We Went to Costa Rica…

…and now we are truly sad to be back.

Highlights:

• We rented a car. We named her Sandy. Not the best pick-up for managing driving up the rolling hills, but she pulled through. Gas mileage was great!

  

  Sandy chilling in Manuel Antonio

• We got an AirBnB in Manuel Antonio. It was pretty nice/comfortable and we will probably keep doing AirBnB’s when we return. We woke up to this:

PS- Those howler monkeys look like this:

• We ate so good. Fresh, delicious, sweet fruits for breakfast and in juice form. The way God intended us to have them (*clears throat* with a little tequila.)

Cafecito, Mango, Bananas, Papaya, Watermelon

2×1= AKA Happy Hour

• Bran got a lesson in maneuvering the curves and mountains in Costa Rica.

• Endless beautiful sights of the coast line and countryside

• The Arenal Volcano unveiled herself.

• And the most important highlight: Love was grown. 

  

  Pura Vida,

Random Things I Will Miss from CR

I know, I know. Why am I getting ahead of myself here? Thinking about things I will miss when I should still be indulging in them while I’m here. I don’t know, that’s just the way I am. I will be leaving my internet addiction/availability in about 2 weeks, and as I prepare for relocation to a more rural part of Costa Rica (details soon!) I could very well be trying to post as much as possible while I still have the opportunity to post-as-I-feel-it.

Some things I will miss when I move from Costa Rica:

• Los cariñitos. Otherwise known as ‘affections.’ In Costa Rica, it is very common to address people, especially strangers, in countless of creative ways that may seem way too affectionate for someone you hardly know. Words like: mi amor (my love), mi chiquita/o (my little one), pa/ma (short for papi or mami), and mi corazon (my heart) can be used to address you by any tico/tica in the following posts: waitress, store vendor, street vendor, or any old sweet woman that has sparked a conversation on the bus with you. I’m going to miss being called ‘Ma.’
• Cheap Services. Since here, I’ve indulged in services I would never do with frequency at home. I’ve tried a gel manicure for $26, an hour and a half massage and mini-facial for $24, a dental “scraping” (the most effective cleaning that I’ve ever had done in my life) at the dentist for $46, and a navel piercing for $10. I’ve also had my hair washed, blow-dried and flat ironed for $12-$20. I’m spoiling myself because I know these luxuries are unheard of in New York. Since discovering how much I like piercings, I intend to pierce my tragus (the little mountain that sticks up out of your ear) before I leave.
• Cafecito. The time of day (anywhere from 5-8pm) after dinner when you devote time to some freshly brewed coffee, some sweet accompaniment and relay the latest gossip about yourself or your neighbor.
• Not thinking twice about Taking a Taxi. Only a life or death situation would lead me to take a taxi in NYC. That’s just never an option that crosses my mind in a City that is so ridiculously overpriced. In Costa Rica, base fare is 550 colones, which is roughly a dollar and some cents. The most I’ve paid for a cab ride in Chepe is 6 dollars. My co-worker calls me high-class for wanting to be driven around everywhere, but I don’t agree. I like not paying $4.50 for driving down 2 avenues.
• Meats. Red meat here tastes so different. I don’t know if it’s because everything is so overprocessed back home, but I can’t turn down my plate anytime it has any type of skirt flank steak, meat stewed or smothered in sauce or anything with a bone made for some serious sucking- MMM!
• The Views.Costa Rica is more than beaches, surfing and diverse wildlife. It’s got its hidden treasures everywhere! Many people would argue that compared to the rest of the country, San Jose is the least flattering. There’s pollution, too many crazy drivers on the road who don’t yield to peds, petty thiefs, and overcrowding. My question is, how many cities Latin American countries don’t suffer from this? Whatever your opinion is, I know I will miss this view over any in any major city in the States. For me, mountains are pretty much irreplaceable.

  

  Misseable

  I’m sure this list will grow with time, as will the list of comforts I miss from home. But for whatever reason, I don’t miss NY enough.

Su corazon, (Your love)

She Traces