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I'm finally catching my breath after two very busy months. Everything is good, really good, but ever since the end of August, I feel like time sped up three-fold--maybe even quicker!

In mid-August, after completing yet another interview for a higher education position, I finally heard the words I had been waiting for over the past two years: "You're hired."  

"I'm hired?" I repeated, worried I might have heard the lady on the other end of the phone wrong.

"Yes. Sarah and Tamika would like you to begin on August 23rd. Does that work for you?"

August 23rd was less than two weeks away. I would have liked more time to spend with Lewie before he started school again this year. I would have liked more time to tell the Board of Directors at the Land Trust. I would have liked more time to get my life in order, but the words, "Yes, that's perfect," came out of my mouth. I could hardly believe what I was saying... Was I really ready to begin a new job again after working a little over a year at the Land Trust? 

Daddy Lew, Little Lewie, and my mother were all happy for me. They knew I missed higher education and was eager to go back to a position that was familiar. My year at the Land Trust had been interesting, but I felt like a fish out of water for most of it. I learned a lot about conservation, but, at the same time, I never felt like I knew enough to make a difference. Perhaps more knowledge would come in time, but for a full twelve months, I felt inadequate, and it weighed on me. 

On Friday, August 23rd, I started my new position, and on Monday, August 26th, Lewie started his sophomore year of high school. That same week, I started teaching two classes while helping train a new Executive Director at the Land Trust.  Before long, there was Meet the Teachers Night (where I contracted COVID and gave it to my mom).

On Sept. 16th, my husband turned 54 (I still had COVID), and then my birthday, my mom's birthday, and my niece's birthday all occurred from Oct. 3 - 11.  If that wasn't enough, Lewie was given a list of requirements to complete his Confirmation on Oct. 6th. There was a class, a retreat, a paper, an exam, and then preparation for his big day, which included buying him a new suit and shoes and a gift for his sponsor. 

For the following weekend, I had pre-purchased tickets to take my mom on the "Turkey Train" in Lake Winnipesaukee, NH on Saturday, and on Sunday, Lewie had a special Confirmation mass at our home parish. On Oct. 19th - 20th, I was asked to travel out-of-state for work. Yes, that's right. After working in my position for less than two months, I was asked to travel to Virginia to learn about an innovative associate's to bachelor's degree program (called ADVANCE)  between Northern Virginia (NOVA) Community College and George Mason University. It was an AWESOME trip, where I had a chance to visit two college campuses, learn about their unique transfer program, make friends, and explore Merrifield, VA.

Here are some highlights from the past two months of fun, excitement, and pure craziness.

1) Lewie's first day of Grade 10:

Since Lewie's first day, the three of us, Little Lewie, Bruce (our dog), and I, have a regular morning routine. I shower at 5 am, Lewie wakes up for 6, and Bruce comes over from Grammy's side around 6:15. I pack Lewie's lunch, make his breakfast (usually a fruit and yogurt parfait), and give Bruce a sweet potato chew. Lewie eats his breakfast around 6:30 and then brushes his teeth and flies out the door to meet the bus around 6:45. Depending on the weather, Bruce usually flies out the door to greet the bus, too. He stops at our fence and tries to play a game of chase with the cars behind the bus. It's pretty silly.

So far, Lewie has been loving his Sophomore year. I just finished parent-teacher conferences, and his teachers had so many wonderful things to say about him and his class participation. I don't want to jinx his awesome record, but so far, he may receive As in all his classes, including some challenging ones like Algebra II, Chemistry, and AP Computer Science. 

2) Lewie's Confirmation:

A few years back (after COVID), our Archdiocese decided students from all towns should come to the Cathedral of St. Joseph in Hartford (our state capitol) to make their Confirmation. This was an unwelcome change for many, who would rather have the Confirmation performed at their church instead of making a long drive to an unknown cathedral.

