It's Like America, But South! Day 5

Today was a travel day, so there's not much to report other than the fact that we are actually in South America now!

We were up early, checked out of our hotel at 6:45 am, and were at the airport around 7:45 am for our 10:30 flight. We didn't know how long it would take to get through immigration and security, but it wasn't too bad and we were in the airport lounge by 8:15! We flew from San Jose to Cartagena on Avianca Airlines - our first time flying with them - and overall, I wasn't particularly impressed when compared with the many other airlines we've been on. Luckily it was only about a 90-minute flight!

When we landed in Cartagena, immigration there was another story. It took an hour and 15 minutes to get through and over to baggage claim! It was extremely hot and humid, and at one point, the power completely went out, but thankfully came back on within a minute. I don't want to imagine how hot it would have gotten with no power!

Getting a taxi was a bit of a nightmare and there were all sorts of suspicious characters trying to solicit our business. Not a very good first impression of this place. When we finally did get a taxi, it didn't take too long to get to our hotel, which is beautiful! We're staying at Nacar Hotel in the historic old town area of the city.

we will miss Costa Rica and
can't wait to come back and
spend more time here!

we had an empty middle seat between us,
which is always a nice surprise!

no jetway - just a staircase
for exiting the plane

By this point, it was after 3:00 and we were tired and hot and hungry, so we decided to go to a nearby supermarket to pick up food and snacks to bring back to our room. Why? Here's why:

real feel: 107
gross

If you know us, we are not fans of any kind of heat. Winter, snow, frigid temperatures? Yes, please! Heat and humidity? Count us out. We knew this would be the one place on this adventure where the heat might be a real issue, and today it was! So we enjoyed our amazing hotel room and its air conditioning for the remainder of the afternoon and evening! Tomorrow, we explore!

Happy Tails to you!

It's Like America, But South! Day 4

Another beautiful day in Costa Rica! We did some more exploring, visited a beautiful park, took a hike through a nature preserve down to a river, had an amazing lunch, and today's highlight was visiting a butterfly garden!

Thank you for the very sweet messages and texts in response to my post the other day. I went back and forth about whether to share such personal details because I am not a person who likes to admit when they're struggling. The outpouring of kindness has been incredible. I've learned about the struggles of some of my cherished people who opened up about themselves after reading my post, and for that reason alone, I'm glad I decided to be vulnerable. I didn't write all of that in a search for pity, but rather to let people know that just because someone seems fine and posts cute pics of their dog, that doesn't mean they aren't having a hard time. I tried week after week to "be" happy and failed consistently; adopting Avalanche definitely played a role in me finding little moments of joy each day, but even he couldn't cure me. I had to be patient and tell myself the storm would pass and celebrate little wins and now, at long last, I'm certain I'm on the other side. I came across a teaching blog a while back and the author shared a poem that one of her students wrote: "Brave birds still fly through fog." To anyone who finds themselves in the fog right now, keep going.

One of the best messages I received came from a friend who said they had noticed me smiling more over the past couple of weeks and that I just seemed like my old self again. Even my mom mentioned that I was smiling more lately, and she is one of the few people who has truly seen me at my worst, so that is music to my ears - not only am I feeling happy again, but others are seeing it in me as well.

C and I are only four days into this adventure, but it has been transformative already. That's what travel does for me. It is my version of self-care. Some people like to get massages or watch Hallmark movies or meditate - all great activities! - but for me, travel is what has the most positive impact on my well-being. The quick weekend trips, the long road trips, the summer adventures...whether to somewhere new or somewhere we've been before, I just want to go. Even when it's uncomfortable and we don't speak the language and it's hard to find our way around and we don't understand the customs. Even when I almost get run over because the uber driver starts pulling away before I'm in the car (true story - this happened this morning!). Even then, I just want to go.

"If we were meant to stay in one place,

we would have roots instead of feet."

~ Rachel Wolchin ~

Happy Tails to you!

It's Like America, But South! Day 3

Today was lovely! We explored the city, checking out stores and shops, and went to a large market filled with all sorts of interesting things! It's been fun to discover places to eat throughout our meanderings and just take in the sights and sounds of a vibrant, busy place!

Without a doubt, the highlight of the day was taking a tour at the National Theater! It was fascinating to learn its history and as you can see from the photos, it is a gorgeous building! The tour guide was an actor, who was joined by another actor partway through the tour, and they were hilarious!

I always look for the Harry Potter books
in every country we visit!

Happy Tails to you!