Char: Why We MUST Start Today

            So I was sitting on my unemployed butt about a month and a half ago, after coming back from Seattle, and taking, what I wanted to be the picture of my life, but which turned out to be a picture of my triple chins. Something happened during my summer in Spain. I ate a LOT of their national food- bread, with their other national food- sugar filled sangria. I gained weight.

I’ve been generally neutral about my body since then, accepting that I would not always weight 120 lbs. I love food. Like, almost all foods. And for the past 5 years, I allowed that to be a priority. Cool. Until I took this picture, that I mentioned above. As I searched for jobs, I realized that while I might not get a job in the next month, I could at least improve myself. I thought that it might be hard, and it might not be anything special. I thought that my budget might force me to have to figure out how to start running on my own (misery), but then I saw a version of this:

And I thought, oh shit. I gotta do this. A year from now, I don’t want to be in the exact same place.  So I called the local cross fit place, and found Californian Carmen. And guess what. Today, five and a half weeks later, I put jeans on without doing the “wiggle into my pants” dance. WHAT. UP. WORLD. And guess what? Living like this isn’t always easy. There were two pieces.

The first was physically being able to do things- like the first time I did 38 push-ups in a row, I WAS SO EXCITED. The physical part was exponentially easier with World’s Best Boot Camp. Being around people who are as motivated as I am is actually really fun. This 6 weeks, with mini-goals and people encouraging me twice a week, with people who can speak to the results and the commanders laughing and encouraging, has been unbelievable. (Okay, it also totally helps that they laugh at my jokes.) The great part about these classes is that once I walk in the door, I don’t have a choice. I just do it. The classes keep it new and refreshing and we always do a little something different. Six weeks later and I’m happily surprised that WBBC is still new and shiny. I love it! Find a class of people who want to feel good again. *I can’t be sure, but I think there’s a difference between people who want to lose weight, and people who want to simply feel better about themselves. Find people who want to feel good, not people who just want to look like models- we will never look like models.

The second part is my eating choices. I know that overhauling your diet isn’t always the most effective way to change life-style, so I’ve been trying to do it slowly. First, I started eating breakfast. Along with this wonderful cross fit World’s Best Bootcamp, I’ve been expected to record every single thing I eat every single day. This, more than anything else, has kept me true to my eating goals. I also used a calorie counter app for the first two weeks, to give me an idea of what I was putting into my body, and how. (I stopped doing this when I started weighing out delicious breakfast sausages by doing a few extra push-ups, because that’s not how you’re supposed to motivate yourself to work out…according to my dad and the internet.) Okay, then (and partially also because I have no money), we stopped eating out as much. We also stopped eating rice, potatoes, and noodles, and replaced them with larger pieces of fish, meat, and bigger servings of veggies. I’ve moved to coking a few different soups and sauces. Things to distract me from the fact that I’m not eating mashed potatoes on a weekly basis.

And guess what!? One day I hate a bag of potato chips. One day we ordered (delicious) pizza. I even had a bagel. And I’m allowed to. I’m allowed to eat whatever I want. It feels good seeing results (for the first time in five years), and it feels good to not feel guilty about eating whatever I want ONCE in a while. Just, not every day is a cheat day. And I’m taking it seriously. I’m working hard enough that I don’t want to discredit the hard work I’ve been doing with wings three nights in a row.

So here’s my charge to you: find someone who will judge your eating habits a little and make a deal to start reporting your meals to each other! (Hint: S.O.s usually love you too much to be this person). Find a person, group, or mantra to motivate you to get off your butt, so you have some hard work to WANT to eat more balanced for. If I can do it, YOU can do it. Our generation might not trust a single news article we read. We might be addicted to our phones. We might need hugs and kisses and pats on the back for the simple act of getting out of bed in the morning, but we are NOT a generation that simply sits there and lets life happen to them. A year, six months, six weeks from now, you’ll wish you had started today.

Char

Here’s our menu from this week:

Sunday: BBQ chicken Pizza on Naan Bread (mozz cheese, chicken, red onion, roasted garlic, naan, red wine)

Monday: Chicken noodle soup (chicken, chicken broth, celery, carrots, onions, a sprinkling of noodles)

Tuesday: Chicken Noodle Soup

Wednesday: Salmon, rice, and asparagus

Thursday: Chicken and pesto and broccoli

Friday: (we might go out)

