puerto viejo

Oh the joys of backpacking travel! Kristin and I arose nice and early at 5:50am to catch the first bus ride of the day to San Jose. We most certainly have travel karma on our side! We arrived at the bus, put our luggage underneath it and went to purchase tickets ($4 each!) when the agent said the bus was full. Thankfully, a party of 2 did not want their "standing room only" seats so we grabbed theirs and hopped on the bus. Luckily, we were able to snag 2 seats next to one another and just hope that no one with the assigned seat above would arrive to kick us out. We made it to the connection stop (two hours away) and transferred to a different and even smaller bus where one of us inevitably had to stand. Having not felt so hot the night prior, I got the seat and Kristin stood until a lady got up to exit an hour later. Thanks, Pookie!

When we arrived in San Jose, we got off the bus and grabbed a taxi with these two Irish girls, Karen and Julie, to the next bus. Between the 4 us made each of our shares only $1 (or 500 colones) each. Turns out they stayed at our same hostel in Monteverde and are going to be staying at the same hostel in Puerto Viejo, Rocking J's. I must say its nice traveling in a bigger group. For one, it's cheaper but for two, the more english people you're surrounded by helps you feel a little less, well, foreign. The bus made a stop in Limon, a grungy little town on the Caribbean side not worth visiting. After a quick stretch and toilet break we were on the road again to finish our 4.5 (or technically 9) hour journey to our final destination.

Puerto Viejo de Talmanca is a very "rasta" town in the Caribbean side that exudes the Bob Marley spirit. It's incredibly laid back party vibes are what calls it's backpacking travelers to visit. It's also the perfect departure city in between Costa Rica and Bocas del Toro in Panama.

The transition between bus and arrival didn't improve much. We all checked in to our hostel and were not impressed with the facilities. No air conditioning, jail cell bars posing as a window with a sheet covering, mirrors all over the room, a fan that we had to prop with a water bottle for it to sit right and a cozy top bunk double bed. Needless to say, not impressed. The grounds however were very unique. It was located right off the ocean and had mosaic tiles covering the entire surface of the facility. If you didn't want splurge on the $26 private room ($13 a piece) or a $11 bunk... There were tent and canopy sleeping arrangements as options as well.

We walked into town for an ATM and had dinner at Tex Mex for an unimpressive meal. The supermarket was our next stop... If we were going to sleep here, it was going to require us to be good and drunk. We stocked up on a few liters of Clos boxed wine and water before getting a taxi back to the hostel. (Even though it was only a short walk, we had been advised not to make that walk past dark.) A town that makes you feel all warm and safe inside, right? The rest of the right was spent playing drinking games with the girls and these Israeli boys, Bar and Alone. They ventured into town while Kristin and I took a sleeping aid and retired for the night in our cozy little room.

We woke up the next day feeling impressively refreshed and decided to make it a beach day. So it was off to the supermarket for picnic items before riding out bikes to Playa Cocles,the nice beach just south of town and our hostel. It was a gorgeous day to get our bronze on! The beach was lovely, clean with soft sand and warm blue water. We stayed there until late afternoon when Kristin and I went back into town to do some souvenir shopping. Can I tell you how obsessed we are with those Pura Vida bracelets? We bought multiple to wear along with those we purchased in each town we had visited earlier.

The night to follow was a wild one! To say our hostel was a party hostel would be a mild understatement and out fellow backpackers were out in full force! Kristin, Karen, Julie ad I munched on nachos while playing a few card drinking games before we were launched into a large game of flip cup followed but multiple rounds of free shots from the owner. When 10pm hit, the 30+ of us went to Mangos and danced the night away.

