Some days you just feel… lucky. Today is one of those days.
I noticed the feeling as I was enjoying my morning routine, which means sitting on my porch, coffee in hand, gazing out over the glimmering water of the pool.
It might have been caused by the cheerful singing of the birds as they greet the morning. It could have been triggered by the smell of rich Costa Rican coffee tickling my nostrils… but it’s more likely that images from home caused the sudden swell of happiness to bloom in my chest.
You might be picturing images of family and friends and the people I love, bringing a smile of joy to my face… but no.
It was this…
…and this…
Sure, snow can look pretty… and when you’re sitting in the house with a warm cup of cocoa and no place to go, it even feels cozy.
But then again… this is pretty too…
And this…
The main downside of winter, as I see it at least, is that you can’t actually hibernate through it. If you could, I might never have made my way south. Sooner or later you always have to go out.
Out to work, out to the store, whatever… and out means cold. I hate the cold. As a Canadian, I can get voted out of the club just for saying things like that. And for admitting that I’ve never skied and that I have no interest in hockey. (shhh… don’t tell anyone.)
I’m happiest with my feet in the sand, or palm fronds swaying in the breeze overhead, so, while I miss my family, I’m glad to sit out the winter months on my front porch. I can lean back in the chair and sip my coffee and sigh. From here, images like this are picturesque.
And as long as I’m not in them, I’m a happy camper.
I will even ooh and ahh over the pretty patterns made by frost on the windows, or the beauty of ice-covered trees. I will reminisce about the creaking sound the branches make right before the ice cracks and falls to the ground with a plop.
To be fair, the weather in Costa Rica isn’t always perfect.
Sometimes it rains… nice warm rain…
When it does, I put my feet up, grab my book until it’s over, and then enjoy the lush greenery and the fresh smell of moss and growth that comes afterward.
Now, some of you may think I’m being cruel… pointing out the beautiful tropical surroundings that I get to enjoy while you languish in winter’s splendor with your snowsuit and shovel.
I like to think of it as a not-so-gentle reminder that Costa Rica is here… waiting patiently… when you hit your limit and decide you’ve had enough with winter. When the snowplow has buried your driveway one time too many, or you grow tired of slip-sliding from car to door and back again.
It’s a reminder that you can come join us in paradise. Trade in the fuzzy hat for a new pair of shades, toss your boots out the window, and dig out your flip-flops. There’s no shame in escaping, just for a little while. That’s the beauty of living in the modern world. You can literally decide today, book your flight, pack your bag and be in Costa Rica dipping your toes in the ocean tomorrow night.
In case you need some more inspiration, I’ll just list off once again some of the cool stuff you can do while your friends shovel…
Like ziplining through the canopy at one of the many tour companies. Not only will you get to zip through trees with the wind in your hair, you get to explore the rainforest, or cloud forest depending on where you go, on your way in.
If you don’t feel like hiking, that’s fine, you can hop on a horse and let it do all the work. The scenery is spectacular, the heat seeps into your pores and relaxes all the muscles you strained shoveling snow, and the trails can take you through banana plantations, coffee fields, or farmland.
Gaze off into the distance at the lovely Gulf of Nicoya and watch the sun go down while picturing your coworkers bundled up in multiple layers, shivering, and then do a nighttime hike through the forest, seeing all the nocturnal creatures that come out to play when the sun comes down. Like insects that fluoresce under black light, and long-tailed possums that climb from tree to tree.
Then there is always the old holiday standard… hanging by the pool. Bring a book, or your iPod and earbuds, or just close your eyes and listen to the birds and the ever-present tropical breeze as it ruffles the palm fronts high overhead…
Say it with me…
AAAAAAAHHHHhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh…
Where was I? Oh… yeah… winter.
Lovely, white, frigid, winter. I think I’ve said all I need to say on the subject. I’ll just leave you to think about it for a while, as you pull on all your layers and head out into the cold once more.
I’ll just wait right… here…