours (9 hours after we left little Tamarindo) we arrive at the dock, little did we know this was more or less the main attraction. We unloaded our stuff and went to find a room. There are no roads, only one long concrete path and little dirt paths branching off of it. It was charming. Everyone has a wheelbarrow. This is how you bring your goods from the dock to your house. The shops have 3 bottles of water, 2 bags of Cheetos, 4 packs of gum, 6 rolls of toilet paper, and good luck looking for anything beyond that, oh and Flor de Cana, which is the Nicaraguan rum. Very tasty. Little did we know that some people speak Spanish, some speak English, some speak both, and some, well you don't know what they're saying (Creole). And you cannot bank on having electricity. If you're lucky. The place we stayed was running on a diesel generator. We payed $75/night. Imagine what the general population has?! Its certainly a "country" of its own, I guess the population of 400 has found a way to make it work here and wouldn't know any different. We found our place, unpacked and enjoyed the rest of the long weekend.

Here are some pictures from the trip. Enjoy! I'll explain as we go along.

The airplane that flew us in from Managua to Big Corn Island.

Relaxing on a tiny little private beach.

This is the beach we were on.

Phil, Phil's baby (bump), and me.

Our own little private beach.

Here is our cabina. Notice the shower, with all the water you want as long as you don't go over 6 minutes. Which is a good thing, considering we only had 4 people. That was all sarcasm, had you not noticed!

The view from our cabina!

Makes you feel like you were there huh?! Doesn't it, doesn't it?!

The following are just pretty pictures from our walk around the island.

Just taking advantage of a little wind. Yes, electricity.

Monkeying around! Hahahahahaha!

This grass was pillowy. It looks as though it would be hard underneath, but you sit down and just sink.

This is walking back through the middle of the island. This is what most of the paths look like.

For some reason, we only saw three monkeys the whole trip. They were all on leashes. To give you an idea, we see wild monkeys pretty much outside of our back door in Tamarindo.

Kids playing baseball.

The dock I was telling you about.

A pretty house.

It was quite the sunrise!!!!! Breathtaking!

It was an amazing trip. I recommend it to anyone!

My Walk to the Beach

2009-03-05T14:48:00.000-08:00

This is for you, Uncle David.

This is my walk from my back door to the beach. Just for a walk, to check the surf, or to watch the sunset.

There are pictures of Patrick and my new apartment in the blog below. Enjoy!

New Home

2009-03-04T07:49:00.000-08:00

Patrick and I moved to a new apartment, Bahia Langosta, in a town called Playa Langosta, which is part of Tamarindo. Playa Langosta means Lobster Beach. However, the "lobsters" here aren't really lobsters, more like HUGE shrimp or crayfish. Anywho, there are a few great breaks about 50 meters walking distance. So we surf a lot more than we used to, even when we lived 5 min. from the beach. I must say, you do get a bit spoiled living here.

This is what you see when you come in.

This is our bathroom. Way bigger. I can actually get ready without hanging over the toilet.

Heres the kitchen. I love it. I hate the stupid wave painted on the bar, but I love the kitchen.

This is our back door and patio from which I can hear the ocean whilst I'm working. I love it!!!!!

This is our pool area.

And some random pictures for your viewing pleasure.
Me making pumpkin ravioli for a dinner party we were having. I'm such the little home maker.

Patrick and I watching the sunset on our beach.

All in all...we love it in our new place. Please feel free to visit any time, just give us 24 hours notice.

As usual, I'm sending all my love to my family, this includes aunts and uncles. I love you very much!!!!!

A long long time ago, there was a visit from my motha'...

2009-02-12T16:00:00.000-08:00

Me Motha' came to visit me in November and it has taken me this long to put up the blog. To be honest, I have pictures on my camera, but cannot find the cable for it, I have been waiting and hoping the cable would magically appear, so I could download them. The following pictures are ones mom took.

She came down in November, just a few weeks after rainy season ends. I picked her up at the airport around noon, as I recall, she had to change immediately. That Costa Rican heat will hit you like a brick wall, if a brick wall could hit you. But what a great feeling that is, picking up someone you love from the airport after a length time apart. Always big smiles and lots of hugs. I love that. Anywho, we went for lunch and a little coffee. Drove home to Tamarindo. Then went for a walk. SHE SAW HER FIRST MONKEYS (in nature I think she meant)!!!!! Then the walk continued onto the beach...where...SHE SAW COCONUTS (possibly her first, not sure)!!!!! Then home again. I cannot remember where we went to dinner, but with good company, any place is good.

