Costa Rica: The Best is yet to be.

The end of an amazing surf trip, and the start to the rush back to the frozen solid land mass of Toronto and tie up loose ends.  The countdown starts now. 2 months and 2 weeks till the beginnings of everything new!

There are still moments where the thought of moving down to Costa Rica is still a dream and yet a reality. The wheels have already been set in motion. I said my goodbyes this morning to many of the staff at Tamarindo Vista Villas and a few new friends I made over the week here in Tamarindo.  But this time, it's not really a farewell, more of a hasta pronto as I'll be back sooner than we all think.

It feels surreal that I'll be moving here...  Finally!  I'm scared and excited at the same time. What I've really learned to absorb over this trip alone is ... If you're not put out of your comfort zone  and feel scared once in awhile, you're not experiencing anything,  and really,  you're not living life at all. This is a good fear.

It also feels odd that many strangers know about my new venture before my friends back home. But, for solo travelers, I believe we find more commonality, and shared passion and excitement in exchanging traveler stories with other like minded travelers than our own friends at home.  Maybe because we experience similar things, and have mutual understandings of the way of travel as a solo traveler or a backpacker.  Sleep on a floor or completely concave beds and noone bothers to complain because as soon as you open your eyes you're out exploring the world and have little time to think about bugs in your room or the lack of a/c. I'm just glad there's a roof over my head and a lock on my door to get a couple hours of shuteye and continue on my ventures.

Playa Avellanas, Guanacaste, Costa Rica

It's been a crazy trip. Threw my board into the back of a jeep and hopped in heading out towards Avellanas to surf with Carlos and Hernán yesterday afternoon whom I had just met that morning at the hotel reception. We surfed until sunset. Battered around by the waves and couldn't even catch any, I was too frozen cold from the NE swells that rolled in over the last two days cooling the water temperature ... I thought I was Canadian, how could this temperature feel so cold to me? 

Way too cold to try and surf any longer, I sat out on the beach and watched Carlos almost get barreled into the waves and the sun setting just ahead of them on the horizon. I met new travelers on the beach who invited me over to their place to have empañadas.

We drove home in the dark,  bumpy dirt roads in the back of Hernán's jeep and headed back to Tamarindo. Ate at witch's rock and I took a walk down the strip, Tim from NJ joined me with his beer as I wolfed down a large tub of vanilla-chip ice cream and exchanged stories of our travels.

Went home to pack around 10pm and Carlos came by and we headed down to the beach staring at stars and listened to the waves crash on the shore. Chilly night for a tropical country so we didn't stay long. Why is it so freaking cold?!

I love life down here.  I'll be living in a touristy part of Costa Rica and many people will come and go. But many also return...  Like Lisa,  who recognized me from two years ago when we both stayed at Tamarindo vista villas during the earth quake. This time, we exchanged contacts. And we'll keep in touch for when she returns.

I love this place.  Me Amo Costa Rica. ... Pura Vida.