Costa Rica
It's amazing what solo travel can do for a person and I highly recommend all to travel solo; not meeting up with a group of friends or knowing someone in the destination you are traveling to but, just pure solo travel. Regardless of age or where your mindset is, just go for the experience! This year for my birthday, I travelled to Puerto Viejo Costa Rica, a country that I heard so many pleasurable memories about and wanted to experience it for myself. I stayed at the Samasati Rainforest Retreat and Sanctuary and I'm not going to lie, upon my arrival, I was ready for my trip to be over! I was overwhelmed with fear as I made the steep, bumpy ride up the hill to the rainforest sanctuary and while the ride was a fun filled Indiana Jones adventure, when I was taken to my guesthouse and the door to my room opened I said, "Fuck, what did I just sign myself up for!" The noises of the rainforest kept me up most of the night and the humidity had me tossing and turning but on my second day, I was able to venture off into town and really explore the culture, and boy did I love what I seen. Fruit vendors peddling plantains and pineapple, small children climbing on top of tables, the salty smell of the ocean and flavorful sounds of reggae and cumbia music filled the air...I was finally understanding the meaning of "Pura Vida". When I arrived back to Samasati, I just sat in the dining area, overlooking the rainforest with views of the ocean in the distant and it finally hit me, I had to become disconnected in this sanctuary in order to reconnect with myself! And while I won't go into depth of what that means to me (another post perhaps) I appreciated it and would highly recommend staying at Samasati if you are looking for that same reconnection because it is a remarkable place for peace, cultivating new relationships with other people that may be on the same journey as you are as well as gaining clarity. And if you do go, be sure to take a yoga class because let me tell you, you haven't experienced yoga until you have taken it in the rainforest with nothing but nature sounds and Howler Monkeys as your guide. Costa Rica was truly a treat for me, I loved eating the fresh fish and drinking a freshly made fruit juice everyday, I loved exploring the town; bike riding from one beach to the next with Bob Marley and Seu Jorge as my background music as well as ziplining in the jungle! I appreciated the different way of life and fully understanding the meaning of Pura Vida, a saying that I will definitely adopt and incorporate in my day to day life! Costa Rica, thank you for opening my eyes and my heart!