Char: (September) A Fresh Start

So, as SB so graciously pointed out to me last night, I’ve officially been in this new weird place for 30 days, minus the week of vacation.

~~~~~~~~

Time out for vacation:

So, as it turns out, Seattle is my soul city. I belong there. But, I’m also here with my soulmate, so, if I can’t have both, I guess I’ll take SB. Seattle was amazing. We ate delicious fresh food, we attended a great beautiful pinteresty outdoor wedding, we saw old friends (because we’re old enough to have old friends now), it was great. Then we got to go down to the Bay and see some extra special people, go to the Tech Museum, see the fish at the Monterey Bay Aquarium (my happy place). I hung out with an octopus for about 30 minutes. They have 4 right now. We also got to watch sharks being reintroduced into a large tank environment, which was fantastic. Then we came back and I got ferociously sick for a week and a half, and I’m just now feeling excellent again.

Justin from Pike Place Fish Throwing Guys

Ride on the Ferry with my Starbucks!

Monterey Bay

My best friends

My other best friend

My OTHER Best Friend

My OOOOOOTHER BEST FRIEND

The next ten days will start a whole new chapter of my life. First, we’re moving into a whole new place! I found a way to make my big green couch an accent piece for the new living room, and it’s going to be amazing! I can’t wait to finally settle in. I have some great things ahead. We’ll also finally be able to make a place OUR own, instead of mine, or his. I know it might be a painful process at times, but I believe in us! I’ve continued to look at different job prospects and today I’m getting a new driver’s license like an adult. I’m also going to start an official work out with a gym and everything, so someone else can hold me accountable for my physical well-being until I can figure out how to do it on my own. I’m stressed about where my life is headed, yes, but who isn’t? I think this is just how life feels. I’m going to learn a lot about myself in the next few months, and I can’t wait to see what it is!

Small victories:

•  As I understand it, our new neighborhood is a pretty high traffic trick or treating area- which is something I’ve never had before, I can’t wait!
• I have no dirty laundry in this apartment. WHAT. UP.
• While we spent more than we intended, groceries with healthy options for me are in the refrigerator! (and SB didn’t even notice that I did it. Muahaha)
• Peanut ate his food today. Thank goodness.
• Purple chair is being changed. 

Flying Kites at Sunset

Not the worst

An "Only Okay" sunset

Life could DEFINITELY be worse. I’m feeling scared, excited, and good! Let’s do this life! Off to pick out paint colors for the new chair!

Char: I Couldn't Even (#laterpost)

Literally the worst. I can't believe I let Al take over this summer. We were both having such crazy adventures, in the two most opposite ways possible. Part of my silence is due to the fact that this summer I've positioned myself to be something of a public figure to about 3,000 students, parents, and family members joining the Penn State community, so I don't want to ruin the magic of NSO for anyone who hadn't experienced it yet. So here's the short:

This summer kicked my butt in the best way ever. I've been working with Penn State Orientation (and let me take this perfect opportunity to remind anyone reading that these views are solely my OWN). I was in charge of 36 student staff members, which, while I'd love to tell everyone all the stories, it's a job. So, the most I will say is that it was definitely an exhausting and rewarding adventure. Things weren't always perfect. But at the end of the day, they survived, and I survived, and we made it. I will say that the thing I'm the most proud of this summer is not trying to make the students' experience my experience, or live vicariously through them. Sometimes it was really hard, but I had so many other things going on, that eventually, it passed.

My other role this summer consisted of being the NSO Host once a week (in a rotation of 5.) I got to stand on stage in front of 500 people once a week and saying, "Welcome to Penn State! You did it! You're here!" The first time I did it, I was Charlotte the TSC Counselor, 100% unleashed. After that I settled in a little, and calmed down a bit.

The night before the last time, i talked to my friend Kyle Pumpkinbear and he said, "Man, I miss getting to talk in front of people from college so much." During that last week, I was trying to wrap my mind around it being the end of the summer (both a sigh of sadness, exhaustion and immense relief). After talking to Kyle, I realized that I would really really miss getting to command the attention of 500 people. What a crazy and unique experience.

This summer was so packed full of experience ans things happening. I'm looking back over my shoulder trying to figure out what just happened to me and because of me and in spite of me.

I think I'm about ready for my long winter's nap.

Around week 6 of 10 this summer, I was offered an opportunity to stay at Penn State with SOTP for an extra month to help coordinate the Welcome Week activities happening all across campus, and I said yes. WHICH MEANS THAT... I'll be moving on to my next adventure on August 31, instead of Sept 30.

Char: ...Now What?

As I slowly start to separate myself and withdraw from the fierce pride that is Penn State and State College, I'm feeling incredibly challenged about where my identity with find it's strength next. If background is necessary, at the end of August, I completed by fixed-term position with Penn State Orientation, and, as planned, moved down with SB and Peanut. A few days after I got here, we jumped on a plane and went to Seattle and SF for a week, WHERE I SAW AL FOR THREE WHOLE HOURS. IT WAS GLORIOUS. GLO.RI.OUS. GLORIOUS. She looks spectacular by the way. SO much happier from the last time I saw her (three years ago?)

Every time I go back to SF, I think about how easy it would be to just drop things here and go back there. To a place where I don't have to pay any attention to social norms, where there are Safeways and Mexican Restaurants and humidity isn't a thing and most of my people. While visiting is wonderful, it always makes me sad. There are, of course, some things that I do, or have become, on the east coast, that would be hard to bring back to California. One of the greatest parts about moving was that when SB and I met people here, they accepted us for however we presented ourselves. It gave us room to grow, and for the first time in two years, we weren't around people who assumed they knew us together better than we knew ourselves. Moving gave us room to grow into our own as a couple. We also, of course, got little Peanut out of it, and I have an amazing State College Family that I miss every single day.

I wonder if thinking of it as a bookended experience is part of what's throwing me off so much. Because really, its not a bookended experience, it's my life. And now my life has moved, and I' still not in California. I go back and forth between asking myself really big, hard, scary questions, and trying to pair down and ask myself what I'm going to do in the next 30 minutes to try to make everything more manageable. I don't know the best way to do it. Maybe this is the best way to do it. Think big, work small.

