Livin' it up in Costa Rica

Thursday Throwback Costa Rican Style

{well Friday... sorry about that.}

{Please excuse the thumbs up & ridiculous face. I was in highschool people. AND those bananas were hecka heavy. So I really did deserve a thumbs up. ;p Also, please excuse this awkward stage I was going through with my looks at this point in life. }

In 2005 I was so blessed to go to the amazingly beautiful country of 

Costa Rica. 

And the best part, I got to go with my two best friends in highschool, Noellia and Juliette.

Costa Rica might be one of my favorite places ever! 

It's an amazing country and there is so much to do!! I experienced months worth of excitement in only 2 weeks.

Noellia's family is from Costa Rica so we got to experience Costa Rica in authentic Costa Rican style. We stayed in her families' homes, {which were gorgeous}, learned spanish from her grandpa, and ate plantains and cheese cooked by her grandma. And we got local prices & insider access on all the fun, touristy stuff. 

There are so many fun pictures that I don't have on the computer! I didn't buy a digital camera until a year later. These babies were all disposable.

 Hence the fantastic quality. 

We stayed at her families farm house, where we lounged on hammocks and drank coconut juice from the coconut tree in their front yard. Their farm house had a great view of the active, Arenal volcano in La Fortuna. 

We went skinny dipping in the Arenal Lagoon (where the lava flows) and visited some super relaxing hot springs.

Isn't it beautiful?! Postcard perfect.

Shark eye view.

We stayed at her families beach house on Punto Leona.

We lounged in the sun on the beach, at her families pool, and visited local discos.

Costa Rica is a terrific place for growing coffee! (Obvs.) The mountains are painted with lush green coffee bushes. 

We had a great time visiting and learning about the coffe process at the Doka Estate Coffee Plantation.

 Picking coffee cherries. 

We visited a market, opera house and museum in Heredia. 

This is the fat lady of the Market. 

 We had a great time at the Botanical Gardens. 

Noellia, me and Juliette. 

You may recognize Juliette from her Bachelorette party I threw in January.

We call this our bridesmaids picture. We used to say we'd all be in each other's weddings.

Juliette was my maid of honor and I was hers! 

Noellia is living her dream in New York. 

She's an amazing singer, actress and performer.

Funny thing, I used these exact same flowers for our wedding, blue hydrangeas. 

I never knew how obsessed I was with hydrangeas until our wedding and now I'm in love with them. They're just a really gorgeous flower.

I loved seeing all the tropical plants and animals everywhere! 

These iguanas ran around like the boring geckos do in Texas. They were all over the place! 

We also saw monkeys and lots of cool birds.

 We visited an old cathedral.

 A night on the town in Costa Rica. 

They have so many fun discos and bars there. I am not a "bar" person but in Costa Rica they were fun! More like discos.

And there is no drinking age.

 Every where we went, to dinner, to the museum, where ever, we drank fun girly drinks, like pina coladas, and our favorite, rum, diet coke and lime. 

For ridiculously cheap.

 We went white water rafting. After every major rapid we would put our paddles together and say "Pura Vida!"At one point, they pulled the rafts over and cut up fresh fruit for a mid day snack. 

 We horse-backed up a mountain and zip lined down.

We also climbed the Paos Volacano to look down into the crater. 

Read the entire 6th Harry Potter during the afternoon rains.

And left a day late to stand in line at Midnight to get it.

Went to an authentic rodeo.

Rode in a cart pulled by a legit ox. 

Hiked through a million year old rain forest.

And listened to Noellia's precious grandpa tell us over and over,

"English is an important language. But Spanish is the next most important."

We had a fantastic time. I am dying to go back to Costa Rica, espcially with Zachary. I know he would love it! And I know you would, too!

If you haven't been to Costa Rica, put it on the list! Trust me. 

You won't regret it!

Pura Vida!

 Saying good bye from the plane to Costa Rica.