The following day we went to my favorite beach, Avellanas. It was beautiful. I took a hammock to hang, mom brought her chair and hat. We could have stayed for HOURS! She said it was her favorite beach.

This was our setup. Kind of cozy huh?!

This was the beach.

My spot.

Later that afternoon we went home for a walk. Then dinner again. I believe this is possibly the night we went to Vita Bella, where we were force fed many glasses of wine. We had a great dinner with cocktails. Then we wanted to stay a bit and chat, so the owner gave us each a glass of wine. We REALLY shouldn't, I MEAN didn't want anymore, as we were about to stand up he ran over and poured another glass. We couldn't believe we had to be polite and drink a whole other glass. Ahhh. We had a good time. Always.

I believe it was the next day or the following that we went to Volcano Arenal. I can't believe she trusted in my broken Isuzu to get us there (4 hours away). We made it though, just in time for rain. We stayed at a great little lodge, where, had it been clear, we would have had a great view of the volcano. Next time. We went to Tabacon Hot Springs. If ever in Costa Rica, go to Tabacon. Its quite the gringo resort, but its a treat. Check out the site: http://www.tabacon.com/ . We roamed around the gardens/springs, then spent most of our time in the main pool. Where we did not go down the water slide like a BAZILLION times, thats immature. :) And this is NOT where mom and I got hit on by some yucky fireman. :) We followed up the hot springs with an AMAZING meal. Can't describe it, just go!!!!!

We got home the next day with a wet car, because the night before the windows decided to stop working and SOMEONE made it rain. We spent about 30 minutes around 12 at night trying to repair the window, then deciding it was better to just park it in the car port.

While Mom was visiting, one of our favorite things was taking the Blue Dolphin Catamaran (http://www.sailbluedolphin.com/aboutus.html). You board around 1:15 pm and don't get home until 6ish. Its amazing. While we were on board we had a cocktail or two then sat in the trampolines (although not what you would think of as trampolines), a netting on the front of the boat you can lay on. On the way up north we saw a humpback whale, it was amazing. I had never seen one before. It would breach and throw its tail up, beautiful!!! We stop and lay anchor for snorkeling and kayaking. We are also served lunch. They hand out tshirts. Then we head home, sounds quick, but its not, we're there for about 2 hours. On the way home, we saw a beautiful sunset and someone throwing up, that was cool too. :) We got ready for dinner, I would say a little nicer dinner at Seasons. Good fresh food. Right Mom?!

The rest of the time and in between was spent talking about life and the world, learning more about each other, walking on the beach, eating, and more talking. It was an amazing visit. I can only hope that we can do this again. Even if we do, this will be a vacation I will remember forever.

To my mother: I love you so much Mom! You're my best friend and I'm so happy we had that opportunity. I only hope Dad can come down next time...huh Dad huh?! :) And, Mom, if I missed anything, leave a comment (its at the bottom where it says "_ comments", click that, then leave one). :)

(There would be more pictures, but I'm having technical difficulties right now, so check back, I'll try to get some up. Thanks.)

Oh to have perfect waves!

2008-11-12T06:06:00.000-08:00

So this past weekend Patrick and I, along with 2 other friends, went to Ollies Point and Witches Rock (Roca Bruja, in Spanish). Just so you know, these two surf breaks are world renowned and are places the we've wanted to go for, well, since we've been surfing.

To start our trip, we arrived in a town called Hermosa (Beautiful in Spanish), where we met the boat for transport. The boat we took is called a panga, its kind of a large fiberglass boat. It has two benches, a small canopy, and a single engine (you'll see pictures). To load the boat what they do is bring the boat very close to the shore and hold it from washing onto the beach. There was an older man and two children holding the boat. We had boarded, the older man walked away, and the two children hopped on. Confused? Yeah, we were too. Well, off we went. We started chatting with the boys, they told us they were 16 and 14, but there is no way. We guessed, 14ish and 11. We asked our "captain" if he had done this before, he told us, "oh yeah, I've been doing this for years". Hmmmmm? I think I was laughing for the first 30 min. on the boat. I was having a hard time grasping the concept of our boat captain being 14.