I feel lost and numb, but at the same time content. There are things that my friends are doing (travelling the world, going out all the time, having babies) and I don't want any of those things yet. I just have to figure out what I do want.

I heard a really interesting TED talk on one of my drives down here in the past few months. It was about parenting. The speaker talked about how silly he thought it was that so many parents just want their children to "be happy" in life. He said, drug addicts can be happy, people breaking the law can be happy with themselves. Is that really what we mean? I've always said, that in life, I just want to be happy. But I'd rather be determined, accomplished, driven, experimental, and lots of other things- that produce many outcomes, one of which may (and should) be joy and happiness. So that's what I'm aiming for. We can't always like everything we're doing all the time. But we can do exciting scary things that result in happiness, so that's what I'm going to try to do for the next few months.

Enough for now.
Char

Al: It All Comes Down To Choices (My Magical Weekend Part 2)

Sometimes it takes returning to the scene of the crime to make writers block go away. This weekend I returned to Drake Bay. Drake Bay and Isla de Cano are probably the most beautiful places I could imagine. As I said before, pictures don’t do them justice.

Everything in life boils down to the choices we make. The choice to be happy, the choice to get up every day, etc. I’ve been thinking about choices recently, how every choices we make dictates how our lives play out. Sometimes we make conscious choices that we know we will feel the effect of for years to come (ie I’m going to buy a one way ticket to Costa Rica). Other times we don’t realize we are making a choice until it is done. But every choice we make has a lasting effect, even if we don’t realize it. What if I hadn’t done x or I had done y? How would my life be different? The choice I made on that Monday morning was stupid. I don’t know whether I was so intoxicated by my surroundings or my mind was simply elsewhere but whatever was going on, I forgot to think clearly. So I guess it is time to pick up where I left off.

The second morning I woke up at 6. The night before had poured rain. Twice I woke up because it was raining so hard; I just laid in the dark listening to the sounds of rain, thunder, waves, and jungle. When I got up I was surprised by how rested I felt. I took my camera out and got some nice pictures of the beach and the rocks. I got some pictures of the ocean and the jungle. As I was coming in, everyone else decided to go take pictures. I went back out…why?!?! Why did I go back out? Why did I make that choice? I already had all of the pictures I wanted.

About two minutes before I ended up in the ocean

I decided to go back out to the rocks, even though the tide was coming in. After taking some of the best pictures I had gotten from the whole trip, I noticed that the tide was coming in really fast. I needed to head in. The ocean was cutting me off from the beach. I decided to try to climb on the edge of the rocks where the waves were hitting the lightest. As a wave went back out into the ocean, I tucked my camera into my shirt so it wouldn’t get wet and made a run for it. The second my foot hit the rocks I knew my balance was off. Before I could get a better grip on the rocks a huge wave smashed into my back throwing me into the rocks in front of me. I tried to get a grip on the rocks with my hands, but they were too slippery. As the wave went out, it took me with it. My first world brain couldn’t wrap itself around the severity of the problem. All I could think was “shit, my camera”. I ripped it off my neck and held it above the water as another wave caught me and pulled me back into the rocks. I finally got close enough to the rocks to hand someone my camera, just in time for the waves to pull me back out into the ocean. At this point my survival instincts finally kicked in. I took a deep breath and then let the water throw me around for a minute. As soon as it calmed down I bolted for the shore. Luckily, I had on long pants and long sleeves, so with the exception of a few scrapes, a bruised ego, and a ruined camera, I was ok.

At the time, I just sucked it up and moved on with my day. I dried out my camera as best I could. I removed the memory card and battery. Nothing worked. When I got home I took it all to a repair shop. The guy looked at it and said there was no fixing anything. Fortunately, I had downloaded everything earlier that week, so I only lost the weekends pictures.

After my ocean incident, we cooked breakfast at the ranger station. Then we loaded ourselves in a boat and traveled to another ranger station. This station is actually at the entrance to Corcovado National Park. It was beautiful and they showed us around. It is slightly bigger than the station on Isla de Cano.

After that we headed home. I had a very interesting afternoon of mixed emotions. I decided that afternoon that I needed to be more focused. I’d been trying to live in the moment every day since I arrived in Costa Rica, but I hadn’t always succeed. So at this point I made a choice to not only appreciate everything, but to be present, aware, and to fully immerse myself in my surroundings.

The next week I spent caring for dogs and booking all of my travels. I went surfing for the first time. I didn't want to be (even more) scared of the ocean, so I decided to get back in as soon as possible. I also went hiking to waterfalls in Matapalo. I've been having so many great adventures on the Osa Peninsula that I decided to stay in Puerto Jimenez for two more weeks. There is something about this place. It has my heart. As I keep telling my friends here, they aren’t done with me yet! I’ll be back!

My return to Drake Bay this past week was my biggest (Mis)Adventure so far. I will be posting more about that in the coming days, but as a little preview: it involves evil monkeys, the worst sunburn I've ever had, and stumbling on a potential dog fighting ring (no joke)!

Until then, 

Love you!

-Al

Al: Magic Must Exist (My Magical Weekend Part 1)

5/24/15

This weekend I traveled to the majestic Isla de Cano. I stepped out of reality and into a world where magic exists. A world where Jack Sparrow roams the seas, where Tinkerbell flies while the lost boys play, and a t-rex roars before stepping out from the fog in the trees; a world so magical I can’t believe it exists outside of novels and movies.

That may be a bit dramatic, but there really is no other way to explain the beauty that is Isla de Cano. I found my heaven on earth. I found the place where I can sit on a rock for an hour without moving. Where wind, water, and jungle truly become one. And it was only two short hours away!