Because of this long drive, we were worried about asking a sponsor to support Lewie. Would one of our family members or friends really be interested in giving up most of their Sunday for this event? As it turned out, Lewie's Aunt Missy volunteered to be his sponsor, and all of Lewie's cousins came to the cathedral. It was her birthday, too!  At the end of the ceremony, we had a little party for Lewie at our favorite restaurant, and I made sure to surprise Aunt Missy with a birthday cake. It was the least I could do!

Lewie, me, and Aunty Missy with the Bishop. Lewie chose the Saint name, Nicholas, since Saint Nicholas is the Saint that inspired the story of Santa Claus.

They used lots of incense.

Our restaurant celebration.

The very next weekend, Lewie was invited to come to a special mass at home to honor our new Confirmants. I made him get dressed in his suit again, but shortly after we arrived, we saw that the others were dressed pretty casual. Lewie just gave me an angry glare--mostly to be funny. How was I supposed to know this wasn't a dress-up event? Oh well! At least I was able to get some nice pictures with him at our church--the church where Lewie received all of his sacraments and the church where I received mine, too.

3) Mom's Surprise Birthday Party:

My mom turned 80 last year, and she made me promise that I would NOT have a birthday party for her under any circumstances. We could celebrate her birthday at home with us, but that was it. This year, in January, my mom was forced to retire after working 30+ years in insurance. The company she worked for, CDR, was bought out by a new insurance agency, World Insurance, which no longer supported my mom's part-time work. She was told she could either work full-time again or leave the agency. It was a blow to my mom who liked working from home to make a few extra dollars. It was a further blow because she lost her work family. 

In August, a few of my mom's work friends suggested we get together for her birthday. I knew my mom didn't like surprise parties, but I also knew my mom missed her work friends terribly. This would be a chance for her to see all or most of them again at one time! I made arrangements at a restaurant and concocted a story as to why we were taking her out to eat. She wasn't buying it. "I hope we're not having a party," she said to me.

"Okay...we might be meeting with a few others, but they are the ones that came to me. I didn't arrange it," I answered.  I was upset I had to give away the plan, but in the end, she was SURPRISED. She only thought we were meeting up with two people. She became pretty emotional when she saw a table of ten waiting to greet her. 

It was the perfect party as it felt like a reunion. Most of my mom's work friends from 30, 20, and 10 years ago had left World Insurance, too, so they were all happy to celebrate my mom while getting caught up with each other's lives. The best part was when I had a chance to read her friends' text messages to me. Here is just one among many texts I received from her work friends: "Annette, thank you for having us all. Sharon is priceless; I adore her and am blessed to have her as a second family. She truly is my second mom. She is an amazing friend and confidant and the most honest and trustworthy human being I have ever known. I am blessed to have her in my life. The world is a better place with her in it."

4. The Lake Winnipesaukee Turkey Train:

My mom's birthday gift was a one-day bus trip to climb aboard the Lake Winnipesaukee Train for a delicious turkey dinner while overlooking the lake. I knew there would be a lot of sitting (six hours on the bus altogether) and another 1.5 hours on the train, but I also thought it would be a good trip for my mom who's been having some difficulty with her legs and feet.

The minute I presented her with the gift, she wasn't happy. "That's too much sitting," she argued. "I'm old. I can't do trips like this anymore." For the week leading up to the trip, I had come to the conclusion that I would just go on the trip by myself or maybe beg Lewie to join me. (My husband couldn't go because he needs a full knee replacement surgery.) In the final hours before leaving, my mom decided to go with me after all, and although it was a LONG day, she did have fun. We both had fun, and the turkey dinner was delicious--so was the ice cream at the Kellerhaus, a unique gift shop in Laconia, NH. 

Our first stop was The Common Man Roadside Donut Shop Hookset Rest Area.

We sat by two ladies (around my mom's age) who were larger than life. The two of them travel every week and do ballroom dance competitions with Arthur Murray Dance Studios. The lady next to me had fun memories of her childhood years at Lake Winnipesaukee.  I loved talking with her!