So, off we went to two of our dream destinations. About an hour later we arrived to PERFECT waves. When I say perfect, I mean, PERFECT! It was Ollies Point. This is a break located in a national park, there are no roads in or out, and if you walk, I'm pretty sure you'd get lost or eaten by something in the surrounding jungle. It was very peaceful. Ollies Point had some of the best waves I have ever seen. We drop anchor, throw our boards over, jump in, and paddle into the line up (the line where the wave is breaking, the ideal place to sit and wait for waves). While we were surfing, the boys went fishing and caught something like 10 fish. Really a great experience.

Then we went to Witches Rock. This is a famous break. Really a neat experience. This is also part of the National Park, however, here you can find 1 road. Apparently its really awful and unless you have a Defender 90, you won't make it.

This is for my Uncle Allen, Defender 90s are all the rage down here. They're everywhere. I have to say I think of you every time I see them.

Here are some pictures of our trip:

Below: A picture of our friend Judd taking the reigns, along with our two "captains."

Below: Patrick and I on our way to Ollies Point.

Below: One of our "captains", he said he was 14, don't believe it, I say 11, what do you think?

Below: On our way to Witches Rock.

Below: Just another picture of us on our way to Witches Rock. You see they rock between us, this is the rock. Maybe its called this because its ominous, just there in the middle of the ocean.

Below: I told you he caught a lot of fish!

Below: Unloading the boat. We were trying to get a guy to take our picture, and yes we were posing, but he was really bad with his timing.

Halloween Weekend

2008-11-06T16:23:00.000-08:00

I have not dressed up for Halloween in about 5 or 6 years. I had always enjoyed it, but never taken part. FINALLY, I get to dress up. I am in a town, where there isn't too much to do, so any reason for people to have a good time. Here are a few pictures from Halloween weekend.

Note: Patrick's costume is no reflection of me. He wanted something that would make people laugh, and it sure did. He was a "pene", in Spanish. You will have to look up the meaning, I don't want to say it in my blog.

This is Patrick and me, I was Pink (the rock star).

This is a good story. Patrick, well you know what he was, I was Pink, and our friend Sean was dressed as our Parking Attendant. I don't know if you can see the pigtails and you can't see the skirt, but our parking attendant in town is a he/she. He/she is always wearing little tops, and small skirt, and a neon vest. Its a riot. Good job Sean!

Meet Obama, a Kirshna, and Pink!

Saturday, Patrick and I headed to Arenal, a very touristy area, known for Lake Arenal and volcano. We headed out with another couple, Judd and Jackie. Here are a few shots and videos, I'll explain as I go. I have to mention that many of the scenic pictures were taken from the property of our friends Summer home.

Here is a panoramic shot, Patrick loves this feature on his camera.

I love this picture. Notice the boots, gotta have them.

We went to a very exclusive resort with hot springs, heres a video. It was amazing. Waterfalls everywhere, you could get lost.

The following day we went to Sky Adventures for a canopy tour. The longest cable is something like 2,400 feet, while you are up to 600 feet in the air. We had to take a tram to get to the top platform. It was amazing. Here are some pictures and videos, they'll do the explaining. Heres their website if anyone is ever interested http://www.skywalk.co.cr/index/index.html .

This is a group picture.

This video is one of the guides showing us the view from the longest cable. Beautiful huh?!

Everyone was dirty, because of the grease used in the pully system. It was raining so it sprayed all over us. Tasted gooooood!

So this was our weekend. Let me know what you think.

Rules of the Road

2008-08-02T08:22:00.000-07:00

So the basic "Rules of the Road" in Costa Rica are that you should not hit pedestrians or other cars...

...also, for the sake of your car, watch the potholes!

Thats it!

Here are some videos to give you an idea.

This next video is an AVERAGE road in Costa Rica, I would by no means call it bad.

Usually there are a lot more pot holes, the ride gets to be very very bumpy. I would consider some of these roads, roads for 4 wheeling in the states...

Did I mention I got stung by a scorpion...

...4 TIMES, FOUR TIMES!!!!!