Green Life volunteers offers a variety of volunteer projects all over the Osa Peninsula. They are currently adding a new park ranger project. We were going to check out the project, get some pictures, and figure out how to promote it. On Sunday morning, high off of Friday’s realization that I am in the right place (if this statement is confusing, you clearly haven't read my last post), I packed a small bag with a change of clothes, my camera, sunscreen, and bug spray and headed out.

The drive from Puerto Jimenez to Drake Bay took about an hour. We drove through some amazing small towns. We even drove THROUGH a river. You read that right, we drove not over, but through a river. Drake bay is stunning and I am planning to make it my first stop when I start backpacking, so for now I will skip over that and talk more about it later. At Drake we got into a small boat. The Island is about on hour off shore. It was foggy out and we couldn't even see it. There is something so surreal about being on a boat headed to a place you can’t even see. As we rode, the water began to clear. By the time we were half an hour out the water was so clear and blue that no picture could even do it justice.

You can see the ranger station where we stayed in this picture. 

We arrived at the ranger station around 2 p.m. Isla de Cano is a national park, mostly known for it's clear blue water, excellent snorkeling, and the best diving in Costa Rica. The ranger station is the only building on the island. In fact, the only way to stay the night on the island is to be a ranger or a volunteer. That is part of what made this experience so unique. We were literally getting to participate in something that very few people in this world can and will ever do! It is the kind of once in a lifetime experience that is so hard to describe. It is actually half of why I have been having so much trouble writing this, I want to fully be able to explain every amazing detail.

When we arrived, they showed us to our room. It was one large dorm room with a couple of bunk beds. They showed us the outdoor bathroom; I mean there was a toilet and there were technically walls, but they were mostly made of netting (using the bathroom in the jungle was actually oddly nice. Who knew an outdoor bathroom would be so high on my list of cool things from this trip?) And they showed us the full kitchen. Once we settled in, they showed us the solar panels and the hydroponic water system that they use for all of their water and energy. After that they made us a delicious typical Costa Rican lunch of rice, beans, and meat in a tangy spicy sauce.

After lunch I decided to go sit out on the rocks. I sat there for about an hour, as all five of my senses sprang to life. The smell of trees, plants, and beach blended together and tickled my nose. I could taste the salt from the ocean in the air. The wind whipped around me, pulling my hair in every direction so I had no choice but to tie it in a knot on top of my head. The rocks I was sitting on dug into my hands and legs, not in a painful way, but in a way that made me feel one with nature. I watched the birds fly around in trees so green I couldn’t believe my eyes. I turned the other direction and watched the majestic blue waves flow back and forth into the ocean around me, reaching the rocks and immediately creating an enormous explosion of water. But of all the senses, sound was the one that sent shivers up my spine. The wind roaring around me carrying the sounds of birds, frogs, and other jungle creatures. The occasional howler monkey would call out to their friends, who would respond in ever louder howls. Every few seconds as the waves would crash into the massive rocks, booming so loudly that even the loudest of jungle birds was momentarily silenced. When I closed my eyes, everything seemed perfect, magic, in place. I was able to forget everything going on in the world around me and just be at peace. It was exactly what I needed. And so I sat and I continued sitting, soaking up every sound, finding my bliss. At some point someone got a picture of me just sitting. For that I am very thankful. I will always have that to remember this moment.

Finding My Bliss

 In the afternoon we went on a hike to a lookout point then we went swimming in a gorgeous blue water. While we were swimming, the rangers took the boat outside of the no fishing zone and caught us a huge Red Snapper for dinner. We helped them make ceviche, fried fish, and rice and beans for dinner. I could not believe how fresh the fish was. It had literally been swimming a few hours earlier. Ceviche takes quite a while to makes, but these guys actually taught us some amazing tricks. All three rangers are very good cooks. They have to cook all of their meals and they really work well together, planning and executing their meals.

After dinner, there was a lightning storm. I sat in the upstairs hammock for what must have been hours, watching the lightning and listening to the sounds of the jungle at night. I even recorded about 15 minutes worth of jungle sounds so I could replay them later. At around 9 p.m. it started to rain. I was falling asleep in the hammock and decided to call it a night. I wouldn’t have minded sleeping outside, but I think I would have gotten a too cold in the rain.

The next morning we decided to go take more pictures of the island…I was being stupid and not paying close enough attention and that is when disaster struck…but I will save that for the next post, because I’d like to leave this post on a happy note and I’m not quite ready to go into that day yet…that day is the other reason I have been having trouble writing about my magnificent weekend, and so I have decided to separate the two days…so just be patient and I will fill you in on day two very soon! And so, I will leave you with one last goofy picture (it was a failed attempt at a panoramic picture). 

Until Later,

Love you!

-Al

P.S.- If two weeks to a month in this magic place sounds like something you would be interested in, just let me know. This volunteer program is nothing short of amazing. They are constantly looking for volunteers and I'd love to put anyone interested in touch with the right people. 

~Also, note that the pictures I am posting are not mine. They were all given to me by friends. more about that later~

Al: The Reason I Am Here

5/22/15

Curo when we rescued him

Confession: I have always connected with animals, probably better than I connect with most humans. Animals don’t care that I’m quirky, what I look like, or if my jokes are funny. They don’t judge you or compare you to others, they simply see you as they see anyone else. I am a firm believer that people’s opinions and actions towards animals tell more about their personality than anything else. I’m not saying disliking animal’s makes you a bad person, I just don’t particularly understand people who don’t like animals. Not liking animals, however, is one thing, mistreating them is an absolutely disgusting behavior that should not be tolerated. And that is where my week begins…

