Rejuvenation!

It’s been over a year of Covid isolation, with no travel and limited connection and when I got my second vaccination, I felt relieved and ready to step out. So here I am, stepping out in a big way. Of course, I’ll take all the necessary travel precautions but I’m excited to go.

Twenty-six years ago, when my boys were in the 8th and 6th grades, we moved to Costa Rica for a year. We lived in Moravia which is a Costa Rican neighborhood in San Jose and Patrick and Ian went to the Costa Rica Academy. During that year we traveled around Costa Rica extensively and it turned out to be an amazing adventure.

I have to admit that before we decided to make this move, I was very resistant and absolutely afraid to do something this big. I finally relented and agreed to the move for a variety of reasons and I’ll always be grateful to my former husband for his pestering.

I learned Spanish that year and so much more – I learned that my fear wouldn’t kill me and that I could be afraid but move through it, broaden my horizons and grow. I learned that not everything is about me. Our time in Costa Rica allowed my sons to grow and expand as well, although they did put up quite a fight about leaving Santa Barbara and their friends. My son, Patrick, concocted a ruse with his Santa Barbara friend, Brandon, and began feigning depression. He dyed his blond hair black, refused to smile and spent his days looking like a Goth. I went so far as to talk to the school’s principal about it and asked him to let me know if he thought it was serious. Patrick was busted the day I heard him on the phone with Brandon saying, “I think it’s working – my Mom believes I’m really depressed and it shouldn’t be too long before she’ll call it quits here and get me back to Santa Barbara.” When I walked into the room and saw my son, holding the phone, with his mouth agape, he knew the jig was up. After that, he relaxed and so did I.

We had a great year and our time in Costa Rica clearly had an impact on us all. Here’s my shameless plug for Patrick. He’s a professional photographer now as well as a world traveler. Currently, he is the owner of a beautiful property in Dominical and has a creative and amazing yurt on the site. If you click on the link you’ll see where I’ll be staying during my week visit.

I’m going to enjoy it all, I know, and I’m also going to spend time reflecting on all that I’m grateful for.

Until I return….

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“A mind that is stretched by a new experience can never go back to its old dimensions.”

~ Oliver Wendell Holmes