Friday, August 24, 2012

Travel Blogger Relay: Top Three Travel Moments


My old co-worker, and dear friend, Amy sent me a note the other night with a proposition; to join her travel blogger relay team (team Green) and blog about my top three travel moments. Without hesitation and maybe too much excitement, I clearly obliged.

And then I thought – wait, only top three moments, ahh but there have been so many! This was going to be harder than I imagined.

After much thought and deliberation, I will join the likes of Amy from Amy Atmosphere, Lauren of Lateral Movements and team captains Erica and Shaun from Over Yonderlust, and provide you all with my top three travel moments.

#1: Making a difference in the youth of Playa Samara, Costa Rica
I was recently in Costa Rica to assist with La Asociación CREAR, a non-profit that provides supplemental educational and recreational opportunities to the children of Playa Samara and El Torito. Working with the kids of CREAR was the most inspiring, uplifting and gratifying experiences I have ever been a part of. To be honest, I never imagined myself working with kids, let alone enjoying it so greatly and feeling as if it changed my whole self-being. Working with children has also enabled me to believe that we can create a better world, and that starts with educating, loving, and inspiring our youth.






#2: Never talk politics, except in a local coffee shop in Bangkok
It was about a week before my flight to Thailand in May of 2010, and The New York Times published a photo on their front page of burning buildings yielded from political uprisings in Bangkok, Thailand. Oh man, did the phone calls come pouring in! “You are cancelling your trip, right? It isn’t safe, you know that right?” After the U.S. Embassy requested we cancel our hotel (which was right next to the mall that was burning in the photo in the Times). In any other circumstance we would have cancelled, however, we were only spending a couple days in Bangkok before going to the Khao Sok National Park and then down to the islands. So we stayed in a small hotel by the airport and only went into the city to do touristy activities, and stayed away from the areas where the riots were held. 

Long story short, during one of the days we wound up in a coffee shop off of the notorious Khao San Road for a nice break. During our coffee break we spoke with the owner (whom spent a bit of time studying in Seattle and then came home to open this café), about the political upset. He went into great depths of the corruption with the Red and Yellow shirts, explained their positions, and also spoke of his fears. The more and more information he divulged, I realized how similar our countries are at the core. His views of each “shirt” were the exact views many have of either the Democratic or Republican parties.

Even through hardship and upset, I was able to realize this man and his country’s political struggles minimally differ from our country; we embodied the same ideals.

Through all my travels, it was this man that opened my eyes to the similar struggles every human has regardless of country, culture, race, or religion. We are all humans at the core, and at that core, differ only slightly.






#3: Friends Forever, I mean it
Now this travel moment has happened several times, but two instances in particular stick out to me. This moment, I’d like to label, “the moment when you realize the people you’ve met will not just be a travel companion or passerby, they will forever by a significant part of your life.” This occurred in Australia and in Costa Rica. I guess this may be cheating since it is really two moments in one, but the people I met while traveling to Byron Bay in Australia and in Playa Samara, Costa Rica, will forever be a part of my life. So much so, that as I type this I’m getting ready in New York to attend one of my very best Costa Rican friends’ birthday party. And I’m also in the midst of booking my flights to meet the Australian crew in Mexico in November. 

These people have had such a profound impact on my life that they will remain my dearest, and at times nearest, friends I could ever ask for.   







And now, without hesitation, I will pass the baton for the next step in the relay to my amazing friend, and travel companion in Australia, to Abby of Stars on the Ceiling

Thursday, May 17, 2012

Ultimate Adventure with Mis Padres

Other than Canada and Mexico, my parents have never left the country. When I tell people this fact or that they don’t have any stamps in their passports, most are dumbfounded. Needless to say, when my parents finally booked a flight to come visit me in Costa Rica, I was ecstatic!! I couldn’t wait to show them how I live and adapt to other cultures, as well as be a part of a life-changing experience for them. I may have been too excited because I packed our trip with tons of activities and non-stop adventures.

My favorite part of the trip was after every adventurous endeavor, my mom would say, “I can’t believe I just did that – I would have never thought I would do that!!” This made me so happy to hear! What a great feeling it was to see my parents push their limits and culturally expand themselves.

The trip also reiterated what I strong relationship I have with my parents, which I am so grateful for. Not everyone can say their parents are their best friends, and it is even more rare to be able to spend twenty-four hours a day for seven days with them and still crave more time. Lots of people think I’m extremely blessed because of the amount of traveling and world experience I’ve been able to do at such a young age. However, I believe I am blessed to have such amazing parents that are fully supportive of everything I do in life, regardless if they agree with it or not.

