Thanksgiving

Hope you all had a great Thanksgiving!  Ours was a little different this year because for the first time ever, Mom & Dad were hosting!  It was fun to have everyone at the house and to actually be at home, and with a little rearranging of the furniture, we had plenty of space for all 30ish people to sit and enjoy the delicious food.  This year I was in charge of carrots, punch, salad and the all important place cards, which I spent many hours practicing and perfecting :)  The food everyone brought was perfect, and we spent all afternoon and evening drinking wine, catching up, and introducing everyone to my favorite Costa Rica travel buddy :)  All in all, I think it was a great day.  Mom - hope you're ready to host again next year!

 herman and brother in deep conversation

 new best friends

 selfies to send to our other costa rica travel buddies

xoxo,
stephanie marie

Costa Rica {Meeting the Locals & Saying Goodbye}

Monday morning, after lounging by the pool {and actually going in this time because I could practically feel my skin burning off me} we finally got to meet up with Julie!  Julie is a friend of Rosanne's who works with my mom, and since it was our last full day in Costa Rica {and her day off} she took us out of Tamarindo to see where the locals hang.  We started off at Playa Conchal, a much quieter but insanely beautiful beach a bit north of town that is comprised of not sand but small fragments of shells all over the beach.  We tried snorkeling but the water wasn't clear enough, so instead we just laid by the water and took turns jumping in to cool off.  Next, we took Julie's truck off-roading to a few more nearby and completely secluded beaches, literally driving on the sand to get to each one.  I couldn't believe no one was there!  On our way back to town, we found this completely abandoned and rusted old tower and Julie had the great idea to climb it.  We did even though we shouldn't have {seriously, this thing had rusted out holes in the stairs and ivy overtaking it} but after climbing about 4 stories up {and trying not to look down} we were rewarded with the most insane views of the jungle and ocean beyond.  Ok, so I probably wouldn't do it again {even Julie was freaking out about how to get down} but the view was totally worth it :)  On the way back to town, we stopped off at Witch's Rock {where Julie works} to grab a few beers, then headed up the hill in town where we made it just in time for sunset overlooking all of Tamarindo and beyond.  Though the sunsets at Cala Luna on the beach are not to miss, this view from above rivaled those - it was truly breathtaking.  We took in the peacefulness of the place while drinking our beers and snapping pics until we couldn't take the mosquitoes any longer.  After Julie dropped us off back at Cala Luna, we got ready then headed out to dinner at Dragonfly, which was delicious but practically deserted {perks of travelling in the off season}.  We had a delicious dinner before heading to a bar in town to watch the Hawks take on the Bills in Monday Night Football.  Even in Costa Rica, I gotta watch my Hawks :)  Tuesday morning we headed into town to buy some last minute souvenirs and for one last meal at The Green Papaya {those shrimp tacos, man} before heading back to Liberia for our long flights home.  Words can't truly express how much this trip meant to me, and how sad I was that I had to leave.  I know I'll be back to Costa Rica - it really truly stole my heart - and I am so lucky that I got to experience it with the best group of people who I know will be in my life forever.  I am so, so grateful for this life-changing experience and already am making plans for what's next :)

 playa conchal

 with julie

 see?  this tower was frightening

 but had amazing views

sunsets in the back of a pickup truck are the best

 drinks at dragonfly

 go hawks!

 breakfast kitty

And a huge thanks to this guy for being the best travel buddy I could've asked for - he definitely made the trip extra special and beyond what I ever could've imagined

xoxo,
stephanie marie

Costa Rica {Poolside at Cala Luna}

Sunday morning in Costa Rica we woke up so happy that we didn't have to go home that day {an extended vacation is the best vacation}.  Since we'd been discovering the town and surrounding beaches everyday, we decided Sunday to just lounge by the gorgeous Cala Luna pool all morning and afternoon, reading books and sipping some beautiful fruity drinks {while staying in the shade cuz that sunshine was HOT}.  After hours at the pool, we took a little walk along the rocky beach in front of the hotel, where we ran into some monkeys in the trees and some horses on the beach.  After taking in what would be our last sunset at Cala Luna, we headed into town to the Green Papaya, a place I had read about that had the most insanely delicious tacos and swings for seats outside.  They also had a resident cat named Max {what is it with the cute cats in Tamarindo??} who I loved almost as much as our hotel Gatito.  After dinner we weren't ready to head back to the hotel just yet, so we stopped by La Oveja Negra, a surf hostel in town, to play pool and drink local beers.  Hanging at this chill spot where everyone had just spent the day surfing and lounging felt so relaxing and vacation-like that I never wanted to leave.  It was becoming a theme :)

 monkeys at the hotel

 gatito came back and curled up for a nap in our room - we didn't mind

 

 swings at the green papaya

 the most delicious shrimp tacos

xoxo,
stephanie marie