Early during the school year, we learned that Lewie's high school was planning a trip to Costa Rica. The timing couldn't have been better as I was already intrigued by this country thanks to watching the 2023 season of The Golden Bachelor. (Yes, I do enjoy a good reality TV show every now and then.)
After attending a few school meetings about the trip, I was hooked! The tour company promised rainforest hikes, horseback riding, ziplining, and so many other unique experiences. Even more, family members would be welcome to attend, too! I started reading through the materials, getting more and more excited by the minute until I realized I just couldn't make our finances work. By mid-December, I was positive we didn't have enough money for all three of us (Lewie, Daddy Lew, and me) to go, and Lewie was not interested in going alone. I was almost ready to throw in the towel, but then I started planning our own trip. Once I started booking our own plane flights, hotels, and rental car, I saved nearly $2,000! Sure, we would have to do all the driving, dining, and sightseeing ourselves, but I was up for the challenge!
After buying a Costa Rica travel book, reading lots of blog posts, and visiting numerous Costa Rica websites, I carefully planned our trip for the "dry season" during Lewie's April vacation--April 14th through the 21st. We would fly into San Jose, pick up a rental car from the airport, and spend the first three nights in Jaco (on the coast) at a hotel called Doce Lunas and then the other four nights in La Fortuna (near the Arenal Volcano) at a resort called Los Lagos. Similar to the school tour, I booked activities like rainforest hikes and ziplining, but I also tailored day excursions to our likes as well, which included snorkeling, bike riding, and river tubing.
On paper, our trip looked like the perfect vacation with just the right balance of adventure and relaxation. AND if we were twenty-something, it would have been! Unfortunately, when booking our trip, I didn't take into account certain limitations, such as my husband's bad knee, my incredible fear of heights, or our lack of experience when it comes to things like snorkeling, biking, and ziplining. Thus, while we still gave them all the good old college try, we often struggled, sometimes pulling muscles and other times flat-out injuring ourselves.
In the next few posts, I want to highlight our experiences--first in the Central Pacific of the country and then in the tourist area called la Fortuna and Monteverde. Am I happy we went? YES! Visiting Costa Rica was magnificent with its rainforests, wildlife, waterfalls, volcanoes, food, and culture. However, would I have enjoyed myself more on a tour--probably--for traveling in an unknown country and especially driving in unknown terrain induced anxiety--the type that stayed with me throughout the trip. I'd like to think my twenty-year-old self would have embraced the adventure more, but then again, I have always been a worrier and so that I did--worry about the road conditions, the rental car, getting lost, having enough gas, finding a place to eat, missing our plane, and the list went on an on. Still, I did find some moments of peace and enjoyment. I look forward to sharing them next!
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