So what did we do on our trip? Well I’ll break it down for you…


Day 1: Drive from Liberia to Samara in a complete Monsoon!

Photobucket mom insisted on taking a picture of me the minute I met up with them at the airport!

Photobucket sunset walk on the beach

Day 2: My parents came to the CREAR program with me and got to experience the reason why I came to Costa Rica in the first place. Then beach the rest of the day.

Photobucket nice shot mom! me and Andrea working with some of the kids at program

Photobucket daddy and I at the beach

Photobucket beautiful Playa Samara - my home

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Photobucket dinner, dad got a bit of color!

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Photobucket mom


Day 3: Fishing day!

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dad and I on the boat

Photobucket mom and dad

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reeling 'em in!

Photobucket dad and Eduardo fishing

Photobucket mom being sea-sick

Photobucket small little Snapper!

Photobucket rainbow

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love

Photobucket it's a big guy!!


dolphins - i love them!!!


Day 4: Howling Monkey Adventures in Nosara – took the Tomcars through empty river bends, down cliffs, through actual rivers, on beaches and up mountains.


Photobucket bringing back memories of the Marist trip and starting the day off at the Beached Dog Cafe!

Photobucket dad getting the tutorial of the Tomcars for our Howling Monkey Adventure

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dad ready to ride


riding through rivers and such

Photobucket the family in front of the Tomcar


taking mom for a ride (disclaimer: please excuse my "rawwring" like a five year old boy playing with his power rangers)

Photobucket holding on for dear life

Photobucket mom and I

Photobucket Playa Juanillo, a nice little stop on our adventure

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Photobucket the family - there was a little water in the camera, sorry!

Photobucket excuse me torros!

Photobucket insane view from the top of the mountains in Nosara

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Photobucket sunset at Playa Guiones

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Photobucket the beach was packed

Photobucket ended the day with an amazing meal at Dolce Vita


Day 5: Left for La Fortuna and Arenal to see the Hot Springs and Arenal Volcano.

Photobucket found a frog in La Fortuna

Photobucket hot springs at night

Photobucket dad and I at the resort

Photobucket dad being so silly

Photobucket view from our room at the Tabacon Grand Spa

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Photobucket coffee growing on the grounds of the resort

Photobucket pool at our resort - all fed with water from the hot springs

Photobucket view at the Spa area of the resort with the many natural hot springs

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Photobucket the natural hot springs

Photobucket cold-water pool which was much needed after lots of time in the steaming springs

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Photobucket it was a fantasy land for me - so natural and beautiful

Photobucket mom ready to get her hot spring on

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Photobucket gorgeous photo of my beautiful mother

Photobucket trying to use the pressure and natural minerals to massage my back and shoulders, it felt so good

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Photobucket Shang-ri La Terraces

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playing in the waterfalls of the hot springs

Photobucket I could lay on the rock forever

Photobucket or I could lay here forever, either or

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Photobucket shot of the main pool from the top of the slide


going down the slide

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Photobucket poolside for the rest of the day, maxin and relaxin

Photobucket haha love this one - dad impatiently waiting for more popcorn


Day 6: Went ATV’ing throughout La Fortuna and Arenal, visited the hot springs.

Photobucket woke up to this view outside our room, gotta love it


volcano was smoking a bit!!!

Photobucket let's go ATV'ing

Photobucket hanging by the rio

Photobucket gorgeous view of La Fortuna

Photobucket volcanoes and such

Photobucket gorgeous view of my parents and I

Photobucket our guide and his best friend

Photobucket beautiful parrot

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La Fortuna waterfall - this is an inactive volcano too

Photobucket family with waterfall in the background

Photobucket swimming hole and Tarzan rope-swing

Photobucket gotta get a family shot!

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off to the magical world of Alice in Wonderland

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walking around the grounds of a fully self-sustained restaurant and Inn

Photobucket still love that pineapples grow from the ground - a fact I learned last year in Bali

Photobucket love the lush greenery


Day 7: Drive from La Fortuna to Liberia to catch flight home!

Photobucket the beautiful city of La Fortuna

Photobucket the amazing couple eating breakfast

Photobucket went on a nice bike ride to Arenal Lake!

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Photobucket it is a huge, man-made lake - crazy, huh?

Photobucket view of the volcano from the lake

Photobucket this was my view the entire bike ride

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being silly :)


Seven days is too little time!!