I put on my raincoat with just a bikini on the second day we were there, I walked out to the car, and WAM...WAM...two times in the back. HE WAS IN MY COAT!! I ran back crying. Patrick helped me with ice and whatnot, I wanted to put my coat back on..WAM...on my elbow...still there, Son of a B***h! Then I squeezed the whole coat trying to squish it...thought I got it...lets try again...WAM...my finger...words can't describe how aggravated I was.

Here is the little B@$%@&D!

On a lighter note, here are some more pictures from our trip...

These dogs followed us everyday when we would go check the waves or go surfing!

Patrick and I had no tv, so we would play cards every night, it was so much fun!

Some Surf Photos

2008-07-30T06:34:00.000-07:00

So this is all thats been happening lately. I've been surfing a lot, and two of those days there happened to be a photographer, so Patrick and I picked up some pictures. Here are a few...

The following picture will give you an idea of the size of the wave, even though I don't do it justice:

Oh to be Home Again...

2008-07-04T05:59:00.000-07:00

I was back in Maryland for about 10 days, and it was awesome. I went home to surprise my dad for his birthday. It worked he had no idea and he was speechless when he found out. I think I'll pat myself on my back, because I'm terrible with surprises (I tend to spoil it).

Went to a bar to check out a band for my brother, Alex, and his fiance, Laura, my sister-in-law.

These are some pictures of my family, parents and my brother and his fiance.

We had a big bbq for my dad, 30 people were there, good food good people some good cherry seed spitting (we're not rednecks, and don't tell me you wouldn't do it if you had a case of cherries).

Below is a picture of my two uncles and my cousin, Megan.

I am extremely close to my family, and it was a great visit! I love you guys!

I saw my bestfriends Jeff, Matt and Christine (Heather was missing)! No pictures, but it was great to see them. We didn't do anything special, just catching up.

Then I headed to Ocean City to visit my friends and maybe do some Right Coast surfing. I did visit friends, but the water was too cold for me, considering I'm in 80 degree water now. I stayed at Bianca and Matt's, they're such great hosts, we went to Kirby's the first night, then to Belly's and Fager's the next (all names). It was a blast. I did a little too much shopping in between. Here are some pictures, I went with my bestfriends Bianca, Steph, and then Matt was there also...

And what better way to finish my week than go on a bike ride with my parents.

I'm so grateful to have you both in my life and I love you with all my heart. I'm know I'm not very close, but know that I think about you often and I always love you!!!

Not too much!

2008-06-02T08:37:00.000-07:00

So, whats new?! Hmm...not too much.

Patrick and I recently got a water proof camera, its a lot of fun, but we realized you can't keep the camera in your pocket, while in the water for more than something like 3 hours. I would say its very water resistant. Not water PROOF. Here are some of the pictures...

Paddling out!

Patrick and I in the water doing what we do...and what we love!

Look at that PERFECT wave! For those of you who don't surf...this is what you're looking for, maybe a bit bigger, but this shape!!!!!

We always have these little parades going through town, believe it or not, but they are often for advertising the local grocery store. The next few pictures are of one such parade...

These are children dressed in local Costa Rican costume. I think its beautiful.

More of the parade.

Went to a town south of Tamarindo, called Marbella, for some surfing and a change of scenery for Memorial Day, of course they don't have a Memorial Day here, so I had to use Patrick as an excuse. Its a really different beach, black sand, very green, and of course its rainy season now, so they are getting a ton of rain, check out the clouds in these pictures...

After staying the night in Marbella went surfing the following morning and then headed to our favorite beach for what other than...more surf! Its called Playa Grande...

Its not often you get to enjoy the company of a kitty whilst you eat your breakfast. I love it.

So I already mentioned that we're getting into our rainy season, but I didn't mention that we just had a tropical depression roll through. I guess one can expect certain visitors when you get something like 15 inches of rain in 3 days. Give or take.

How he got there...I have no idea. He just was. Did I tell you I discovered him when I had to go to the bathroom and it was an EMERGENCY first thing in the morning. I wasn't prepared to go to the bathroom in front of one of my most feared animals (I HATE FROGS!!!!!! I'd rather have a pet snake or turantula.) I ran out jumping and screaming, I'm sure it was a site!

Anywho...not too much has been happening down here. Same old, same old. Miss you all!

So many things, so little time...

