Costa Rica was never part of the plan

I'm not exactly a sun-worshipping beach-goer. Don't get me wrong, I do love a warm sunny day with a cool breeze and salt air. Cool being the operative word here. Beaches are beautiful, crashing waves are hypnotic and the ocean is inviting. not to mention the healing it can provide, both physically and emotionally. But before I get into all of that, here's a link I'd like to share to my newly published book: Travels With Tribulations

Since we converted our Sprinter in March 2017, we've trekked across the US several times. After having visited all of the lower 48, there are a few states we would avoid completely if it weren't for loved ones calling thoses places home. Texas is one such place. The details as to why I would avoid Texas are for another time, one reason we return to Texas is because my son Franklin and his wife lived there.

During one of our visits, Franklin and Alisha shared with us their plan to buy property in Costa Rica. They talked about exotic fruit trees and little casitas. Outwardly, I was very excited for them. inwardly I was was very nervous and felt a sense of doom. I still can't quite put my finger on why. Maybe it was the idea of the distance, maybe it was the uncertainty of them living outside of the US or maybe it was the feeling that it would be another loss to contend with. I kept those inward feelings to myself the best that I could.

Between that visit and this next adventure Darin and I had busy with our own plans. You might recall that I broke my ankle in Italy. Unfortunately it took a full year for me to convince the doctors here in the states that it was actually broken. Yes, you read that right. So after a year, the damage of a bone fragment banging around in there meant surgery, shaving off of another bone and a painful recovery. During that year, Darin also needed another hip replaced. Oh boy were we a pair of gimpers! Those surgeries came on the heels of a major house remodel.

One of the benefits of moving to the Pacific Northwest was being closer to my youngest brother Nigel. We didn't grow up together, so being able to spend more time with him and Kathy would be a huge bonus. Then came the news that Nigel planned to retire and move to Bulgaria, which prompted that Europian visited. After our return from Bulgaria, Darin needed a knee replacement - another surgery! This is getting out of hand.

Before I knew it Franklin is calling to tell me they've sold their house and they're moving to Costa Rica! Wait! This is all moving to fast for me. I wanted time to stop for a minute or a decade. I felt like too may things were slipping through my fingers. I felt like loss was all I could focus on. I lashed out, unfortunately I lashed out at the person closest to me. My husband. Fortunately, he could see I was in a state and he did what he does and he stepped in to help by saying, "Let's go to Costa Rica"..

So on April 1st, 2025, we did just that. We flew from Seattle to Houston to San Jose Costa Rica and hopped on a little regional puddle-jumper to Quepos. As we were coming in for the landing I began to understand. The simplicity was right there laid out in front of me. Then I saw Franklin and all my feelings of loss were replaced with pride and excitement.

Franklin had arranged an AirBNB for us to stay in during our visit that had a swimming pool. We were a short walk up the road from their house and a short drive from the beach. Our AirBNB hosts were eccentric, the property was a tree-lined oasis that was perfect for us to reconnect and see the beauty of the tropical environment that Franklin now calls home.

Franklin had warned us that it wasn't an ideal time to visit, it was going to be warmer than I like and possibly rainy. For the next seven days we were treated to fresh coconut water, exotic fruit, sandy beaches, mountainous terrain, weird bamboo with line and hook fishing, and some of the best New York style pizza you could ask for.

We visited the property that they had previously told us about during that trip through Texas and could see right away why they made this crazy decision to relocate. The place is magical, fruit trees everywhere, greenery everywhere, fresh air everywhere, beauty everywhere. Franklin and Alisha are both experienced sky-divers, scubadivers and getting better at surfing now that they are near the beach. A number of years ago the four of us went paragliding over Black's Beach in San Diego County. That's the new hobby they have taken up in Costa Rica, so we went to see some fellow paragliders take off for a day of sailing around the cliffs and over the ocean.

We took a day trip to Paraiso Quetzal Lodge for a nice hike, a bit of bird watching and a wonderful lunch. Birding is big in Costa Rica apparently, I know nothing about birds but I occasionally get pictures of brightly colored exotic birds that they seek out and find myself going down a rabbit hole on the internet trying to learn more.

After a week of soaking up all the time with Franklin and Alisha that we could, the road was calling. It was time to leave. Boarding the plane heading home my heart was filled with feelings of joy and pride, happiness that my son was boldly following his dreams with a partner in life that was just as bold.

Seasons of life will continue to challenge us, whether we want that or not, we just have to decide how we will respond to those challenges.

Here's a photo dump of our time in Costa Rica and here's a link to my newly published ebook: Travels With Tribulations amazon.com/author/therollingstowes.com