Testing our sea legs...

The calm before the storm...

So, it's day 3 in Costa Rica. We had an excursion to Tortuga Island included in the price of the trip, so we woke up that morning excited to snorkel and see some cool sites. But the weather had other plans for us. I've pretty much grown accustomed to having bad weather while on vacation. So now its no longer bad weather, its just normal. So I wasn't surprised to hear that we would be heading on some pretty choppy waters due to the storm.

   Could our sunglasses be any bigger?

I am a river rat at heart and used to being on boats, but Wendy had never been on a boat in her life. She was super anxious and also a bit hung over, never a good combination when boarding a boat. So its a good thing I got a picture of her before the waters got too rough. I must give a huge shout out to Wen for surviving that boat ride.  I had a blast flying through the choppy waters. The spray from the waves had me soaked but I could care less. The driver of the boat kept telling Wendy "5 more minutes" when really we still had a ways to go. I felt so bad for her. 

  Lovin' life...

     ... Love her!

Once we arrived at Tortuga, Wendy was the first one off the boat. We all kinda wandered around, checking out the place before the first group set off to snorkel. I was so shocked when I heard Wendy say she wanted to get back on the boat to go snorkel. But I think she had finally realized that boats really aren't so bad. I was so excited she was coming along. The 3 Amigas weren't complete without all three of us. :) I wish I could show you amazing pictures of the snorkeling. But unfortunately, due to the storm, the water visibility was horrible. In fact, it was so bad that you couldn't even see your hand in front of your face, or in my case, the huge rock I was about to slam into. I ended up cutting my leg open, but didn't realize until I got back on the boat and looked down to find a bloody leg. Thankfully, there were no hungry sharks swimming around that part of the ocean. I guess my luck isn't so bad after all. Me and the girls took pics with our underwater cameras, but those pics haven't been developed yet. And who knows if anything will show up anyway. Fingers crossed that they turned out!

We headed back to the island feeling a little deflated that the snorkeling was a waste. But once we got back, Wendy found a wild boar and became friends with it. Its so funny how much she loves all creatures. And they just love her. Any normal person might be a little apprehensive being in a strange place and seeing a boar walking towards you... but not Wendy. Gotta love her for that! 

I was completely in awe with the sand, or lack there of, on the island. The whole shore was covered with these beautiful little rocks. And I loved how they looked like little poppy seeds on my feet. I was in my own little world collecting rocks and shells.. until I was told it was illegal to take the rocks back to the States. I'd like to say that I put the rocks back where they belonged.. but then I'd be lying. Oops, my bad. :) 

     Poppy Seed Piggies

The highlight of this day was, hands down, the ride home. The storm had gotten a lot worse and the water was incredibly choppy. Wendy had now decided that she, in fact, loved boats and had her hands up in the air enjoying the ride. The rest of us on the boat were a little terrified though. We almost cap-sized by huge waves like twice, but Wendy was oblivious, and shouted "Again!" after each time. We all couldn't stop laughing. 

And then we saw the whales. I was so freakin' excited! All of a sudden we had this private show. A mommy and her baby just swimming along, right around our boat. Maybe we didn't see any cool fish while snorkeling, but I'd trade whales for fish any day. It was soooo awesome and I wish I had pictures to prove it. But I was too in the moment to capture any pictures. You always hear about people going on whale watching tours and not seeing any, and here we were getting a free show. Right place, right time. I love it when that happens. :) 

After watching the whales, we got back to our ride home. The boat needed to be balanced, so the driver, Douglas, told me I had to sit in the back with him. Me and Miss thought it was funny cause he was kinda flirting with me all day, and I was the smallest of the whole group. How much was I really affecting the weight.. but I'm so glad I switched seats. Seriously, I have never laughed so hard in my whole life! The water was so choppy that there were these constant waves toppling over me. Here I was, flying through the water, balancing on some little seat with nothing to hold onto.. at any moment I could be bumped overboard. And the whole time being drenched by huge waves. It was so freakin' fun! I wish I could explain it better.. Missy joined in on the fun, and I'm so glad, cause she was able to experience what I was enjoying oh so very much. I think the closest thing I can get to explaining it, is I was like Captain Dan in Forrest Gump. You know that scene where he's on the shrimp boat during the storm... no joke.