adventuras locas en monteverde

Here I am sitting outside our Hostel, Pension Santa Elena in Monteverde. It's a bit chilly and gloomy out but otherwise, quite nice. We just got back from our Adventura Canopy Tour where we went zip lining across 16 different lines, did the "superman" zip line in which you are hands free and glide across a long line with crazy views of the cloud forest. If you are having trouble visualing, I suggest you picture Superman flying through the air. That's what we looked like. Okay, maybe a little less heroic-like and without a cape. But still, you catch my drift. We got photos taken and at the end of the line and both Kristin and I look like retarded baby dinosaurs because we were afraid that we weren't going to get stopped before crashing into the tree in front of us and therefore brought our arms in. It was fast and exhilarating! Such a cool experience. Next up was the Tarzan swing. Once again, the experience was similar to what it sounded like. (Without the banging of the chest BUT with the "Ahhhhhhhhhh!") We grabbed hold of a rope and dropped 120 feet before swinging across the forest (yes, we had the proper equipment... No need to worry Mom). I would like to say I looked cool doing them both but truth be known, I screamed my guts out like a little girl. Overall, Monteverde has been an amazing experience. We arrived yesterday from Montezuma (2 hour Costa Rican bus ride to the ferry, 2 hour ferry and then upon arrival to the next bus by taxi.. We decided to just sack it up and pay the extra money for a private and much more comfortable ride to Monteverde.) It was a pricey $100 for the 3 hour ride but boy-oh-boy was it worth it. Our taxi driver was awesome! When we got off the ferry in Puntarenas, he greeted us with such impressive English and when we decided to venture on with him, he asked if we minded if he picked up his daughter to take her to school. (Cue the "aww's") Of course we said that was fine so we joined them in dropping her off at the bus stop. Let me begin by saying, this was probably the best decision we could have made. He was so helpful. He called and booked both our hostel and excursions for us, took us to stop for food -- truth be told, we were both suffering from a combination of both lack of sleep and a hangover from the night before. We talked about Costa Rica and the fact that he had been to California -- Sacramento (Pollack Pines to be exact).. Or as he said "Pollacks Pine". Gotta love the latin accents! The ride up to Monteverde was a rather steep and bumpy one. Most of the roads we unpaved so I can't imagine how uncomfortable the bus ride might have been. (Guess we'll find out on the way back...) He let us stop and take multiple pictures along the scenic drive and once we arrived, made sure that all of our reservations were in order. All in all, he was such a great man and we were incredibly grateful for him and his assistance. Next up? For now, probably a cerveza and a burrito from the "Taco Taco" place next door. Tomorrow we venture on to Puerto Viejo on the southern Caribbean side. A 12 hour journey in all. Wish us luck! Until next time...

Pura Vida, y'all!

on the road again

I have found myself at a new beginning. Once again. And what better than to start off this transitionary time in my life than to go somewhere I've never been before? This next adventure is taking me to Latin America. My sister and I are leaving for Costa Rica and Panama on August 3 and then I will continue on to Peru and Ecuador by myself until August 25. Can't wait to see where this next journey takes me! Here's a sneak peak at my itinerary in pictures.

Montezuma, Costa Rica

Manuel Antonio, Costa Rica

Bocas Del Toro, Panama

Panama City, Panama

Cuzco, Peru

Machu Picchu, Peru

Sacred Valley, Peru

Lima, Peru

Quito, Ecuador

Galapagos Islands, Ecuador

life lessons

1. Just Keep Going
“It does not matter how slowly you go as long as you do not stop.”

If you keep going down the right path, you will eventually get to your intended destination. The hard work is being consistent; anybody can do right for a day. The person who succeeds is the person who stays committed despite the circumstances.

2. Your Friends Matter
“Never contract friendship with a man that is not better than thyself.”
Your friends are a prophecy of your future; where they are is where you’re headed. It would serve you well to find friends who are going where you want to go.

3. Good Things Come With a Price
“It is easy to hate and it is difficult to love. This is how the whole scheme of things works. All good things are difficult to achieve; and bad things are very easy to get.”
This explains a lot! It’s easy to hate, it’s easy to be negative, it’s easy to make excuses. It is love, forgiveness, and greatness that require a great heart, a great mind, and a great effort.

4. Sharpen Your Tools First
“The expectations of life depend upon diligence; the mechanic that would perfect his work must first sharpen his tools.”
Confucius said, “Success depends upon previous preparation, and without such preparation there is sure to be failure.” Whatever you are called to do, if you are to succeed, you must first be prepared.

5. To be Wronged is Nothing
“To be wronged is nothing unless you continue to remember it.” Don’t sweat the small stuff; to be wronged is no great offense. Don’t let the wrongdoing of others ruin your day. Don’t let they’re negativity occupy your thoughts. To be wronged is nothing!

6. Consider the Consequences
“When anger rises, think of the consequences.”
Solomon said, “He that is slow to anger is greater than the mighty.” Always remember to keep your temper in check and to consider the consequences.

