For the past few days I’ve been debating what the best thing about vacation could be narrowed down to.  Is it the lack of snow and the 90 degree sun that replaced it?  Is it the complete lack of decisions that I need to make?  Is it my adorable man friend strutting around in his speedo?  I cannot put my finger on it.

I had been counting down the days to head out to Costa Rica since we booked our plane tickets a month prior, wondering what it would look like, what we would do, see, experience.  But since I have not fully practiced fortune telling, there was no telling until it happened.

And then we got to the airport in Chicago at 4am and Ryan and his dad started talking about the time Ryan walked through an airport with assault rifles (military reasons, people) and I was like Well I guess I won’t be going on vacation since they clearly are not going to let us through security.  And then I squeaked out in a frantic voice, “Can you guys talk about that later when we are not in or near an airport?”

Thankfully they let us on and Ryan met a baby and stole it from the lady next to us, so he was temporarily preoccupied.

We avoided all of the most fearful things of travel: snow storm delays, short layovers that lead to missing flights, losing luggage, but we came close to each.  So when we finally arrived to San Jose, Costa Rica, we high-fived each other in jubilee, hopped in the cab for our hour ride to Jaco, and stopped for a six pack of Costa Rican beer to enjoy on the way.  Because we could.

Blah blah blah, we stopped and saw T-rex sized crocodiles that I couldn’t get good photographs of…now here are pictures of the trip thus far:

view  of the Pacific Ocean from our spot at the pool

first sunset (awwww)

With his speedo and my nearly uncontrollable hoo-has, we fit in quite well here.

(self-explanatory)

me getting a massage on the beach, with all my side-boob glory

flea market coconuts, rum not included

And tonight we are going to celebrate the engagement of Ryan’s brother, Steve and his beautiful fiance, Jaime.  This morning Ryan wandered in to the bedroom Jaime and I share after she went out for a run on the beach with Steve.  We had dozed off and woke up to Jaime knocking quietly, and then throwing the door open and jumping on us shouting, “I’m engaged!”  To which we responded with screams (okay, that was just from me) and hugs and tears and joy.  It was the most beautiful 7am wake-up I’ve ever experienced.

Coming down here, I totally expected to get a killer tan, but this vacation has also had so many unexpected surprises.  From the people we’ve met (including, but not limited to the crazy New York boys, Brian from Canada, all of the local Ticos, and Steve and Jaime’s dear friends Chelsea and Robb) to Steve putting a ring on it after cordially dating the woman of his dreams for five years.  It’s been a trip that has warmed up my frigid Michigan heart to the very core.

And it’s not over.

With my rum and coke, from me to you,

Cheers