          Best seats in the house! 

There is some video of me and Miss' wild ride on somebody's camera but I have yet to see it. Everyone on the boat had side aches from laughing on the ride home. I guess our faces were pretty classic while being destroyed by waves. I don't think I've ever been so soaked before. And the salt water had completely destroyed my sensitive eyes. But I loved it. Definitely the best part of my trip. If I could take that ride everyday, I'd be the happiest girl. It was the biggest rush. Pure excitement, mixed with a small amount of fear of being thrown over. God, how I love Costa Rica! 

   My Partner in Crime 

Backstreet's back, alright!

And by Backstreet, I clearly mean me. Hi friends. I've missed you. I just wanted to give a little shout out to the cute guy at the Apple store that replaced my hard drive. I seem to have lost his name with the rest of the information that was on my computer. Moment of silence for the pictures and music that was lost in the catastrophe.... But on a brighter side, I feel as though I am starting with a clean slate. Just in time for the new year! 

Because I am physically incapable of throwing anything away, its always nice when some force beyond your control does it for you. I always see those episodes on Oprah about hoarders. And I think how sad the way these people live their lives. And then I see boxes in my closet of like old school stuff. Old math tests from middle school, or unfinished homework assignments that were never turned in. Clearly I didn't think it was important enough to finish or even turn in, yet there's no way I could part with it now. Haha, so pathetic. But in my mind I think I am fine, because at least my clutter is stored in a tidy tupperware container. 

But anyway, I'm rambling... I just wanted to say, its good to be back and I will get to posting the rest of my Costa Rica trip along with other crazy things that have happened since I've been away. Hope everyone had a great holiday season.. I, for one, had an amazing one. But am so ready for it to be over and finally get back to the ol' hustle and bustle of everyday life. And please, can someone please remind whoever is controlling this weather that we are California, where the temperature is in the 70's year round. I don't know how many cold nights I can take...

And on that note, remember when I wanted to move to Boston? You are much stronger than I, Whit.. :)

Bad News Bears

So, due to the fact I am poor and the outlook isn't so good on being rich anytime soon, I've had to make some adjustments. I've cancelled my internet and probably should've cancelled my cable as well. But I'd rather give up food than have to give up Mad Men, Gossip Girl and Grey's Anatomy. Priorities, ya know. Anyhow, now my favorite place is the good ol' Newport Beach Library. I'm still amazed at how I never knew about all the free stuff a library offers.. sometimes when I'm there I feel like the Little Mermaid discovering all the dinglehoppers and thingamabobs they have there. And then there are the people. I could write wonders about the "others", as I like to call them. There was Mr. Antsy Pants, who I encountered while signing up for my library card. He wanted to return his books right that second, in person, because he "didn't trust the drop-box". So the fact I was there before him, getting helped before him, did not sit well. Then, there's sweet Mr. SBD, who decided of all the places in the library to sleep, directly behind my chair was the spot he liked best. And to boot, decided to silently fill the air with heavenly gifts from his butt cheeks. Hence the name, Mr. SBD. But there is the occasional "dream boat" there surrounded by books and hottness. I always wonder if he is studying for his medical degree or maybe his bar exam. Or maybe he's studying all the literature and poetry so one day when we're married, I'll be surprised with little love notes that he sprinkled throughout the house. Hey, a girl can dream, right?

But anyway, I'm rambling.... So yesterday, I'm at the library. I'm checking email. I'm checking out the cutie across the way. I'm blogging. And then for no reason at all, my computer freezes. I try to restart it, but while its rebooting, the screen goes grey, and then a little symbol pops up. Seriously. You've got to be joking. So, until I can get an appointment at the Apple store to see what is wrong with Gizmo (doesn't everybody name their electronics?) my blog is pretty much out of commission. I hope my Costa pics are okay, but I'm pretty sure everything is gone. Please keep little Gizmo in your thoughts, so we can get right back to blogging.

And some thoughts for me too, that I can get a job soon. Thankfully, the parents have accepted my rent in the form of hugs and kisses, but my credit card companies denied such attempts. And who knows how much longer that will last with my parents. Just in case-- Mom, I love what you've done with your hair! Have you lost weight? :)

I went for an interview the other night at this restaurant owned by one of my old regulars. He's been telling me for like over a year how he wants me to work for him, so I went in to take him up on his offer. Turns out he not only wants to give me a job, but apparently he thinks we should start "seeing each other" as well. Yep. That's my life. Needless to say, the job search continues...