5. A work trip to Virginia:

Last weekend, I went on a work trip to see two college campuses in Virginia and learn about their exciting transfer partnership called ADVANCE.  I was not slated to go as I am an Assistant Director, but nonetheless, my boss couldn't make the trip and asked if I could go in her place. I knew there was a lot going on at home, but at the same time, I felt "important" to be going on this trip, and was really excited to make new work friends. (I felt like I hadn't had a work family since the departure from my last college position in 2022.)

I was surprised by how much I loved both the George Mason University and NOVA (Northern Virginia Community College) campuses. They were lively, beautiful, modern, and thoughtfully designed. For example, Mason had a maker space with 3d printers and sewing machines. I could look down at the operation as there was a glass wall to peer at everything going on from above. Students were hard at work sewing costumes and coding on computers. Mason also had tons of outdoor spaces for students to hang out and eat--Starbucks and Panera being two of the many restaurant choices. 

I wanted to have a picture taken with their "food robot." Little Starship here
(there are a fleet of them)ride around to bring food orders to their student customers.
The robots have sensors, so they are very careful not to get in anyone's way.

The NOVA campus we visited (there are six campuses in all) was home to 14,000 students. There were multiple buildings, aesthetically arranged, which made the community college feel welcoming. Their student center was perfect with an Information Desk, Campus Safety/Student IDs, Business Office, Financial Aid/Financial Stability Office, and Advising/Counseling/Career Counseling all in one location. Seats were arranged in the center of the building (reminding me of an airport), so students could study or work on their computers while waiting to be seen. The Financial Sustainability Office had someone available to help students get resources to SNAP and housing; they also had a food pantry, career closet, etc. to help struggling students, too. (We have them, but their locations are not always easy to find...)

The work visit was fast and furious, but it accomplished what I hoped it would do. I had a chance to learn about the latest trends in transfer partnerships, make new friends, and even get to explore. The Mosaic District of Merrifield is super trendy and happening!  I felt fortunate to have this experience.

In the midst of this fun-filled blur, I also turned a year older. I'm not the big 50 yet, but it's constantly on my mind. I've spent the past two years trying to reinvent myself, and I'm still asking the question, what's next? Will this be the year that I go back to college to pursue an Ed.D.?  I'm not sure, but I think I might be ready to take the leap. Who knows? Maybe I'll be going to college the same time Lewie does. The universe works in mysterious ways...

Sweet Sixteen - Lewie Style

Last weekend, my little boy (who is not-so-little anymore) turned sweet 16. Right away, I searched the internet to establish if my son could turn "sweet 16."  Was this a term only used for girls? Turns out, according to most, it could be used for either.

Lewie in Costa Rica.

On the surface, moving up from 15 to 16 doesn't feel like this huge jump, but as I started to do my annual "interview" and reflect on this past year, I realized Lewie's "growth" has been rather significant in a variety of ways. This kid is more talkative, super helpful, and squeaky clean (he takes a shower every chance he can get with his Dr. Squatch soap and puts on cologne.)

In terms of appearance, he grew about 2 and 1/2 inches.  We began the year (last August) measuring ourselves back to back, and I was the winner by about an inch and a half.  This was the same at Christmas time. Then, from January - April, he GREW.  His large shirts and medium pants now needed to be replaced with extra large shirts and large pants. He measures about a 1/2 an inch taller than me, too, which means he's about 5' 11"--maybe more.

Lewie with Grammy on Father's Day!

Somewhere around April and May he became more of a conversationalist, too. Last year, our mother-son talks were brief like, "How was your day at school?" (Him: "Good.")  "Did you learn anything new?" (Him: "Nope.") I'd have to force him to make small talk. At times, I'd even have to bribe him by offering him a treat--you know, ice cream, a cupcake, or maybe a trip to his favorite restaurant like Friendly's.