This week has been rough. There is a lot going on in my head. Memorial Day weekend I almost always spend with friends, doing something, having fun, catching up. I’m starting to get anxious about coming home and rejoining the real world. My emotions are all over the place. I haven’t been sleeping much. It is hot. I miss home. I miss my friends. Part of me wants to cry every 5 minutes, but I’m pretty sure that is just the exhaustion talking. Earlier in the week I began to questions what the hell I am doing. Why did I think packing up my life, moving to Central America (when I don’t even speak Spanish) and living out of a bag was such a good idea. Maybe, this is a question all people on this type of journey have at some point, maybe I’m just over analyzing everything—I have been known to do that. But earlier this week, I asked for a sign a moment, anything telling me this is where I am supposed to be, that everything will be ok.

On Wedseday we went to Panama for the day. I learned how to cross the border, which turns out to be much easier than I thought it would be. We did some duty free shopping, got out of a very expensive ticket (this was my first experience with Costa Rican policia and it was quite interesting) and had a blast. I have been hoping that keeping busy would make me feel more connected to the area. I have been having fun, don't get me wrong, but I was still feeling slightly disconnected. 

Yesterday we went to visit Conchita (the paralyzed dog we are building the wheelchair for) at her home about 40 minutes outside of town. We had gotten a call about a skinny dog earlier in the week and figured we would check it out, since it was on the way. “Skinny” was just about the understatement of the year. You could see every bone in his body. This poor boy was chained up in the sun, with no access to shade, food or water. He is very light and his nose and tail were both unbelievable sunburnt.

Curo is such a love 

He was so hungry. He ate immediately.

The owner said he was sick and agreed to let us take him to the vet for treatment. As soon as he got in the car, his tail started wagging. When the vet saw him, he said we should absolutely not ever return him to the owner and that this dog was not sick, he was just starving. We put him on vitamins and a fatty diet. We talked to the owner, even offered to buy him off the owner—who finally admitted that he is too poor to feed him—but he wants him back. At this stage we have to file an official report with the “animal police” and they technically have to remove him from the home. We are hoping to have him officially removed while he is still with us before we have to return him (the owner told us to keep him until her is healthy, but then he wants him back). 

We are working on getting him hydrated. He is a little protective of us and a bit scared of men. He is gaining strength by the hour. Last night I was able to take him on about a 10 minute walk.

During his walk, he found a liter of abandoned kittens. They are literally maybe three weeks old with their eyes barely open. There is about an 85% chance they won’t survive. Kittens this tiny are a lot of work. They need their mothers for milk, warmth, and to properly clean them. It is heartbreaking because more often than not, they die. But then it hit me, if they die, it will be sad, but I will know I’ve done everything I can to help them.  I canceled my evening plans, put the kittens in the basket of my bike and took them to be cared for. We took care of them until almost midnight. All three survived through the night. This morning we found a mama cat that we are hoping takes them in. This is their best chance at survival.

Tomorrow I am off for a weekend adventure in Drake’s Bay. We will be staying one night to stay on Isla de Cano. It is a protected national park and no one except the park rangers and volunteers are allowed to stay there. We will be exploring the jungle and the ocean. I will be completely out in the wilderness with my friends. No cell phone, no computer, just us, the beach, and the jungle. I can’t wait.

Last night, as I rode my bike home, barely able to see and exhausted, I realized that my questions had been answered. The people I have met here are great. They are warm, friendly, and supportive. The opportunities and adventures I am getting the chance to have are mind blowing! When I thought about it, I couldn’t imagine being in any other place in the world at this point. I’m here to help these animals. I’m here to find them homes, I’m here to feed them bottles, pet them when they are scared and make sure they are loved. I am here to relish in the beauty of the jungle and the ocean. I am here to grow and learn and challenge myself. I am where I am supposed to be, doing exactly what I am supposed to be doing.

I’m sure over the next few days I will have a few more sleepless nights, followed by plenty of updates about Drake’s Bay, the doggie and the kitties.

Until then,

Love you!

-Al

Al: I'm Coming Home (Not Yet, But I Did Pick a Date)

5/12/15

Picture I took on our last trip in La Fortuna

My MisAdventure, journey, escape, self-discovery, whatever we are calling this, has an end date. And it’s sooner than I thought. Coming into this trip I had a feeling that something would happen at some moment that would make me decide it was the right time to go home. And guess what? It just did.

I had a decision to make. It was time for me to figure out what matters most in my life. And I decided monumental moments in the lives of my family and friends are not to be missed. I love traveling and I don’t ever plan to stop.  But in this case, it is more important for me to go home. I used the same rash decision making skills that brought me on this crazy adventure to pick a return date. 

And so, sometime during the second week of July, I will board a plane in Panama City with a one way ticket home. A few days later, I will be in Sacramento for my mom’s retirement party.

I can't miss her special day!!

My mom is finally retiring after 20 years working in the same office. She has worked her ass off for  many years to support me. Because of her, I have been able to do things like go to college and follow my passion for adventures. I was really having trouble with the idea of missing her retirement party. How could I not support the one person who has supported me my entire life? But I thought it would be alright because we were meeting in Panama the week after her retirement to celebrate. Last week she stared questioning whether she really wanted to meet me in Panama. The more we have talked about it, the more I realized what she wasn’t saying; she wants me home for her retirement party.

When I was considering what to do, I thought back over the past few years. There were times when work commitments got in the way and I missed significant family moments. Three years later, there is one I still regret it more than any other. I know I can’t make up for it and I don’t even know that the person realizes how guilty I feel for not making it, but after that, I swore to myself I would not let life get in the way of once in a lifetime events. I won’t do it again. Life is journey of self-discovery, I don’t have to be in Central America for my journey to continue.

The minute I made this decision I started crying. It was like all of the emotions I have suppressed since my arrival in Costa Rica flooded into me at once; fear, excitement, joy, sadness, anxiety at returning to my former life, and more. I’ve been sitting here in tears for almost 5 minutes and I don’t know if they are happy tears or sad tears. But as much as I want to run away to Central America and live in paradise forever, I can’t, at least not for now.