Chasing Waterfalls

     I love this place.

So, its day two in Costa Rica, and the possibilities are endless of things to do. So after breakfast we decided to take a little hike over to the waterfall. Everywhere in Costa is "5-10" minutes away.. but its really not. And I think the reason everyone says that is because no one wears a watch. And I can't blame them, because I don't wear one either. I'd like to say its because I have really small wrists and watches just don't fit. But the real reason, is I don't know how to read analog clocks very well, and I think I'm a little too old for a digital. But anyway, back to the story.....

So we find the path to the waterfall. We don't really know where we're going, just trying to follow the water upstream for "5-10" minutes until we hit a waterfall. But that's not counting the time it takes to stop and take pictures, or make sure Wendy is making it okay. Props to her for her major efforts on those hikes. She was a real trooper. But the trail was so incredibly beautiful. It wasn't too hot out, lucky for us, the sun was being shaded by all the trees.

 

I love this picture. I don't know why but it just seems so quiet and peaceful.

When we finally arrived at the waterfall, we didn't waste anytime jumping right in. The water was the perfect temperature and the sun was out to keep us warm. Me and Miss had a blast climbing behind the waterfall and jumping off the little rocks. I felt like a kid all over again. I wish we had the pictures of inside the waterfall. We took those with waterproof cameras, so my fingers are crossed they turn out. If so, they're going to be amazing. The exhilaration you feel being inside this massive waterfall, I mean, I really don't have the words. Me and Miss couldn't wipe the grins off our face no matter how hard we tried. But then, again, I wasn't really trying.

Perfection

Looking for fishies...

         Jumping off the rocks.. Weeee!!

While we were swimming, Wendy met a guy. Surprise surprise. His name was Danny and he was telling her about another trail that leads to the top of the waterfall. I was hesitant at first. Rule #1 of travel is don't follow strangers on trails you know nothing about. But the odds were against him. 4 against 1. And my gut is pretty good at telling me if somethings up, and it was keeping pretty quiet. So we packed up our things and were off. This was truly a hike. The trail we followed in the morning was a cake walk compared to this one. But I was loving it. It was so awesome to just hike through the jungle and not worry about snakes or bugs, or aborigines. Just kidding. Aborigines don't live in Costa Rica. :)

Then we came to this dead end. The trail was completely blocked off and had barbed wire on the fence around it. And then I thought, Crap, this is it. My gut fooled me. Mom is gonna be so pissed at me. And then Danny starts saying how a tree fell over and that's why the trail is blocked. I'm pretty hesitant to continue on, but then me and the girls gave it a once over and it looked pretty legit. So we climbed through and carried on. And now looking back, I feel bad for doubting Danny. He is probably the sweetest, most humble person I've ever met. Like ever. He was patient and supportive of Wendy going through the rough parts. He gave us an all day tour for free. We had to pretty much beg him to let us buy him lunch that day. He really was my favorite person we met on the trip. So, I'm glad I trusted my gut and went on with that hike. 

Can't stop smiling....

When we got to the top, the view was insane. There was a fun rope swing to play on. And Danny and Miss were the daredevils and jumped off this super high branch that stuck out over the water. I was content with the rope swing, only so many thrills a day.

         Those afraid of heights, don't look down.

    Danny & Miss monkeying around on the rocks.

                Look at Missy fly!

           So. much. fun!! 

Wendy was content just staying grounded.

            Danny, the fearless flyer.

         Miss taking the plunge!

We packed in a full day of activities that day. Definitely one of my favorite days of the trip. And after all that fun, I'd like to think TLC would enjoy chasing these types of waterfalls. Who wouldn't?! :) 

Day One: Continued...

Our Bungalow, view from the street. Surrounded by scenery.

And we wondered why we had bugs.

My new favorite past time. Everyone should have one.

 The view from our porch. Breathtaking.

Pink leaves everywhere! Its like Dede's heaven..