This year, all of a sudden, Lewie started being the one to start conversations. "How was your day?" (Me: "Okay.") "Did you know what happened in school today?" (Me: "No. What?") I started learning more about his teachers, classmates, and friends. He'd tell me about projects he was doing on the computer (usually, these conversations go way over my head), and he'd tell me about future plans/goals.

Then, another switch flipped. He started showing interest and curiosity about things in everyday life. In the past, if I started talking about inflation, illness, politics, or family drama, he'd swiftly change the topic or leave the room. Now, he was the one curiously asking me questions. What was it like when Grammy was growing up?  What was it like for me? What was it like when he was younger? He started showing interest in his school subjects like history and WWII as well as more recent life events such as the school shooting at Sandy Hook (only 19 miles away) or Purdue Pharma and the opioid crisis (another life event that hit too close to home, including family and friends).

Now this quiet 15-year-old is a 16-year-old gabber. "Oh my gosh. This kid doesn't stop talking!" I recently teased him. He now teases me right back--sometimes using Daddy's jokes and sometimes using his own. "Did you misplace your cell phone AGAIN?" he'll ask, rolling his eyes. "Yeah, well, maybe...SO!" I'll answer with both of us laughing. We use light-hearted banter to get us through the day.

Perhaps most of his maturing, however, happened after his spontaneous lung collapse in April. He took the whole ordeal like a champ, and while he's still squeamish about it (the chest tube and the hallucinations he had when they gave him Ketamine, in particular), he's developed a healthy understanding of taking care of himself. For example, he wants to exercise and go back to playing tennis to strengthen his lungs while heeding his doctors' warnings about never smoking or vaping. We all learned or were, rather, reminded of life's fragility and not to take anything for granted.

Lewie with his cousins.

This year, we used the whole weekend of August 10th and 11th to celebrate Lewie's birthday. His three best friends came over to use the pool on Saturday and then his aunts and cousins came to the house for a pizza party on Sunday. Months ago, I offered to make his 16th birthday into a larger event. "Do you want to invite all your friends to Lake Compounce?" I asked. No. Not for Lewie. He's the type of kid that doesn't mind doing the same thing over-and-over-again.  Inviting his three friends and family to the house was all he needed--nothing elaborate for him. Part of me grimaced at the fact that I wasn't making his special day into something bigger, but then I realized that would have been to satisfy my own ego--not his.

Once again, after his birthday weekend ended, I sat down with him for his annual "interview." This year, he spent more time with me and even wanted to read my posts from previous years. He's really growing up! (I think I'll need to change some of these questions because he's getting to be too mature!)

Q:  What is your favorite color?
A:  "Purple and green with a splash of orange." I'm not asking you to create a logo or anything," I teased him. He thought his answer was creative. He's right; it is.

Q:  What is your favorite book?
A:  House of Leaves by Mark Z. Danielewski. Truth be told, I don't know much about the book. He's also liking the book for his summer reading this year--How to Hang a Witch by Adriana Mather.

Q:  What is your favorite cartoon?
A:  He still likes Sponge Bob and The Amazing World of Gumball but said, "There's no good cartoons anymore."  I think he might be right...

Q:  What is your favorite movie?
A:  "Deadpool and Wolverine and Oppenheimer are really well-directed." We made Lewie watch Inside Out 2 with us. "You have to go," I urged, "they talk about all the new emotions you are feeling now that you are a teenager." He went but wasn't impressed. I suppose it may have felt more relevant if he was turning 13--not 16.

Q:  What is your favorite board game?
A:  "Chess and checkers."  Me: "You know how to play chess?"  Him: "Not exactly, but my friends and I like to try challenging each other online for fun."

Q:  What is your favorite computer game?
A:  "Garry's Mod." This stayed the same as last year. 