Frankly though, the more I think about it my whole life is a series of misadventures strung together with laughter and love and shared through a series hilarious and ridiculous stories. Sometimes when I recount these stories I can’t even believe they are mine, my MisAdventures. This trip just is just one chapter in my Grand MisAdventure.  When I go home, the adventures won’t stop, it will just be the start of a new chapter.

My trip is nowhere near over though. As a matter of fact, I’m only 1/3 of the way through it; I have a lot of time left to explore Central America. I still have two months to complete my Costa Rica and Panama bucket lists. So with that, let the MisAdventure continue!

Until Later...

Love you!

-Al

Al: What My First 30 Days in Paradise Has Taught Me

5/4/15

I have been in Costa Rica for 30 days! One month ago today I hoped on board a plane and changed my life forever. This past month, I have surprised myself in more ways than I thought. I have overcome some misadventures and am really starting to feel at home here in Puerto Jimenez.

We even fixed my little buddy
 (who I decided to name Buddy)

This morning I participated in a mini-castration clinic. By noon, I had assisted in 10 surgeries. Not only do the surgeries no longer bother me, I actually find them quite interesting. We have another clinic with around 20 dogs this weekend. I can’t wait to learn more!

This afternoon I got an incredible opportunity. A friend of mine was leading a zip line tour through the forest and invited me to join. This was very different than the zip line I had done before. That zip line had been over the canopy and focused on distance and speed (I’m not complaining, it was a blast). This tour was more of an educational experience. This zip line has 10 platforms, but they are shorter than the other ones. The lines go throughout the different layers of the forest. While zip lining we were able to stop and look around. 

My friend taught us about the different layers of the forest and how they work together to create the magical ecosystem that we call the jungle. In one layer toucans were so close we could almost ouch them. On another layer, a green viper snake (I don’t remember the name, but I do remember that I was deadly poisonous) had made a hole in the tree into a home. It was sleeping so we could get up really close. I wish I had brought my camera with me. My friend is incredibly knowledgeable and was more than willing to share his knowledge with me. It was such a great learning experience. I can’t wait to go on more tours with him!

However, I have decided to keep today's blog post relatively short, but I do want to make a list of the top 10 things I have learned since coming to Costa Rica:

10. Coconut water can fix ANYTHING, from a hangover to an internal infection, the pharmacy has told me to drink coconut water for everything. It’s a crazy miracle cure.

9. Cold showers are not that bad.

8. Spanish is harder to learn than I thought it would be, but I’m working on it.

7. There is always more to learn. Every single day here I learn something; whether it's animals and vet techniques, the jungle, a new recipe, a new yoga pose (because I actually do yoga now, I’ve made it through 2 whole classes and am excited to learn more!), some hip-shaking dance steps, or a new phrase in Spanish, my brain is constantly absorbing information and I love it.

6. I don’t need nearly as much stuff as I’ve always thought I needed. I know I recently downsized, but I’m thinking I might need to downsize again.

5. I love animals. I always knew I liked animals, but I really love animals. Being around them all day is such a soothing experience.

4. I’m pretty good at sticking to a tight budget.

3. I love planning travels. I am just starting to plan my month of backpacking and I am having so much fun figuring out all of my options.

2. The more obstacles that pop up in my way, the more determined I become to achieve my goals.

AND MOST IMPORTANTLY…

Sunset in Puerto Jimenez

1. I have a great life. I had a great life before this journey and it has only continued to get better. The support I have received from my family and friends has been phenomenal. I am making sure to really appreciate every single day and I’m finally understanding how blessed I truly am! 

 I’ll write more later, but I figured I’d just keep this one month post short and sweet.

Until next time…

Love you!

-Al

Al: The Past Two Weeks (Written 4/28/15)

4/28/15

The last two weeks have been so busy that I just haven’t had time to write. I have a little time today, so I figured it was time for more updates.

Working with the animals has been a phenomenal experience. The German gal, Valentina, that had been working with the animals before I got here decided to come back for a week, which has been great because she has been able to show me the ropes. My first weekend we had a castration clinic. In eight hours we fixed 35 animals! I was surprisingly unfazed by the surgeries. I thought I would be bothered more.

On Monday we got an abandoned dog. We named him Baxter. He’s about a year old. His personality is actually quite similar to Maddy’s, which makes it easier for me to work with him. I understand his aggression and how to work with it. On Tuesday we got him fixed, the vet we use likes us to help with the procedures. Although I had been fine during the weekend clinic, this experience was quite different and I actually had to sit down for a bit.

Kitty's Favorite Spot

While at the vet, we found out they had a tiny kitten who was waiting to be taken to his home the following weekend. We decided to take him back to the volunteer house and care for him there. He was so tiny and scared. He insisted on climbing onto my back and sitting on my neck and shoulders. He was a sweetheart.

In the morning, we would get up, care for Baxter and the kitty. Then we’d go to the beach. After that we’d have lunch, come back to the volunteer house, walk Baxter again, and then let him and the kitty run around for an hour or so. There is a herd of monkeys that hang out around the “office” so we usually would watch them at this time. Then we’d go have an adventure and come back in the evening to walk Baxter again. Then we would feed them dinner. Some nights we would walk Baxter again around 8, but for the most part he was pretty worn out by then.

Over the past two weeks, we have also gone on quite a few adventures. I ride a bike now, which I haven’t done since 2007s bike disaster. Backstory—I had a bike for a week in college…it didn’t go well, after running into a third person in 3 days, I decided bike riding wasn’t my thing. Surprisingly, I’m really enjoying having a bike as a mode of transportation. It only took like 4 days for me to remember how to ride one.

