De Dos Semanas en el Paraíso (Week Two in Paradise)

Week two is always by far the best week while we are here. We’ve settled in, we’ve slowed W A Y down, and really gotten into the flow of being in Costa Rica. We have spent a large part of this week surfing. Mainly in Jacó. Nice, soft, rideable waves that won’t kick your a$$ too badly. Most days.
As I surf more and more it teaches me so much patience. You cannot rush anything out there. It is a total love/hate relationship for me. You work so hard, paddle, paddle, paddle, out and wait. And wait. And….wait. Patience. The times that I rush, I always regret it because the ocean is all too quick to give me a “smack down.” And oftentimes, quite notably. But then it happens. Your patience gets rewarded. You are blessed by a perfect, beautiful wave, and all is right with the world…anything too soon, would’ve ended in a completely different ride. It reminds me, that rushing anything, ruins the experience, entirely. And that only through patience, do we get the spectacular and extraordinary.

We have hit quite a few beaches while here. One day at Playa Blanca. This little cove is beautiful. Crystal, blue,water, and a pristine, white beach. It’s a tanning beach. No waves but great swimming. This was where I donned my swim goggles and went for a actual swim. A training swim. The entire day, it was us, and 3 other people on the entire beach. Total seclusion!

We spent a day south in Manuel Antonio. We’ve been down there several times, but its a fun place to hang out, catch some sun and do some hiking in the rain forest. On this particular day, we saw, turtles, and two different types of monkeys. White-faced Capuchin and squirrel monkeys. It’s always fun while hiking to see these little guys playing in the trees (they are all over the rainforest) You hear one, then you can hear the whole neighborhood coming! Swinging from tree to tree. We watched them for a long time, and then off they went. We also spotted a couple of wayward raccoons, or maybe they spotted us….and our lunch.
M.A is a great little town with lots to see and do, and some pretty good restaurants. Even though this is probably our tenth time down there, it never gets old.

Hiking in Manuel Antonio

Jungle of M.A.

Trekking through in search of monkeys.

We had one night at home that we were without power, briefly. As we went about with our flashlights finding candles, we couldn’t help but hear this scratching sound. Now on a side note….noises here are just a way of life. At any second you can hear 30 different noises. Scarlet macaws, geckos, roosters, dogs, waves, wind, sirens, little cockatiel birds…you name it. But this was a scratch, scratch and then nothing. Then again, scratch scratch and then nothing. We figured some sort of bug had made its way in. Another side note…bugs….a way of life here. And my gosh, they are some of the most interesting bugs, ever. So we took flashlights to go in search of the source. Evidently a crab had decided to make our casa, his casa. And not the tiny hermit crabs that race all over the beaches here, this was an actual crab…..much bigger and he may have NOT been shown the door, but a nice pot of water.

I am still running the beach early, every morning. Soaking this all in. This is always when I have my best prayer time. Anytime I run alone, there is that intimate time with God.

I run out, always to beach left, and head towards Esterillos Centro and Este. I watch my feet hitting the sand, leaving my footprints as I run forward. As I leave them, I leave behind, something I need to let go of. Something weighting me down perhaps. Something I need forgiveness for. Sometimes its something that has been stuck, that’s needs to be let go. I leave behind bad attitudes, bad thoughts, negativity, and anything weighing me down. I pray down the beach, leaving each and every piece of me, that needs let go of. And when I return, just like that! the footprints are gone. Washed away by the ocean tide. I have laid down the negative and God has taken it all away. I am able to pick up the positive on the way back. The answers I have been praying for. The questions I have given up to God. They are there, waiting, for my return. It makes me so thankful to see those footprints washed away, and feel so much lighter on the way back. This is also when I pray for my family and friends. Email messages that I have received. The fun Skype calls I have had. They all get lifted up. I love how knowing that just as the tide has washed away my footprints, God has washed all of the ugliness out of my life. And I’m brand new. Just like the miles of pristine sand ahead of me. I am so thankful for that, and that God is so merciful to me. I have had some pretty specific things answered for me on this trip. I’ve asked God for very clear direction, and opened and closed doors, and He gave me just that! Wow! What a story! What an adventure! What a God!!

If we were ever stranded here, I am making dresses out of these babies!!

Say hello to our little friend….ok actually they weren’t that little. And they were a little intimidating!

Playa M.A.

Just lovin’ life together.

My birthday was this week. How lucky are G-man and I that we BOTH got to spend our birthdays in paradise? Not a bad way to do it, that’s for sure! However we are looking forward to celebrating with friends when we return home!