On the road again...

Just to warn you, I am off the St. George for the week to help out with a soccer camp. So no, I am not slacking when I don't post anything. I am working. And I probably don't have internet access. Sad life.

¡Pura Vida!

I'm home! I know you have all been sitting on the edges of your computer chairs, waiting anxiously for word of my safe return. Not to worry, all is well! We got back late Tuesday night, and instead of assuaging your fears I have been lounging around enjoying myself ever since.

I know, I know... if I were a good blogger I would have sat down that very night and written every detail of our amazing/crazy adventure before it slipped through the cracks in my fragile memory - but... I am a well documented slacker, and thus here I am, four days later when everything has already begun to take on the hazy feel of a fabulous daydream and trying to focus my thoughts into coherent words. The sights were so fantastic, so different from my normal, mundane existence that even now they hardly seem real. Already the activities of each day, at the time so vivid and sharp, are bleeding together like the colors of a Polaroid carelessly left in the rain. Trying to think of a way to fit what feels like a lifetimes worth of adventures into a few blog postings feels simply overwhelming...

However, I took well over a thousand pictures to try and capture the experience, and I did upload a bunch (nearly 200!) of my photos onto Facebook and left a comment or explanation about each photo, giving a pretty good outline of everything we did (and, it's all in chronological order)!

If you aren't a Facebook friend of mine (shame on you!) here are some links to the photo albums that you can look through :) You will have to click back and forth from the main album page to each individual photo, but if you want to take the time, it is all there.

To view images from the first week (while we were with the tour group) click here.

For images from the second week (after we went crazy and struck out on our own) click here.

These should give you a pretty good idea of all the trouble we got into :)

Costa Rica was (obviously) pretty much amazing, and I would go back in a heartbeat if I was able to (but not before I learned a bit more Spanish!) Thank heavens my sis was there to lead the way with her amazing language skills - and that Spanish and Italian are so closely related!

I will try to write up more of the stories in a few days, but for now, the links to the pictures and the stories told there will have to suffice.

Oblivious is my maiden name

With everything that the office people at the school district have to do, there are bound to be a few mistakes along the way, and sooner or later one of those mistakes will involve me. My turn came around this year, but I think the part that amuses me most about this is that it wasn't until school was out and I was no longer supposed to wear my ID badge (I only wore it a few times during the year, I am such a slacker!) that I noticed I had gotten married. I wish I had been invited. At the very least I should have been told about it, then I could have at least sent myself a wedding present. Honestly! I am so rude sometimes. Next time I get married I will have to make sure I brush up on my etiquette.

Week one

As of 12 o'clock this afternoon, it has officially been one week since school got out, and boy oh boy have I enjoyed it! The freedom... (happy sigh). I celebrated by not going to the gym at 4am, staying up till almost dawn to finish a book, and not setting my alarm clock. It has been lovely. Of course, I have been productive (somewhat...).

I went on my first hike of the summer (6 miles!) with my sister and another friend. Perfect day for it too, breezy, cool, light rain at times... very pleasant. I also went on another short morning hike with my sister (2 miles) and wound up doing a bit of trail running. Much fun!! I ran the down hill parts, so it didn't feel like running, it felt more like falling - it was GREAT!

I have also been working on finishing up my bathroom - I got all the varnishing and painting done that I could. Now all I have to do is cut the last cabinet door, stain and varnish it, and my bathroom will be done! So exciting!!

And of course, I have been busy collecting everything I need to pack for Costa Rica. That is quite the challenge for me, I tend to forget things every time I travel, and where we will be gone for two and a half weeks I am checking every list I can, and soliciting hints from all friends who know more than me. The fun part is going to be fitting everything into my (NEW!!) backpack. We are packing light, and not taking any checked luggage so we can bash around the country un-hindered. Hopefully we will be able to find some extra space on the way back for souvenirs!