On my first day with a bike we went on a 4 km bike ride. We were supposed to be going to Playa Preciosa. We took a wrong turn and may or may not have ended up at a private beach, no one kicked us off, but we did have to walk through a fence to get there and there were no people or structures to be seen in either direction.  It was gorgeous. The water was a little bigger than I would have liked, but it felt great. I did get caught in a bit of a riptide coming back in. I turned into jelly, got knocked around a bit, got a head full of sand (it took me 3 days to get all of the sand out of my hair), and then I was able to swim out. Definitely need to remember to be more careful.

Two days later we went on a kayak tour. Valentina’s friend is a kayak guide, so he took us out. We spent the first hour kayaking in the ocean. It was much different than what I’m used to, much choppier than mangroves, rivers, and lakes. My anxiety was also through the roof. I’m slowly adjusting to the idea of being out on open water, but it’s a slow process. Then we swam for a half hour. After that, we moved the kayaks into the mangroves and kayaked through them.  At the end of the tour we kayaked back out to the ocean right as the sun was coming down. It was stunning. We didn’t see any crocodiles (thank God!) but afterwards, our guide took us to another part of the mangroves where the crocodiles hang out. There was a family. One GIANT male, two females, a smaller male, and two babies. I stayed pretty far back, but everyone else was able to get surprisingly close.

Another day we went swimming at the beach closer to town. I got my first jelly fish sting. Luckily for me, it was from a loose tentacle, so it wasn’t too bad. My leg got pretty swollen, but it was to be expected given my physical reaction to stings, bites, etc. I took an antihistamine and I was fine.

Taking a Break from Dancing

Last weekend we did a fundraising thing at a hotel. After that Valentina and I went out with a friend of hers who likes to dance. We learned to Bachata, Merengue, Salsa, and a few other dances. I’m so uncoordinated, I’m pretty sure I just stumbled around and attempted to move my hips and count and not trip on my dress. It’s a little different here though. Men get very touchy (rightfully so, the dances are very sensual), but it’s a little overwhelming for me as I have not yet learned to tell them not to touch me. There are a few very raunchy dances (similar to what we have back home) that made me beyond uncomfortable. But as my language skills and dance skills improve, I think I will really enjoy dancing.

Saturday morning, a friend took us out on his boat. Valentina had never seen a dolphin and he wanted to find one for her. Unfortunately, we didn’t see any. We did see flying fish. I even got in the water and swam on a board behind the boat. I had a mask on so I could see under water. The water was murky so I didn’t see much though. It’s so striking here, just being in the boat looking as the water, the jungle, and the sky come together is an intoxicating feeling. On Saturday night, there was a party and I was actually invited. It was fun. I met a bunch more people. I learned how to make fresh Pina Coladas. I ate FRESH sashimi (like it was alive less than 24 hours before). After that, we went out and did some more dancing. I got pretty tired and decided to call it a night around 1 a.m.

Sunday we went out on the boat again, this time with a mission: find Valentina Dolphins. Valentina and I got there early and hung out on the boat in the harbor. We decided to see if we could do random yoga poses on the edge of the boat. It was quite fun. Cielo, the three legged dog joined us, and we were off. I actually think I’m slowly building some color (didn’t even know that was possible), because I’m able to stay in the sun for longer periods of time than I ever thought I could.

After about 2 hours, we went to a reef. We snorkeled around and yet again, I didn’t even panic, sort of. We even saw fishies swimming around. We saw lots of Dori fish. On our trip back to Puerto Jimenez, we suddenly spotted Dolphins! We saw a bunch of bottlenose dolphins. They swam all around our boat. I forgot how huge they are. Unfortunately my camera died after two pictures. But hopefully I’m able to see more in the next six weeks. I tried water skiing, but ended up inhaling a bunch of ocean water…much more stressful than inhaling fresh water…and had to get back in the boat.

Weekend Boat Adventures

The next few days were mostly spent caring for animals. Sunday night we got a puppy that we had to take to the vet. He had a liquid pouch that had developed in his hip. He also happened to only use 3 legs. We took him to the vet on Monday. He drained the liquid pocket. Turns out he has owners. 

When we took him home they were very grateful. They also started telling us that they want another dog. We suggested Baxter. We brought him over there and they love him. They are taking him. They are very sweet people and really love their dogs. We are taking him to his new forever home on Monday. Although we still have a lot of dogs that need homes, this feel like a great success!

Valentina left this morning, so I’m on my own taking care of the animals right now. So far it’s gone well, but I know how important it is at this point for me to work on my Spanish skills. I had kind of become reliant on her to help me communicate. But now it’s time for me to learn.

The bugs have still not let up. I am covered in bug bites. My poor legs look like I’ve contracted some form of virus or something. Even today, I got out of the shower and coated myself in my usual layer of bug spray. Then I put on pants (because it is raining and actually cool enough to wear pants for once). I sat down and put my feet up for one minute and I now have 3 bug bites on the bottom of my feet. On a positive note, since none of the bug sprays I was using seemed to be working, I talked to some friends and they told me they use a mixture of coconut oil, citronella, and water. I just made it and we’ll see if that helps!

That is all of the updates for now. Until next time…

Love you!

-Al

Al: Thanks for the Ripples Paul & Costa Rican Dogs

4/13/14

“Ripples #829: ‘Life is a gift, and it offers us the opportunity and responsibility to give something back by becoming something more.’ –Tony Robbins”

Today Paul Wesselmann and his Ripples did it again! I’m pretty sure Paul has some weird direct connection into my brain as 95% of the time his Ripples seem to relate directly to my life! Thanks Paul. Keep ‘em coming!

I officially start work at the shelter tomorrow. This first week I will mostly be working with the financials and getting the books in order and into a spreadsheet. This is something I have done for years (personally and professionally) so I should have no problem getting everything done fairly quickly. I am very excited to have found this time to be able to give back. Volunteering (in any aspect) has always made me feel like a more complete person.

my new office

My attitude towards Costa Rican dogs has changed so much since my initial arrival. On my first trip to Costa Rica, I believed dogs were indifferent. They seemed to roam around freely and answer to no one. They appeared to do what they wanted and didn’t really seem to have owners.

