I’ve never been that person who goes all out for their birthday every year. It’s always been “just another day”. But something felt different about turning 40. For some reason, this felt like a milestone I needed to celebrate, and I was excited about entering this next decade. Growing older isn’t something that scares me, or that I’m trying to slow down halt or even reverse. It is my true belief that getting older is a privilege that too many are robbed of, so I have chosen to embrace aging as gracefully as possible. Since high school, I have made doing things that bring me joy and sets my heart on fire a priority, even if that meant doing them alone. Because of this, I have experienced an incredible life so far. That isn’t to say that there haven’t been rough times, or that the journey has always been smooth sailing and perfect. That would be a lie. I do believe, however, that this choice has brought me to a place where I can step into each day, fully present, and without the longing from somewhere deep within that wishes things were different.

Traveling has been a passion of mine since the 6th grade. Outside of following the path I believe God has set before me, getting to experience the world has been the strongest driving force behind my choices that have brought me to where I am today. As many of you experienced, traveling, especially international travel, came to an abrupt halt in 2020. For me, exploring places outside of the US halted before the whole world got flipped on its head, but that is a story for another day. I decided that a birthday trip with my girlfriends was the perfect time to jump back into collecting stamps on my passport! Costa Rica is tropical, full of adventure opportunities, and budget friendly. Plus, it has been a destination pretty high on my list since I started surfing back in high school, so it seemed like the perfect location to meet my girls and celebrate entering my 40s!

Even though I typically plan all of my trips myself, and personally book all the necessary accommodations, transfers, and activities, I decided to enlist the help of a travel agent friend. Linda had taken care of several different trips for me in the beginning of my traveling journey, so I reached out to her for assistance in all things Costa Rica. I wanted to be as hands free for my birthday as possible, so instead of looking for an AirBnB and having to think about making meal decisions, shopping for food, and cooking while on vacation, I chose to stay at an all inclusive resort where someone else would be in charge of cooking my meals and bringing me my cocktails and dessert. Poolside preferably! Plus, with coordinating three different people, flying out of two different cities, having a travel agent made everything stress free. At this time, Linda does not have a website that I can link in this post, but I highly recommend her services. If you are looking for a travel agent to assist with any upcoming trips, send me a message and I will share her contact info with you directly.

I was beyond thrilled when Jessica and Christine were able to join me on the Pacific Coast for my birthday trip. I met Jessica back in 2015 and instantly knew she was going to become one of my dearest friends. Christine came into my life in the fall of 2019, and it has been an adventure since. I couldn’t wait to completely immerse into that pura vida lifestyle with these two incredible women that God has brought into my life, making it all the richer.

We stayed at the Riu Palace all inclusive resort in Guanacaste. There are two hotels (one is adults only), four swimming pools (2 with swim up bars), seven restaurants, a spa and fitness center, a waterpark, a disco for dancing, and several boutiques for shopping all on this waterfront property. When we arrived, we checked in, dropped off our bags, then immediately took off to the water. This was my first time to see the Pacific, and I wanted to stick my feet in the water as soon as possible. As we made our way back towards the hotel, we walked through a mini market set up by locals selling their goods to visitors. It was here that we met Nelson with Brother’s Adventure Tours. We learned about the tours and activities his company offered, and after reading reviews on TripAdvisor, we decided to book him as our personal guide for a full day of adventuring. Even though excursions could be booked through the hotel, finding local guides is a fantastic way to ensure that the majority of the money you are spending while on vacation goes directly into the hands of the locals and the local economy. From the short amount of time we spent with Nelson when we first met on the beach, we knew we were in for a fun time. What we didn’t realize in that moment was that not only would he give us an experience we would never forget, but we would leave Costa Rica having made a new friend for life that would feel more like family. If you are planning a trip to Guanacaste, Costa Rica, I cannot recommend Booking an adventure with Brothers enough!

We had three full days in Costa Rica. Our first full day we spent at the resort, relaxing by the pool and enjoying all the delicious food at the various restaurants on site. Our second full day was spent touring the area with Nelson. We met him and our driver, Roger, on the beach after breakfast and didn’t return to the hotel until after dark! When you book a tour with Brothers, you get one on one service with your guide and don’t have to worry about being shuffled around in a large group of tourists. Our first stop was the waterfall, Llanos de Cortez. Costa Rica has many beautiful waterfalls, but you can actually get in the water here and swim right up to the falls! There is a mineral in the soil that shimmers like flecks of gold, and the water is refreshingly cold. I will be forever grateful to Nelson for getting his clothes wet so he could get pictures for us. We got all the great content because he was always grabbing our phones and would just start snapping and recording!