Q:  What is your favorite place or favorite vacation?
A:  This year Lewie had surprisingly way more to say than in past years. He likes the Grand Canyon because he remembers their "spring water was the best." He loved Yosemite because the Evergreen Lodge resort had an Alexa in the room and the best pool.  He also loved staying at Universal's Cabana Bay Beach Resort because of their lazy river.

This is the Evergreen Lodge that Lewie remembers with fondness.

This is how big Lewie was when we went to Yosemite and stayed at the Evergreen Lodge.

This is Lewie at Universal's Cabana Bay Beach Resort. I think these dots were
meant to look like bowling balls for their 'Galaxy Bowl' area. Every time we were
at the resort, he'd hop from one dot to the next, careful not to touch the sidewalk. 

Q:  What is your favorite thing to do at school?
A:  "Graphic Design I."  This year he thinks AP Computer Science will be his favorite.

Q:  Who is your favorite teacher?
A:  Mr. Misuraca, Lewie's graphic design teacher. Everyone calls him "Mis" for short.

Q:  What is your favorite sport?
A:  "Skiing." He started the tennis team, too, but skiing is his favorite.

Q:  What is your favorite food?
A:  "That's so hard."  He couldn't come up with one, so here are his favorites in no particular order--fruit and yogurt parfait, grilled cheese, French toast, and a chocolate milkshake.

Q:  What is your favorite ice cream flavor?
A:  "Black Rasberry." This has been his favorite for two years now.

Q: What do you want to be when you grow up?
A:  "Make stuff. Create stuff. Make an album. Make good tools for software design." Lewie has become laser-focused on music production this year. Every year he seems to focus on something new with technology.

Q:  What is your favorite saying this year?
A:  "Womp. Womp." Yes, he uses this phrase to tease me--A LOT.  Example: Me: "Lewie, I can't believe you've already gone through all your clean clothes."  Him: "Womp. Womp." Me: "Lewie, what happened to my baby boy?  How are you already 16?  Him: "Womp. Womp."  Another favorite saying is "I think lefty is okay today; I think good ole lefty won't collapse." (I don't like this comment very much, but if it helps him process that traumatic experience, then I have no room to judge.  Finally, another common saying is "Bet!" Example: Me: "Lewie, do you want to go out for ice cream?" Lewie: "Bet!"

Q:  What was your favorite moment as a fifteen-year-old?
A:  "To be fair, I've had a lot of 'a-ha' moments with music production. I guess there's been a lot of funny things in high school, too." (One of his favorite moments is when his tennis coach teased him about his lung collapse during their end-of-the-year banquet. I write about this in a previous post.)

Lewie at ID Tech Camp.

Finally, my favorite moment was taking him to ID Tech Camp this summer. (Every year he goes for a week-long camp to learn tech skills. (Skills from the past included classes like Minecraft Coding, Artificial Intelligence & Machine Learning, etc.)  This year, he chose to learn "VR Game Design with Unity and Meta Quest." At the end of the week, students are supposed to show off the skills they learned to family members. Daddy Lew and I arrived to see him get his certificate and try out the VR game he created. "What type of game did he create?" you ask. Well, he created a shark VR game (in honor of Shark Week at the camp). The goal of the game is to hit as many sharks as you can with a spatula.  Yes, you heard that right. Sharks come flying after you in virtual reality, and the goal is to hit them with a spatula to earn points. It was hilarious, especially the sound effects.  (The sound effects were nothing more than him recording himself going "Pew, Pew, Pew, Pew.")

Daddy Lew and I had fun putting the VR headset on to play his game, but then something more amazing happened. Many kids at the camp got wind of the game he created, and they wanted a turn, too. Then, kids were urging their family members to play the game. In the end, we were the last ones to leave the camp showcase because people were in line to play Lewie's game! It was definitely a proud mama moment! In true Lewie style, Lewie shrugged and said he could have made it better if he had more than a week to work on it. I thought it was terrific.

Costa Rica - San Jose, Jaco, and La Isla Tortuga

As mentioned in my previous post, Costa Rica is WILD--not wild as in crazy but wild because of its rich biodiversity.  It's estimated that Costa Rica is home to nearly 500,000 plant and animal species, which means although this tiny country is only 0.03 percent of our planet's landmass, it sustains about 5% of our planet's total wildlife.  

When looking at a map, we can see that Costa Rica, part of Central America, sits at the center of an isthmus, which joins the continents of North and South America.  This part of the world is super diverse because the isthmus has served as a natural migration route for thousands of species between these two continents.  The country boasts 10,000+ types of plants, 900+ types of birds, 9.000+ types of butterflies, 500+ mammals, reptiles, and amphibians, and 300,000+ insects!

After landing in Costa Rica's capital, San Jose, and going through customs, we took a shuttle to the Eurocar rental office.  Immediately, we felt like we flew into a different universe. The roads, cars, streets, traffic, and street signs looked vaguely familiar but with a strange twist. The roads were narrower and bumpier, the drivers were more aggressive, and the stores, particularly the supermarkets, were tiny. At the rental car place, I almost got stuck in the bathroom because the handle was loose and the door sealed itself shut with all the dampness and humidity.  (Oh no! Am I really going to begin this trip by needing someone to break down the door? I thought. My anxiety was already running high because we were in another country where everyone spoke broken English, and I hadn't practiced Spanish in years.)

Without hesitation, I let Lew take over the driving. While the rules of the road were basically the same, driving in the city required a certain confidence--one that I lacked. It was clear that the only way we were going to pull out of the parking lot was if we cut someone off, and that's exactly what Lew did, swerving unapologetically between lanes to first get to a market and then to the highway.  Lewie's first impression of Costa Rica was the market. He followed me into the stuffy building only to discover that the entire store consisted of four narrow aisles, mostly filled with canned goods.  "Do they have chocolate milk?" he asked. There was water, juice, soda, and more soda--no chocolate milk. We left with a few water bottles, a bag of chips, and a generic package of cookies.

After the market stop, our destination was our hotel, Docelunas, in the city of Jaco.  We had to load Waze onto our phones and hope for the best. We were told that while its directions were pretty reliable, the timing was another story.  What "should" take an hour and a half, for example, could easily take two or more hours because of traffic conditions, disabled cars, or accidents. Since most roads and highways were two-lane roads (often without shoulders or breakdown lanes), traffic could easily come to a stop and did.  (In fact, one time we encountered an accident that took up the entire highway. The police officer directed everyone to drive down into a field and follow a little cow path before connecting to the main road again. I cringed at the thought that our rental vehicle might suffer a flat or get damaged while driving into a ditch. At the same time, the large tour bus in front of us looked like it might tip over sideways as it drove down the embankment. I said a silent prayer to myself and closed my eyes. Thankfully, we emerged from the rocky farm field unscathed.)

Hubby took the entire drive to Jaco while I tried to avoid being a backseat driver. I kept looking at my old-school map for reference because I wanted to make sure Waze was directing us to the right location.  What if there was another Docelunas, and it took us to the wrong one?  All travel sites forewarned us that we would want to avoid driving anywhere in Costa Rica after dusk, so getting to the hotel during the day was essential.

As predicted, the hour-forty-minute drive took about an hour longer. Still, we arrived at Hotel Docelunas in plenty of time to get checked in.  The hotel was gated with a tall fence surrounding the entire property.  Once we presented our hotel reservations, we were warmly welcomed and given the keys to our room.  I LOVED this hotel.  It had several long, two-story, motel-like buildings with a beautiful garden-like courtyard.  It also boasted a beautiful pool next to our room, which never got busy. In fact, during our three-night stay, I only saw about five people use it the entire time. My husband and I went out there several times. During the day, we were enchanted by all the beautiful birds, plants (like banana trees), and squirrel monkeys (who, I think, were throwing coconuts down at us).  At night, we had a big frog that came to greet us by the pool waterfall.  He somehow knew not to jump into the pool, but he nonetheless, rested by the poolside as if he were on vacation, too. It truly felt like it was our own hidden oasis.

The hotel's restaurant served delicious American cuisine while we sat on their outdoor patio. There, we were charmed by one of the owner's dogs, Coqui, who pranced over to us each day with her sweet brown eyes. She was such a well-mannered dog, knowing not to beg, jump, or bother any of the guests unless called.  Seeing her run around the courtyard and play all day helped fill the void in my heart, for I was starting to miss our own pup, Bruce, who we left at home.

While staying at Docelunas, we drove to Parque Nacional Manuel Antonio one day and then took a boat trip to La Isla Tortuga the next.  When traveling to Parque Nacional Manuel Antonio, we drove through a darling beach town called Quepos, which had quaint restaurants, art galleries, and souvenier shops in a village-like setting. I marveled at its cuteness, and while we only had time to explore the National Park, I'm glad we did get a chance to have lunch at one of its restaurants. (If I ever go back to Costa Rica, Quepos would be on my list!)

At Parque Nacional Manuel Antonio, our guide provided a 1.5 hour tour, stopping along the way to show us any interesting wildlife. It seemed like each time we took a step, there was something new for him to show us. We saw two different types of sloths, three different monkeys (white faced monkeys, howler monkeys, and squirrel monkeys), a Toucan, a Jesus Christ Lizard, several bats, a snake, and a spider. We even saw some white-tailed deer like the ones from home--proof that Costa Rica is a place where animals of North America and South America merge so that animals like deer and iguanas coexist. I LOVED this park and could have easily spent the whole day meandering on its main trail and many side trails.

Can you see the snake eye?

This is a spiny fruit that's called a "monkey comb." Monkeys
actually use it to groom one another.

A sloth...The picture is taken from a telescope.

Fun fact: The cafeteria in the park is surrounded by a fence to keep the white-faced monkeys out. 
They are aggressive and will take food right out of your hand or backpack.

The following day, a tour company picked us up at our hotel, so we could go to la Isla Tortuga (Turtle Island). They dropped us off at a swanky beach club and then had us board a boat for a full day of sightseeing, snorkeling, lunch, and swimming. Since Costa Rica is hot and steamy, the boat ride provided a cool reprieve. We sat under a canopy and let the wind hit our faces, all while getting a chance to see dolphins, birds, and cool rock formations. Our guide knew a lot about wildlife, but he also shared interesting historical facts about Costa Rica. For example, the country used to be the number one exporter of coffee in Central America. Now, their economy relies on three main industries: 1) Toursism, 2) Cosmetic Surgery, and 3) Coffee. 

The guide fed us watermelon and pineapple and then helped us get into our masks and flippers for an hour of snorkeling (before arriving to Turtle Island). It was Lewie's first snorkeling experience, and although he wasn't crazy about the flippers, he did enjoy seeing all the beautifully colored fish.  We all swam around a rock formation while the guide spread breadcrumbs to lure the fish up close. I had trouble with my mask continually fogging up and filling up with water until the last ten minutes--UGH! Still, I did enjoy seeing the fish and was secretly hoping to see turtles--there weren't any in that location.

When we arrived on the island, the boat driver and tour guide brought us to a rustic pavilion to eat lunch.  There were beautiful views from every angle--beach, forest, trees, and rocky outcrops.  Rummaging in the forest behind us were deer, wild boars, and iguanas--what a mix!  After lunch, the two Lews relaxed on the beach a bit. Meanwhile, I explored the cute gift shop, which also held the pass to the island bathrooms.  

By the time we were done on the beach, we were tired and grateful we didn't have to drive back that day. We watched the views from the boat and then the van, mostly in silence until we were dropped off again at Docelunas. It was the perfect excursion offering just enough adventure, education, and relaxation rolled up into one.