CELEBRATING MY BIRTHDAY WITH FRIENDS IN COSTA RICA

This trip was all about spending time with my girlfriends and experiencing "Pura Vida. Pura Vida means pure life. I was gradually more and more enchanted with this saying that can mean a variety of things from good friends, hello, goodbye and many other interpretations. Most of all it means what it says. I love the saying so much I think I'll keep it going here in SF with my close friends. I was very surprised by the differences between Mexico and Costa Rica. This trip was a genuine vacation from being cold, commercialism, TV, cell phones and basically life in SF. It was incredible and I have learned so much about myself as well as gained insight into a culture that has always been intriguing to me.

Some moments that caught my eye.

I love clouds and flying! From five years old on I flew back to Norway for the summers and I believed that if I jumped into the clouds it would be the softest landing beyond anything I had ever experienced. Softer than a down comforter and my huge white cats fur. This was taken from an eight seater flying from San Jose to Quepos. I love small planes. I always sit right up front and watch the pilots master each and every dial and switch. This was my favorite cloud formation.

Every young mother seemed to want an American name for her child. Leonard along with his mother and father live here in this small room without a door. Children's hide and seek is universal. I adored playing with Leonard and talking with his mother. Somehow they have a TV. Although they are about a 30 minute drive from the main road and then an hour drive to anywhere with food they did not have a car. Her husband wound up the horses for us to go horse back riding and look at the properties for sale.

Just about everything not already sold to a European or a an American "Gringo" was for sale and the prices were pretty steep! The time to buy was 5 years ago at least. The locals call themselves "Ticos" and this means native Costa Ricans. They call the Nicaraguan's "Nicos".

These eleven year old students were so much fun. They warmed my heart with their honest and open kindness with each other. Juan Luis in the middle is almost too darling for words.

Kassandra Perez with her neighbors dog. She is ten years old and bursting with creativity.

Her smile is alive with tropical life.