Pura Vida

Hello Internets!

It’s been a while since I (Lott) posted. I’ve been mostly hanging out in Seattle for the fall and not had exciting stories to share. For Christmas I headed back to Maryland and then up to New York to visit my brother for New Years. I missed the big ball drop in Times Square, but can highly recommend the Midnight Run around Central Park.

Sunday morning at 3:30 am I left my brother’s warm Brooklyn pad and plodded towards the train station. The 20 degree night would have been crisp except for the 50 mph gusts of wind that cut to the bone. I hustled into the LIRR and was whisked to JFK. After a bit of a cluster at the American Airlines ticket counter, I was Miami bound and soundly asleep. Landing in Miami, the bright sunlight got me excited for the week ahead, but the over air conditioned terminal almost convinced not change into the shorts I’d stashed in my carry on. Three blissful hours later I was landing in Liberia, Costa Rica. As the waves of warmth and humidity flooded the cabin, I knew I’d made the right decision – shorts – and more importantly returning to Tamarindo. I cleared customs and walked outside to find Mattson waiting for me with a taxi, and by 3:30 pm we were on the beach and a world away from my blustery New York morning.

Returning to a spot where you’ve been before is comforting. There’s none of the anxiety/adventure of finding a place to stay or an ATM. We already know the best local food is at Red Plastic Chairs, the best happy hour is at Eat@Joe’s, and the best way to start your day is bobbing on a surfboard watching the sunrise. No waterproof camera or weekend trips yet, so pictures from last year will have to do: surfing, adventuring, and more adventuring.

We haven’t seen Snowball yet, the resident iguana, but his pal Hops is hanging with us:

The sunsets haven’t been quite up to par with last year – no clouds in the sky. But the view from the office is still spectacular: