Tropical Vacation

Back in the fall of 2019, when Kate mentioned an upcoming yoga/meditation retreat to be held in Costa Rica, the last week of February in 2021, I was all about it. The retreat was a ways off, but I jumped right in and put my deposit down. She waited just a few weeks, then followed suit. I thought it would be an excellent way to celebrate my odometer birthday, which was in March of last year.

We all know what happened next. Long before February of 2021 arrived, no one was going anywhere. However, rather than cancel the event, they pushed it out a year, and when the date rolled back around this time, COVID was under control. Kate and I were thrilled to embark on our long-delayed vacation this past week.

I left last Saturday afternoon. One big plane, one medium plane, a pause to meet up with Kate and grab a few hours of sleep in San Jose, then one small (12-seater) plane and a van ride later, we pulled into the drive of the Hotel Tropico Latino in Santa Teresa, on the Pacific coast.

It was lovely. The hotel looks like something out of a travel brochure, with small cabins scattered about, carved out of the surrounding jungle. There were palm trees and rocky paths, ocean breezes and meals right next to the beach. What more could I ask?

There was yoga most mornings and at night, right before bed. We also had a one hour yoga study session each afternoon right before dinner, but other than that, our time was our own. 

The larger group went on several excursions, but I skipped all but the zip-line trip, figuring the heat and too much sun would rob me of any joy I'd get from snorkeling or hiking in the jungle. The zip-lining, though, THAT was worth it. I've always wanted to jump out of a tall tree!

Kate and I got to play in the warm ocean waves several mornings after breakfast, before the sun got too strong. There was less retreat and more vacation on the trip than we'd anticipated, but we didn't let that bother us - turns out we are more than capable of formulating our own questions and looking within for the answers. We spent several memorable afternoons sitting in the shade, eyes feasting on the waves just a few feet away, bodies reveling in the caress of the warm ocean breeze, delving into the answers we'd found for our self-assigned retreat questions. 

It's been ten years since my cancer surgery, seven since Kate started her own journey down that hard and bumpy road. That we are both still here, our relationship made stronger by our shared pain, is a gift beyond measure. 

How do I describe the joy I feel when I think of the relationship Kate and I have forged in the fires of the past ten years? I never got to know my mom as an adult, a peer; I have no model for how to be a mom to an adult. Yet somehow, we've figured it out. She has patience with my foibles; I delight in her wisdom.

And. And. To have a week out of time, to rest, to share, to deepen our connection. *happy sigh*

Good Is!