Pura Vida

Twelve days in Costa Rica equals Pura Vida!  A common phrase among the locals, which literally translates to Pure Life.  This is more than just an expression, it is the mentality of eternal optimism and a way of life I fully embraced!  I spent a week at Witch's Rock Surf Camp in Tamarindo (i'll spare you the pictures of me surfing), which is steps away from the 'best waves' and has trained Ticos, Costa Ricans, teaching all levels of surf.  I'm not gonna lie - it was difficult!  You have to paddle, read the wave, gain balance, have proper footing and maintain ALL of this while riding the wave and remember to enjoy it!  I wiped out a ton, but isn't that part of the learning experience?  It was a Blast!  For the second half of our trip, we moved about a mile down the beach to Capitan Suizo, which is a beautiful sustainable oasis for its guests and the animals who inhabit the property.  A porcupine greeted us upon arrival, while a hotel staff member coddled a 2 month old howler monkey.  I was determined to befriend the monkeys during my stay.  Aside from a little love bite on my hand, mission accomplished!  The other pictures above are of the iguana (love the colors) who sat with us by the pool each day, me preparing for my canopy (zip line) tour and a gorgeous sunset on the way back from snorkeling (you don't go to CR for the fish).  Overall my trip was fantastic, it ended too soon...pura vida friends!