2008-04-02T21:20:00.000-07:00

So heres whats been going on for the last 2 months, its been busy and thats why you haven't seen any pictures or heard anything from me. I meant what I wrote in the last blog, but I must say it was filler and fluff, because I was too lazy to write.

So in mid-February I went to a small town called Santa Teresa with some friends visiting from the States: Dave, Rob, and Tommy. They went down a day in advance, I had to work so we followed, leaving at 1:30 in the morning. Its about a 4 hour car ride, mind you, had it been paved and not mountainous, with steep drop offs, it may have taken about an hour and a half.

Dave had told me the previous evening, while Patrick and I were packing, that the road turns into what looks like a driveway, this is what happens when you take instructions too literally and make a wrong turn, at 4:30 in the morning...

Then after waking up a local Tico and his entire family, wife, son, mother, father, a guy by the name of Johny came outside, barefoot and shirtless to help us get out of the mud. He was amazing. Eventually, they got a neighbor to pull us out. This took us an hour in a small town called San Rafael, which would have taken about 3 hours anywhere else. Amazing!

We made it to Santa Teresa, it was gorgeous. Compared to Tamarindo it was incredible green and trash free. The mountains came right off the beach. We stayed in a little cabina (cabin) that was about $20 per night per person, it had 2 bedrooms and a kitchen. Cheap huh?!

As soon as we got there we surfed for a few hours then went for breakfast, I love having breakfast in a bathing suit, that is, having it in a bathing suit and no one caring.

We surfed about 18 hours in about a 3 day period, I was sore needless to say. The waves were amazing.

The second day we spent the entire day on the beach, from before breakfast all the way through dinner. We even started a fire and cook a pretty spectacular meal. Great end to an amazing trip. I'll be back for sure!

Patrick and I went to our first fiesta. Each town has one, to celebrate their saint. Usually they begin on Thursday with a big dance, then Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, they have all kinds of foods, clothes, and the main even being bull riding. Its incredible, you'll see in the pictures, there are about 30 Ticos, and maybe a few Gringos in the ring. Notice that most of them wear flipflops.

This next picture was taken just before he got gored and thrown 10 feet in the air. Oh, and when someone gets hurt they have a little 2 x 2 foot hole in the fence where they throw the person to a doctor. Pretty funny, in a sick kind of way.

The only other exciting or semi-exciting thing I've done is gone to Nicaragua for my visa (non residence can reside in CR for 90 days then have to leave for 72 hours). So we went to one of the most poor cities in all of Latin America, Granada. I can say that it was gorgeous, right next to Lake Nicaragua, with all the different color buildings. The big yellow building in the main church in the center of town. I took many pictures just because of the vibrant colors, enjoy!

Just a local bus, I couldn't give you any details, but it does say Hospital and Market on it...go figure?

Guess what they're playing? Thats right...BASEBALL! Apparently, its the favorite pasttime of Nicos.

This was by far the worst part of the town I had seen. Flys everywhere, the water was 10x worse than what is looks like. The animals were just feeding on the greens near it too. Notice the shacks in the background.

View of the city, walking from the more poor section to the center.

Kids playing soccer in center city.

The local market. Its really smelly and they have raw meets sitting outside for sale. Rainboots for $8, watch repair, and anything else you can think of, for really really cheap, cents, in fact.

I can't manage to find a picture, but they're still using horse a buggy for transporting goods. Almost all the cars in town were due to the tourism. Despite all this, we had some amazing food, stayed at an amazing hotel (Patrick got a room with a hottub, and private pool)...

The skyline of Granada. In the background you can see a dormant volcano, Mombacho. Great trip over all, quite the learning experience. Its good to be home in Tamarindo though.

Not too much going on here. Same old same old. I'm tired now, so I'll be keeping up with my blogging, because this is exhausting. Hope you're well, take care, and thanks for reading...I MISS YOU ALL!

I recently read...

2008-02-17T17:41:00.000-08:00

...an article in a book published by Surfer Magazine, called "The Perfect Day." This is the best article I've read to describe the feeling of surfing. The article is by Fred Wardy, called SURFING IS.

SURFING IS
by Fred Wardy

"Surfing is many things to many individuals, but, purely and simply, a healthy, vigorous, beautiful sport. Surfing is a release from exploding tensions of 20th-century living, escape from the hustling, bustling city world of steel and concrete, a return to nature's reality.