7. Make Adjustments
“When it is obvious that the goals cannot be reached, don’t adjust the goals, adjust the action steps.”
If its looking like you’re not going to make your goals this year, now would be a good time to adjust your plan. Don’t accept failure as an option, adjust your sails, and you will sail safely to your goal.

8. You Can Learn From Everyone
“If I am walking with two other men, each of them will serve as my teacher. I will pick out the good points of the one and imitate them and the bad points of the other and correct them in myself.”
You can and should learn from everyone, be it a crook or a saint. Every life is a story filled with lessons ripe for the picking.

9. All or None
“Wherever you go, go with all your heart.”
Whatever you do, do it with everything, or don’t do it at all. To succeed in life requires your very best, give your very best, and you will live without regrets.

DIY: kentucky derby hat

1st Step: Find a look you like.


{I chose Marisa Miller from the 2011 Kentucky Derby}

2nd Step: Find a hat and 2" thick ribbon. Secure ribbon around the hat with a glue gun.

**Note: I have found that pinning the ribbon in place it very helpful to secure the style.

Step 3: Cut ribbon into five 6" strips. Fold them into a  bow. Using the glue gun, glue the combined ribbons of the bow together in the center.

Step 4: Once dry, put on hat to figure out the bow(s) placement. Use glue gun to secure.

Step 5: Place center object (whether it's feathers, or a flower, or a charm) on hat. Once you have found the spot you want it, use a glue gun to secure in place.

Step 6: Add other finishing touches to the hat. Use pins to help get a good idea as to how the final product will look. Once you're satisfied, Glue in place and take out the pins.

Voila! Look accomplished! 

You are ready for any day at the races!

letting go of attachments

“Most of our troubles are due to our passionate desire for and
attachment to things that we misapprehend as enduring entities.” 

 --Dalai Lama

If there’s one thing we all have in common it’s that we want to feel happy; and on the other side of that coin, we want to avoid hurting. Yet we consistently put ourselves in situations that set us up for pain.

We pin our happiness to people, circumstances, and things and hold onto them for dear life. We stress about the possibility of losing them when something seems amiss. Then we melt into grief when something changes—a lay off, a break up, a transfer.

We attach to feelings as if they define us, and ironically, not just positive ones. If you’ve wallowed in regret or disappointment for years, it can seem safe and even comforting to suffer.

In trying to hold on to what’s familiar, we limit our ability to experience joy in the present. A moment can’t possibly radiate fully when you’re suffocating it in fear.

When you stop trying to grasp, own, and control the world around you, you give it the freedom to fulfill you without the power to destroy you. That’s why letting go is so important: letting go is letting happiness in.

It’s no simple undertaking to let go of attachment—not a one-time decision, like pulling off a band-aid. Instead, it’s a day-to-day, moment-to-moment commitment that involves changing the way you experience and interact with everything you instinctively want to grasp.

The best approach is to start simple, at the beginning, and work your way to Zen.

Experiencing Without Attachment 
Accept the moment for what it is. Don’t try to turn it into yesterday; that moment’s gone. Don’t plot about how you can make the moment last forever. Just seep into the moment and enjoy it because it will eventually pass. Nothing is permanent. Fighting that reality will only cause you pain.

Believe now is enough. It’s true—tomorrow may not look the same as today, no matter how much you try to control it. A relationship might end. You might have to move. You’ll deal with those moments when they come. All you need right now is to appreciate and enjoy what you have. It’s enough.

Call yourself out. Learn what it looks like to grasp at people, things, or circumstances so you can redirect your thoughts when they veer toward attachment. When you dwell on keeping, controlling, manipulating, or losing something instead of simply experiencing it.

Define yourself in fluid terms. We are all constantly evolving and growing. Define yourself in terms that can withstand change. Defining yourself by possessions, roles, and relationships breeds attachment because loss entails losing not just what you have, but also who you are.

Enjoy now fully. No matter how much time you have in an experience or with someone you love, it will never feel like enough. So don’t think about it in terms of quantity—aim for quality, instead. Attach to the idea of living well moment-to-moment. That’s an attachment that can do you no harm.

Letting Go of Attachment to People 
Friend yourself. It will be harder to let people go when necessary if you depend on them for your sense of worth. Believe you’re worthy whether someone else tells you or not. This way, you relate to people—not just how they make you feel about yourself.

