Starting 2010 with a Bang and a Coconut: Costa Rica
Right.
So this just developed over the past 24 hours. Joel and I will be in Costa Rica in two weeks.
A friend of a friend introduced me to Sam Ahern in this tweet. (Thanks, Tashi!) And we started talking. Facebooking, actually. Ok, actually, I sent her three FB messages in rapid succession because I couldn't believe the similarities between us. The synchronicity was too much to be real. She and I both started school abroad, we're both yoginis, we've both spent significant portions of our lives traveling - we have even visited almost all of the same places in Europe. She used to live in Boulder, Colorado. In fact, her husband is friend's with Joel's second cousin. (I know, right!?)
And, bonus, she's doing the #best09 challenge.
This month Joel took the Voluntary Separation Package when AOL laid off a third of its work force. For us, it's a good thing. With emphasis on the word voluntary.
In between the job he's leaving behind (as a computer programmer for AOL's lifestream platform/formerly Socialthing) and the one he's starting (as a computer programmer for a startup he adores) we knew we wanted to travel. We just weren't sure of the best place to go.
Costa Rica has been on my life list for some time. Sam and her husband Jim are there. And we're going to visit and take them loads of goodies from Boulder.
If you know me in person (Cali? Liz?) please take a moment to go comment on Sam's blog to let her know I'm not coconut crazy IRL. Also, if you've been to Costa Rica and want to share your favorite tips, please do. We bought tickets today - this trip is a go!
Monday, December 21, 2009
Reader Comments (11)
Ahhhhh! HOORAY!!! So happy for you two! Sam doesn't know quite what she's in for.... ;-)
So excited for you, and what a way to start the new year! Not to mention, after this month, you will definitely need some down time. Brava! Oh, and I'm just a wee bit green with envy.
well, well, well. what a small world this huge internet is, and what an amazing way to kick off 2010. have fun! (p.s. will you be finished reading all the best 09 blog entries by then, ya' think?!)
I'm going to be in Costa Rica in a few weeks -- staying in the Arenal Volcano region for five days in mid-January but we'll have a car so we'll be exploring some other parts of the country too. Let me know if you find any hidden gems!
I am serious if you want some last minute help prepping for the trip that I mentioned in a tweet I left you. I have a lot of experience with the country as a field biologist as well as planning for novices when Terry and I invited a bunch of folks down for our destination wedding. You can find me on twitter, e-mail, and my phone number if you still have it. Pura Vida baby, you are going to love your 2 weeks!
You lucky biatch. I guess I should probably tell Sam that if she keeps you away from Tri-tip & PCP then you'll be fine ;)
Ha! Very excited for you (I've heard such lovely things about Costa Rica) and also shaking my head at the finding-a-friend-with-awesome-similarities thing -- thru the Challenge no less!! I met whollyjeanne through your challenge and we keep finding things we have in common - soooo many things - so many head-shaking things...wild what one awesome challenge will do! grateful, grateful, grateful to you!!
ZOMG you are going to love Costa Rica! I lived there in 2001 for six months, pura vida indeed! And I can vouch that you are the good kinds of crazy coconuts. Let me see if I can drum up some info for you via my brain + memory...what fun!
You're gonna LOVE Costa Rica! I am no world travel, but I've been there and it is GORGEOUS! Make sure you go on a rainforest canopy tour while you're there!
That's awesome! I hope you guys have a ton of fun!
Should be great fun, even if you are coconut crazy Gwen!
Cali, thanks for letting me know what we've getting into on my blog and Liz, I'll be sure there is no PCP or the like around.
Jim and I are thrilled to share a little Pura Vida with you and Joel!