On the reverse side, on one of my first days here I took a video of myself talking about how said it was that I thought most of the dogs were homeless because they were roaming around. I thought people ignoring them was a sign of people’s disinterest in dogs and pets. I was (unfairly) judging people for what I perceived as poor treatment of animals.

But I have come to learn that is far from the truth. My first night out I met a 3 legged dog. He was sweet, but not overly friendly. The next time I met him, he was with his owner. He almost seemed like a different dog. His owner spoiled him with fresh meat and he followed him everywhere. He was friendly, wagged his tail and rolled over onto my feet. I was surprised to learn that dogs here mostly have owners. They are well fed. Yes, most of them roam around town, but at the same time, most of them are rarely more than a few feet from their owners. They are independent but attached. It’s a very interesting dynamic to watch. These dogs clearly love their owners and they gain strength and confidence from being around them. The owners clearly love their dogs and take them pretty much everywhere.

I have even made a dog friend in town. I have no idea who his owner is, but he has found me multiple times. The first two times he showed up to two different bars on two different nights. He also found me twice today. The first time I was walking, he came up to me to say hi and then went on his way. Right now he is sitting on my feet while I type and eat my lunch. 

I am excited to be working with the animals here in town. I miss my puppy so much (it doesn’t help that she’s sick and I can’t do anything about it). I’m hoping helping less fortunate animals get medical care and find homes will help with my puppy-sickness. I look forward to the challenges that volunteering will bring.

Until next time,

Love you!

-Al

Al: Starting to Feel At Home

4/12/15

Thousands of years of breeding and evolution has created a human (me) whose body should never be able to survive in Central America. If it was 1859 Charles Darwin would be shaking his head at the silly American girl who thought she could survive in Central America. When I mentioned my “hives” to my mom she reminded me that part of the reason I hate summer so much is because since I was a kid I’ve gotten terrible heat rashes. Not only have they persisted, but they have spread.

Besides the heat rashes (that now cover about 30% of my body) my hair has turned into a fluffy mess, it’s a good day when I can get a brush through it. My milky white skin seems to turn tomato red after just a few minutes in the sun. My blood seems to be a rare treat that local bugs (not just mosquitoes) are lining up to taste. My light eyes can barely stay open in the bright sun. I have chosen to move to a climate that was not made for light skinned, light eyed, mosquito delicacies. Clearly I didn’t pay enough attention to the whole “survival of the fittest” part of Evolution in high school.

Lucky for me I live in 2015 where the magic of science has created things to help silly American’s like me be able to live our traveling dreams.  I am constantly covered in—and reapplying—sunscreen. The anti-itch medicine has made the bites bearable and has even helped with the rashes. Unfortunately, I discovered TSA confiscated my Benadryl (really?), but I was able to buy more here. Bug Spray is my new best friend. I carry it with me everywhere (I have 2 regular size and 2 travel size bug sprays). Thanks to my amazing sunglasses, I can see and enjoy the views around me.

The farmacia has become one my favorite places in town. If you are traveling (especially in Costa Rica, but everywhere else too) try to make sure you know where a local pharmacy or doctor is. In Costa Rica, the farmacias have trained staff that can do things that in the US only doctors can do (like prescribe medicine). Here, the idea is that going to a farmacia is usually as effective as going to a doctor. It’s quite convenient and has really enhanced my trip. There happens to be one two doors down from my new apartment, which makes it even more convenient.

Speaking of my new apartment, my life here is coming together quite nicely. This weekend I got a cheap hotel room in town so I wouldn’t be trapped all the way out in Aguas (this is the town I was technically living in, I don’t think it would even show up on a map). I splurged for the extra $4 a night so I could get AC. It was the first time in 8 days I had AC and it was completely worth the money. When I checked in, they seemed confused that it was just me. I didn’t realize why until they showed me the room. There 3 beds! 3 BEDS!! From no bed to 3 beds in one day.

my room with three beds

I had gotten very little sleep leading up to my trip, even less while traveling, and I hadn’t really slept since I’d gotten to town. The first afternoon I checked in, I passed out and didn’t wake up until 9 the next morning. It was exactly what I needed. That afternoon I went and got a SIM card for my phone and activated it. I guess it’s now official, I live here.

I had a very low key day. I decided to be a tourist in the morning so I took my camera around town to take pictures. I got some good ones that I'll have to post eventually. It has started raining most afternoons here. I decided to relax at a restaurant with ceviche and a beer and watch the rain. It’s a beautiful way to spend an afternoon. Later in the evening my new roommate invited me over. She made homemade sushi (it was amazing) and then we went out. I met quite a few great people. There is an interesting international community here. Everyone comes with their own history, their own experiences, and their own baggage. I loved hearing people’s stories and learning about the journeys that brought them here.

          Mixed Ceviche (shrimp & fish)                                    a few minutes before the rain started

This morning (Sunday) I moved into my new home. I will have a bed in the next few days, but at least I have a mattress now. The upstairs is air-conditioned. The apartment is nicer than anything I lived in during my years in SLO/ Paso. It is right downtown, so I can walk to and from anywhere. It is gated and locked at all times, which is probably not necessary, but makes me feel incredibly safe. I’m about a block from the main market and two blocks from the fruit market. My roommate has already shown me a couple local sodas which are less expensive than the ones on the main road and tend to cater to the local residents as opposed to tourists.

I may still look like I don’t belong here (my yoga pants, Osprey backpack, and pink laptop are probably a dead giveaway) but people have stopped treating me like a tourist. The local taxi drivers that sit on a corner and ask every touristy looking person if they need a ride haven’t asked me in a few days. The owners of a few local stores have started to talk to me and introduce themselves. Although my Spanish is still lacking, I am starting to find the words to be able to communicate. I feel like I have begun to my place here.

On Saturday night one of my new friends told me “This place changes everyone, there is just something special about it. Every single person that comes here, even if only for a few months, changes forever. I can’t wait to see what it does to you.” Well, me neither!

Until next time,

Love you!

-Al