After we got all settled, we had a little yoga class to stretch us out from our 13-hour travel day. Being in this outdoor pavillion, the sun has set, the crickets are chirping, the sound of the waves crashing. Well, to put it lightly, just a complete state of relaxation... its a moment I will never forget. And we had a whole week's worth of opportunities just like that ahead of us. Life sure is sweet. 

Brynn, the yoga master and reason we are all on this trip. 

All our breakfast and dinners were taken care of on the retreat. We were so spoiled with our meals. The first night we ate at Organico, and at first I was a little hesitant. Vegetarian meals, maybe even sometimes vegan.. well, this girl loves her meat. I didn't know how I'd survive without my juicy morsels of protein. But, like the old saying goes, Don't knock it till you try it.. and I was blown away by how good this food was. And no guilt in eating it either.  Being back home, that's one of the things I miss most about my trip. And Prema, the restaurant owner's dog. It seems everywhere I visit, dogs always find me. I guess its just their intuition. I love it cause it reminds me of my boys waiting for me back home. 

After dinner we all met up at the one and only bar in town called, Chico's. I didn't really know anyone other than Miss, Wendy, Brynn and her parents. So it was fun to have a little meet and greet. We played some pool and then some of us went down to the beach to check out the scene... the journey into bliss had surely begun.

The lovely ladies playing on the beach.

Prema, our little shadow.

Our First Dip

The Journey into Bliss, is not so blissful...

Even though I haven't received all the pictures from my trip, I thought I'd start posting them anyway. Missy's camera has all the fun video footage from zip-lining and the last couple days.. but I figure if I post it by each day, by the time I make it to that point, I'll have those pictures. So here goes... I hope you enjoy these pictures as much as I enjoyed taking them.

Day One: Whatever doesn't kill you, makes you stronger...

So, due to my excellent procrastination skills, I was running around like a mad women the day we were leaving. I put all daily functions aside... eating, drinking water, breathing... and just focused on "my list". As we were driving to LAX, and I finally had a chance to evaluate my condition, I realized the hunger pangs that had been stabbing me all day. So I told myself, just get through security and you can get food in the Terminal while you wait 2 hours for your flight. Imagine my surprise when we finally get through and meet up with the rest of our group to find out that the restaurant in the terminal is closed. And the Starbucks next to it. And the snack stand down the way. Everybody say it with me, "Seriously?? Seriously!" There was no food coming. No ice cold bottled water. The only thing that damn terminal had open was a drinking fountain. A room temperature trickle of water, which had a line. By the time you walked back from the drinking fountain, you were thirsty again. It was unreal. I was in survival mode. Conserving energy. No talking, no laughing... Just kept repeating, make it to the flight, make it to the flight.

Wasting away at the airport... will blog for food.

And now is the part of the story where I tell you we flew out the night of Daylight Savings. Our flight was scheduled to leave at like 2:05, so we were confused as to what time that actually was. And when we asked the counter, they had no sort of answer either. So long, miserable story short, we had to wait an additional hour at the Gate. And then the only meal we'd be getting on the plane was breakfast towards the end of the 6-hour flight. But I made it through that wilderness... oh, somehow I made it through, ooh ooh...  (Sorry, couldn't resist) 

And after another 5-6 hour nightmarish bus ride through Costa Rica (and I thought my driving was bad... Yikes), we had finally reached our destination. Hotel Los Mangoes, in Montezuma. AKA Paradise. Welcome, friends. 

The Shuttle Crew, and also half the kids attending the retreat.

Freddy, Our first Tico friend. There's just something about him that reminds me of my Great-Grandpa.

 He's like the younger, Latin version.

Me and Miss on our bus ride. Bellies full. Two happy little Campers.

Final Destination, Bungalow 18. 

Remind me again why I have no money...

Oh, that's right. Because I just got back from Costa Rica where I returned without a single penny, or colone, to my name. Because I borrowed my Dad's camera for the trip, and lucky me, someone dropped it and broke it. Because my Dad gets to celebrate Christmas early with his brand new camera. Because I get to not celebrate Christmas this year due to the fact my Dad's camera was $260.00. Because for some reason my Amex card wasn't working at Costco, and the only other form of payment is cash.

But mostly, because I am broker than broke, yet boarding a plane in an hour to go to San Francisco and Sacramento this weekend. I hear the best things in life are free... I can't wait to experience those and get outta debt.