For sheer spontaneous action, surfing is unbeatable. It quenches man's thirst for challenging natural elements. Spiritually and physically, it makes the surfing part of the sea, while the sea, in turn, becomes part of him.

Surfing is excitement and physical diversion, yet more. Like all great sports, surfing is a succession of experiences, sensations and impressions...a remembrance of lazy days at a favorite beach, laughter, friendship, golden sunsets and fires at dusk.

Surfing is climbing from a warm bed in predawn's coolness, a sleepy drive, coffee and oughnuts at a roadside diner and the clatter of surfboards as they're unstacked from a car rack. Surfing is the joy of watching a sun rise slowly into the sky. It's crisp, clean waves, crests blown high by an offshore wind. It's gray mist, dampness and cold sand under bare feet, the lonely cry of a gull sweeping across silent, brooding seas. On a big day, surfing is a strong swell and waves that have lost their playfulness. Then it's stomach knots, high exultation, a trace of fear.

Surfing is sharing a wordless silence, broken only by the sound of a bar of wax moving back and forth across a board. It's mounting tension before the first takeoff, enthusiasm for the next wave when the ride is over.

Surfing is a good ride, brief seconds yet a culmination of endless hours on a board. These fleeting moments of exhilaration and release are days, months, years of time and experience.

Surfing is the endless search for a windless day, an uncrowded beach, the perfect wave.

Surfing is a special kind of madness, a feeling for the sea, a combination of love, knowledge, respect, fear--instinctive perception gained through repeated contact. Surfing is a moment of achievement, of glory, of unsung triumph. for the man, surfing is freedom and youth rediscovered, and for the boy, a means of expression vital to his being. For both, it's fun.

Surfing is great."

Great article, and very very true.

2008-01-06T06:08:00.000-08:00

Welcome to Costa Rica!

This is where I live, Tamarindo. Its a gated communited with a pool, Patrick and I are really roughing it. This townhouse is far different from anything 20 feet in any direction. To walk into town and to the beach you have to walk about 200 yards worth of dirt roads and "tar" paved roads.

Its beautiful! This picture is looking North, its a picture of Playa Grande, theres some amazing surf there!

The surf has been great since I got here. This is from January 5th. It was a lot of fun!

These are some of Patrick and my new friends:

This guy just crawls around the kitchen window everynight.

This is our other "little" buddy in Playa Grande. This was taken just before he jumped off the tree and latched onto Patrick's neck.

We went out to dinner in town yesterday. It was a gorgeous evening. Most of the local restaurantes are almost completely outside or open. We ate at Nogui's, more or less local cuisine (beans, rice, chicken), but really really good. This was our view from our seat. The other picture is of us ordering ice cream, at...you'll never guess where...TCBY!

WELCOME TO COSTA RICA!

Wow!

2008-01-02T20:09:00.000-08:00

The move went great!

I got here New Year's Eve, and was greeted by a hug from Patrick. Came back to my new home, didn't unpack or anything, just went straight to the beach of Tamarindo. My home is about a 10 minute walk to the beach, a very dusty, rocky 10 minute walk to the beach. The roads are all dirt, except for some of the roads, which have been sprayed with tar. The tar paved roads are very bumpy and rough. Its great though, its just simple. I love it! So we went surfing, then to dinner, and off to bed by 8 pm. It was lovely.

New Year's Day we went to a beach called Playa Grande, just north of Tamarindo. Its beautiful, great surf, but it can get a bit crowded. Already I am bright red!

Today I walked about a mile and a half south to a great little surf spot. Walking over lava rocks, beautiful shells, coconuts, and trees growing feet from the ocean.

Its all very surreal. Surreal because I'm not with Patrick, surreal because of the beautiful scenery, and the kind people, surreal because this is now my home. Like in my first blog, I'm now happy in a place that I am happy with my special someone and it is an amazing feeling!

Its an amazing thing!

2007-11-22T18:16:00.000-08:00

This Thanksgiving has been life changing. Really! It has!

I flew into Louisville, KY on the 20th to spend Thanksgiving with Patrick, who came back from Costa Rica, and his family for Thanksgiving. Its been wonderful! They're the most kind, friendly, easy going, caring, funny, loving people. They are so close knit, and its wonderful to be around them! We ate, talked, ate, shopped, talked, ate, cooked, gave out Animal Christmas Poopers (yeah, they really poop, well...candy), ate, talked, ate, ate, ate...There is no pattern, just a lot of eating and talking primarily! Anywho, because Patrick was back, we finally go to talk in person...