Go it alone sometimes. Take time to foster your own interests, ones that nothing and no one can take away. Don’t let them hinge on anyone or anything other than your values and passion.

Hold lightly. This one isn’t just about releasing attachments—it’s also about maintaining healthy relationships. Contrary to romantic notions, you are not someone’s other half. You’re separate and whole. You can still hold someone to close to your heart; just remember, if you squeeze too tightly, you’ll both be suffocated.

Interact with lots of people. If you limit yourself to one or two relationships they will seem like your lifelines. Everyone needs people, and there are billions on the planet. Stay open to new connections. Accept the possibility your future involves a lot of love whether you cling to a select few people or not.

Justify less. I can’t let him go—I’ll be miserable without him. I’d die if I lost her—she’s all that I have. These thoughts reinforce beliefs that are not fact, even if they feel like it. The only way to let go and feel less pain is to believe you’re strong enough to carry on if and when things change.

Letting Go of Attachment to the Past
Know you can’t change the past. Even if you think about over and over again. Even if you punish yourself. Even if you refuse to accept it. It’s done. The only way to relieve your pain about what happened is to give yourself relief. No one and nothing else can create peace in your head for you.

Love instead of fearing. When you hold onto the past, it often has to do with fear: fear you messed up your chance at happiness, or fear you’ll never know such happiness again. Focus on what you love and you’ll create happiness instead of worrying about it.

Make now count. Instead of thinking of what you did or didn’t do, the type of person you were or weren’t, do something worthwhile now. Be someone worthwhile now. Take a class. Join a group. Help someone who needs it. Make today so full and meaningful there’s no room to dwell on yesterday.

Narrate calmly. How we experience the world is largely a result of how we internalize it. Instead of telling yourself dramatic stories about the past—how hurt you were or how hard it was—challenge your emotions and focus on lessons learned. That’s all you really need from yesterday.

Open your mind. We often cling to things, situations or people because we’re comfortable with them. We know how they’ll make us feel, whether it’s happy or safe. Consider that new things, situations and people may affect you the same. The only way to find out is to let go of what’s come and gone.

Letting Go of Attachment to Outcomes 
Practice letting things be. That doesn’t mean you can’t actively work to create a different tomorrow. It just means you make peace with the moment as it is, without worrying that something’s wrong with you or your life, and then operate from a place of acceptance.

Question your attachment. If you’re attached to a specific outcome—a dream job, the perfect relationship—you may be indulging an illusion about some day when everything will be lined up for happiness. No moment will ever be worthier of your joy than now because that’s all there ever is.

Release the need to know. Life entails uncertainty, no matter how strong your intention. Obsessing about tomorrow wastes your life because there will always be a tomorrow on the horizon. There are no guarantees about how it will play out. Just know it hinges on how well you live today.

Serve your purpose now. You don’t need to have x-amount of money in the bank to live a meaningful life right now. Figure out what matters to you, and fill pockets of time indulging it. Audition for community theater. Volunteer with animals. Whatever you love, do it. Don’t wait—do it now.

Teach others. It’s human nature to hope for things in the future. Even the most enlightened people fall into the habit from time to time. Remind yourself to stay open to possibilities by sharing the idea with other people. Blog about it. Talk about it. Tweet about it. Opening up helps keep you open.

Letting Go of Attachment to Feelings 
Understand that pain is unavoidable. No matter how well you do everything on this list, or on your own short list for peace, you will lose things that matter and feel some level of pain. But it doesn’t have to be as bad as you think. As the saying goes, pain is inevitable, suffering is optional.

Vocalize your feelings. Feel them, acknowledge them, express them, and then let them naturally transform. Even if you want to dwell in anger, sadness or frustration—especially if you feel like dwelling—save yourself the pain and commit to working through them.

Write it down. Then toss it out. You won’t always have the opportunity to express your feelings to the people who inspired them. That doesn’t mean you need to swallow them. Write in a journal. Write a letter and burn it. Anything that helps you let go.

Xie Xie. It means thank you in Chinese. Fully embrace your happy moments—love with abandon; be so passionate it’s contagious. If a darker moment follows, remember: it will teach you something, and soon enough you’ll be in another happy moment to appreciate. Everything is cyclical.

