Costa Rica for Six Weeks
I am darn lucky to be able to spend the worst six weeks of Canadian winter in Tamarindo, Costa Rica.
We've worked hard to be able to afford this but hubby and I do appreciate our good fortune in all the reasons we are able to do this.
First off, we are relatively healthy. I am perfectly healthy and hubby has made a magnificent recovery from his emergency aortic dissection of two years ago. We came very close to losing him and he was sick for over a year but we have him back and, although travel insurance cost us an arm and a leg we budgeted for it which brings us to our second blessing.
We can afford it.
We've run a construction business together for close to twenty years and made some decisions based on knowledge and experience but, not coincidently, also based on trust, generosity and love. Yes, love! I do not take credit for this as I've always had a love/hate relationship with Hubby's generosity. He is always the guy to pick up the tab or to bring twenty four beer to a party and only drink two. He will order a bottle for the table and a round for the boys. He lends out our equipment, cleans the snow for everyone he can and cuts the grass in the neighbor's ditch because said neighbour is fearful of tipping his lawn tractor.
In the past I often felt that he was taken advantage of.
Over the years I've learned to love his way of being despite the time and money he spends. Since we've been together we've seen the family business triple in size and my son is currently in the midst of buying the family business to run it as his own. Hubby hired his stepson during his obnoxious, know-it-all years (my son's; not hubby's). He patiently waited for the savvy business man to emerge and, indeed, it eventually did.
Simply put, the softer side of business has brought so much more success, not to mention, joy than we could have possibly imagined.
On a side note, although I pride myself on having adopted the generosity of spirit I've seen in action, I also am a constant recipient of that loving man's generosity.
OK, so now I've established that I don't take this opportunity for granted.
Because I am who I am, I decided to create a list of rules to follow while in Costa Rica... morning ritual kind of rules, no drinking kind of rules, only toking for sex & ceremony kind of rules. I've followed none of these rules.
I get up at six with the rising sun but, rather than finding a place to watch the sun rise, I've been checking my facebook, twitter and news feeds, playing Luminosity and drinking coffee.
I've been indulging in a light beer and a joint during our hot afternoon card games, the occasional glass of wine with dinner, vodka smoothies in the afternoon, complimentary grappa at the Italian Restaurant we've been frequenting.
I'm obviously drifting back into the daily, obsessive, drinking mode. I am on day 11 of a 41 day vacation which I had hoped would bring me closer to my alter-ego, Little Raven Healer.
Yes, I've been taking long walks alongside the crashing waves at the Playa, reading spiritual books, touching stones, rocks, shells and sand, sitting quietly in nature following my breath.
Yet, I've been getting few gratifying results and am always reaching for numbness.
Am I enjoying myself? I am enjoying myself tremendously. I'm in Costa Rica in winter with a great guy. What's not to enjoy?
Do I hate myself for my failure to follow through on plans yet again? No I do not. The reason is because, yes, I have evolved. I have practiced self-forgiveness enough to actually be able to do it. this is a newly acquired skill though. I now believe that, although I am not perfect, neither is anyone else... yet we are all uniquely perfect in our own flawed way.
Maybe this lack of self-reproach can be the launch pad of my success with the remainder of my Costa Rican experience.
Maybe I will try to live the next thirty days sober and (mostly) straight. I do not feel that weed used in ceremony or for lovemaking is a bad thing.
No promises but I do commit to reporting back.
Pura Vida!
We've worked hard to be able to afford this but hubby and I do appreciate our good fortune in all the reasons we are able to do this.
First off, we are relatively healthy. I am perfectly healthy and hubby has made a magnificent recovery from his emergency aortic dissection of two years ago. We came very close to losing him and he was sick for over a year but we have him back and, although travel insurance cost us an arm and a leg we budgeted for it which brings us to our second blessing.
We can afford it.
We've run a construction business together for close to twenty years and made some decisions based on knowledge and experience but, not coincidently, also based on trust, generosity and love. Yes, love! I do not take credit for this as I've always had a love/hate relationship with Hubby's generosity. He is always the guy to pick up the tab or to bring twenty four beer to a party and only drink two. He will order a bottle for the table and a round for the boys. He lends out our equipment, cleans the snow for everyone he can and cuts the grass in the neighbor's ditch because said neighbour is fearful of tipping his lawn tractor.
In the past I often felt that he was taken advantage of.
Over the years I've learned to love his way of being despite the time and money he spends. Since we've been together we've seen the family business triple in size and my son is currently in the midst of buying the family business to run it as his own. Hubby hired his stepson during his obnoxious, know-it-all years (my son's; not hubby's). He patiently waited for the savvy business man to emerge and, indeed, it eventually did.
Simply put, the softer side of business has brought so much more success, not to mention, joy than we could have possibly imagined.
On a side note, although I pride myself on having adopted the generosity of spirit I've seen in action, I also am a constant recipient of that loving man's generosity.
OK, so now I've established that I don't take this opportunity for granted.
Because I am who I am, I decided to create a list of rules to follow while in Costa Rica... morning ritual kind of rules, no drinking kind of rules, only toking for sex & ceremony kind of rules. I've followed none of these rules.
I get up at six with the rising sun but, rather than finding a place to watch the sun rise, I've been checking my facebook, twitter and news feeds, playing Luminosity and drinking coffee.
I've been indulging in a light beer and a joint during our hot afternoon card games, the occasional glass of wine with dinner, vodka smoothies in the afternoon, complimentary grappa at the Italian Restaurant we've been frequenting.
I'm obviously drifting back into the daily, obsessive, drinking mode. I am on day 11 of a 41 day vacation which I had hoped would bring me closer to my alter-ego, Little Raven Healer.
Yes, I've been taking long walks alongside the crashing waves at the Playa, reading spiritual books, touching stones, rocks, shells and sand, sitting quietly in nature following my breath.
Yet, I've been getting few gratifying results and am always reaching for numbness.
Am I enjoying myself? I am enjoying myself tremendously. I'm in Costa Rica in winter with a great guy. What's not to enjoy?
Do I hate myself for my failure to follow through on plans yet again? No I do not. The reason is because, yes, I have evolved. I have practiced self-forgiveness enough to actually be able to do it. this is a newly acquired skill though. I now believe that, although I am not perfect, neither is anyone else... yet we are all uniquely perfect in our own flawed way.
Maybe this lack of self-reproach can be the launch pad of my success with the remainder of my Costa Rican experience.
Maybe I will try to live the next thirty days sober and (mostly) straight. I do not feel that weed used in ceremony or for lovemaking is a bad thing.
No promises but I do commit to reporting back.
Pura Vida!
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