Our second stop was Termales el Guayacan where we would experience a volcanic mud bath and relax in hot springs. When we arrived, no one else was around other than the staff. We couldn’t believe that we had the entire place to ourselves!

Nelson led us through the property which sat in the valley below two active volcanoes, Miravalles and Ricon de la Vieja. Before reaching the mud pit, you’ll walk beneath towering trees and through a lush garden, but there is no denying when you are getting close as the heat intensifies and the smell of sulphur begins to fill the air. We dropped our belongings on a bench near the mud pit and walked up the path that meandered through pockets of bubbling mud until we reached a platform where we were able to get pictures with both volcanoes in the background.

Then it was time to get muddy! We covered as much of our bodies and face as we could, and then let the mud dry in the sun. The minerals in the mud are good for the skin, and according to Nelson, would make us look 10yrs younger! There were outdoor showers right next to the mud pit for us to rinse all the mud off before heading to the different pools where thermal water is piped in for soaking.

Once we were looking fabulously younger from our mud bath, HA, we moved on to our third stop for the day. The famous blue river is created when two rivers, Tenorio and Celeste, converge and the minerals from the river and volcano create the famous blue color. In order to avoid the crowds of Tenorio Volcano National Park, Nelson took us to a local spot where we could experience the river. We pulled off on the side of the road and could immediately hear the roar of Rio Tenorio before we could see it.

We crossed the bridge and then hiked below to a spot with easy access into the water. Blue water like this is something I’ve only ever seen in pictures, but here I was swimming in the rapids of this insanely blue river with two of my best friends. After we dried off, we enjoyed a quick lunch with a random local family on their front porch. The people of Costa Rica, the Tico’s, are some of the friendliest and most hospitable people I have ever met.

Our day with Nelson was coming to a close, but we had one adventure left before making the drive back to our hotel. So much of Costa Rica is covered in rain forest, and the opportunities to see unique wildlife are endless. We stopped at Bijagua Ranas, and enjoyed a private guided tour through the rainforest where our guide, with eagle like vision, helped us find sloths, growler monkeys, and toucans! We also found a few different species of frogs, including the red eyed frog.

Our time with Nelson was so special, and we weren’t ready to say goodbye, so we decided to hire him for a second day. We met the guys on the beach again the next morning, and spent the day shopping, sampling local made chocolate, and eating local cuisine at Coco Beach.

We also made a stop at a spot near the hotel known as Monkey Bar where we were able to hand feed wild monkeys.

The passion and love that Nelson has for his country runs deep and is so evident in the way he teaches visitors about his home. We even had the opportunity to try plants that grow naturally in Costa Rica, like cashew fruit. I had no idea that the cashew nut I enjoy grows on top of a fruit which is also edible! It was cashew season, so once again, Nelson had Roger pull over on the side of the road and he knocked a couple of the fruits out of the tree for us to try. The fruit was juicy and the flavor was unexpected.

My absolute favorite thing about traveling is having the opportunity to immerse myself as much as possible into the local culture and learn about a way of life that is different than my own. When you drive around Costa Rica, at first glance, one might view this place as impoverished, poor. But “riches” look different here. The people of Costa Rica are beautiful stewards of their land and their resources. They protect their home and never once take it for granted. In all my conversations with the locals, one thing stood out most of all. They are so very happy. The Tico’s aren’t rushing around, in that hustle game, and slaving the day away. They understand the importance of hard, quality work and balance it with rest. This isn’t to say that there are disillusions about the unique difficulties that they face as a country, but from my short time in this beautiful place, I have come to know the Tico’s as people with compassion, understanding, and humanitarian hearts. They help when they can, and sometimes when they can’t, and they do this because of the human connection, not for accolades or an opportunity to go viral on social media.

We ended the day by the pool once again, with palomas in hand, for the hotel’s foam pool party. After dinner, we decided to finally give the disco a try, and danced the night away.

This was my first international trip in over 10 years. I was reminded “why” I love to travel. For years I’ve heard “You’re always going!”, “You’re always gone!”, “You need to find a husband already so you’ll be forced to settle down and stay in one place for a change.” What those people don’t know is I truly feel born to do this, “called” to travel, if you will. I believe that if we live our lives out, fully in the way that makes us the happiest, then “our people” will find us and join us in that journey. People and their stories, what drives them, their passions. . .that is what makes my heart beat. The human connection. It was here in Costa Rica that the fire within me, which burns for experiences like this, was set ablaze again. I will forever carry so much of Costa Rica in my heart. From the beautiful scenery to her incredible people. I left this trip forever changed, or at the very least a deeper form of the woman I was already becoming. It is difficult to pinpoint what my favorite moment of this trip was, but I look forward to returning one day and deepening my love for Costa Rica. Pura Vida!

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