Yield to peace. The ultimate desire is to feel happy and peaceful. Even if you think you want to stay angry, what you really want is to be at peace with what happened or will happen. It takes a conscious choice. Make it.

Zen your now. Experience, appreciate, enjoy, and let go to welcome another experience.

It won’t always be easy. Sometimes you’ll feel compelled to attach yourself physically and mentally to people and ideas—as if it gives you some sense of control or security. You may even strongly believe you’ll be happy if you struggle to hold onto what you have. That’s OK. It’s human nature.

Just know you have the power to choose from moment to moment how you experience things you enjoy: with a sense of ownership, anxiety, and fear, or with a sense of freedom, peace and love. The most important question: what do you choose right now?



{http://zenhabits.net/zen-attachment/}

the people you will fall in love with in your 20s

You will fall in love with someone who annoys you, whose orgasm face looks and feels pathetic. Despite all of this, there’s something keeping you drawn to them, something that makes you want to protect them from the harsh world. What you fail to realize, however, is that you are the harsh world. You aren’t their noble protector — you are someone to be protected from but it takes a lot of dates, a lot of nights where you question whether or not you are actually a good person, for this to ever resonate with you. When it’s over and whatever love is left is put back in the fridge like a sad plate of leftovers, you will finally understand that you have the power to hurt someone. You can either hurt them or love them and it’s up to you to decide what kind of role you would like to take on in future relationships. What feels more comfortable — being the one who loves more or being the one who’s loved less?

You will fall in love with someone who’s cold and always seemingly pushing you away. When all is said and done, they will be forever known as the one person you couldn’t get to love you. Unfortunately, it will hurt and sting worse than the good ones, the ones that chopped up your meat for you and picked out an eyelash from your eye and were nice to your mother, because love often feels like a game we need to win. And when we lose, when we realize we couldn’t get what we ultimately desired from a person, it makes us feel like a failure and erases all the memories of those who loved us in the past. It’s a permanent smudge on your love resume.

You will fall in love with someone for one night and one night only. They’ll come to you when you need them and be gone in the morning when you don’t. At first, this will make you feel empty and you’ll try to convince yourself that you could’ve loved this person for longer than a night, but you can’t. Some people are just meant to make cameo appearances, some are destined to be a pithy footnote. That’s okay though. Not every person we love has to stick around. Sometimes it’s better to leave while you’re still ahead. Sometimes it’s better to leave before you get unloved.

You will fall in love with the old couple down the street because to you they represent the impossible: a stable, long-lasting love. You’re trying to get someone to like you for more than ten minutes. A monogamous “never get sick of ya” love seems unfathomable. “What’s your secret, sir? Do you just say yes a lot?”

You will fall in love with smells, the good and the bad kind. You will want to wear your lovers shirt because it makes you feel close to them and you’re okay with being that PYSCHO who is legitimately sniffing their shirt in public. You will fall in love with sweat, certain perfumes, the smell of the season in which you fell in love. This particular love smells like fall. It smells like Halloween and a roaring fire and leaves and fog and mist and candy and food and family and whiskey and sex and the lint that collects on sweaters. When it ends, if it ends, you will never experience another fall without thinking of him, her, it. The memories will stick to the ground like a mound of leaves and will only dissipate when the weather drops.

You will fall in love with your friends. Deep, passionate love. You will create a second family with them, a kind of tribe that makes you feel less vulnerable. Sometimes our families can’t love us all the time. Sometimes we’re born into families who don’t know how to love us properly. They do as much as they can but the rest is up to our friends. They can love you all the time, without judgement. At least the good ones can.

This is where I’m supposed to tell you that you will fall in love with The One, a person who isn’t too cold or too nice. Their “O” face is perfectly fine and they’re not afraid to show how much they love you. This person is supposed to wait for us at the end of the twentysomething road as some kind of reward for all the heartache and loneliness. We deserve them. We’ve earned this kind of love.

So fine. You’re going to fall in love with The One. You’re going to fall in love with someone who will make sense beyond college or a job or a particular season. They’ll make sense forever and won’t ever want to leave you behind. I’m telling you this not because it’s true but because it NEEDS to be true. Everyone is entitled to this kind of love, so why not? Have it. It’s yours. Blow out the candles on your 30th birthday, holding their hand, and let out an exhale that’s been waiting for ten years. Do it. Now.



{Author: Ryan O'Connell}