So I've got a lot on my mind!

Number One: Talk to Mom and Dad.
Number Two: Go Christmas shopping.
Number Three: Go through all my things at home.
Number Four: Rent a trailer.
Number Five: Go through all my things in Ocean City.
Number Six: Go Christmas shopping.
Number Seven: Quit my job...its sad to say!
Number Eight: Learn a new language.
Number Nine: Find a new job.
Number Ten: Go Christmas shopping.
Number Eleven: Spend Christmas with my family.
Number Twelve: Spend New Years with friends and family.
Number Thirteen: Pack...

NUMBER FOURTEEN: MOVE TO COSTA RICA, JANUARY 4TH!

This Thanksgiving was life changing because I've decided that other than family, Patrick is most important to me, and...thats it. Everything else will fall into place!

You know what I've learned about "Everything falling into place!"...its crazy, but it does. Things just have a way of working out if they're supposed to! Have a lot of faith, a little patience, some time, and things will work out. Its an amazing thing!

Breathe.....

2007-10-28T16:53:00.000-07:00

Its amazing how good something feels, and how much more its appreciated, when you haven't done it in a while. I finally ran! Its been about 4 days, which is a while for me. Before I go on, read the following extremely slowly, breathing in when it says "in", and out when it says "out.", do this in the most calm voice possible:

Iiiiiiin, ooouuuut, iiiiiin, ooouuuut, iiiiin, ooouuuut, iiiiin, ooouuuut, iiiiin, ooouuuut, iiiiin, ooouuuut, iiiiin, ooouuuut, iiiiin, ooouuuut, iiiiin, ooouuuut...

Don't you feel relaxed?! This is what I say while I'm running. I hope you can see why I am so in love with it?!

Today I went numb, I didn't feel anything except the cool air and my feet against the pavement, I couldn't hear anything except my breathing and my mind going iiiiin, ooouuuut! I love running! I can concentrate on my breathing and forget about the fact that my best friend moved away, that I have a terrible self image today, that the client yelled at me, that tomorrow is going to be busy! Its not even that most of these things go somewhere in the back of my mind, they actually disappear! And the thoughts that don't disappear, I look at them in a different light. So my best friend moved away, but I will see him soon, and that makes me so happy! So tomorrow is a busy day, but its going to be productive, it will go quickly! And my self image, well, its good right now, I feel good!

When I'm breathing, and in my mind I'm saying, "iiiiin, ooouuuut, iiiiin, ooouuuut," its the only thing that can occupy my mind, nothing else can! I forget about how something so simple, can bring me so much peace and serenity! Its amazing!

Whats Important?!

2007-10-03T07:43:00.000-07:00

Bare with me...
...but life to me is like a big piece of wood! I find that through experiences good or bad, one can widdle away at the wood to create something absolutely gorgeous that may not bring peace and pleasure to anyone else, but it might to me. This process, unfortunately, takes so much time, but I think its important. Money is not important, cars are not important, clothes aren't important; Friends are important, true love is important, love of nature, peace is important. Finding friends that support you, finding something that gives you peace, finding someone that loves you unconditionally, and finding somewhere you can spend all your time with the something and the someone everyday of your life...that is important! Nothing else!

I met a guy in college and moved up to Philly to be closer to him. So the love was there, but not the peace. I taught there for two years, I realized that my life goal was not to be a "bitch or a ho" as the kids liked to call me. I wanted and want more for myself. I moved to Ocean City, where I came to realize that almost everything I want is right there, SURFING, a few, but AMAZING and CLOSE friends, except one thing, guess?! I thought I needed more money, instead of working harder I moved back to Clear Spring and began working for a company, which I love, although again I still feel like I'm searching. At this point, I have the friends, a lot of them, which I have never had before. However, I don't have the peace, or the love. And do you know whats funny and ironic I had my friend, my love, and my peace all along in Philadelphia. I didn't see it! So here I am, searching again...

...for something that gives me peace, someone that loves me unconditionally, and somewhere I can spend all my time with that something and that someone everyday of my life...