Costa Rica-- 10 Year Anniversary/MBA graduation trip

This trip has been talked about for years and we finally pulled it off! In celebration of ten wonderful years of marriage and finishing grad school, we spent seven dreamy days in Costa Rica! Really, it was dreamy! More than we could have hoped for, absolutely delightful! Mike and I kept looking at each other and saying, "Can you believe we're really doing this? We don't do stuff like this!" But we did, and we loved it!

When I say this trip has been talked about for years, I don't mean just between me and Mike. Camie and I have probably talked and dreamed about the trip just as much as Mike and I have! Matt and Camie were married the same week Mike and I were married. (I wonder how often twins get married that close together.) We love having a twin couple and we were so excited to travel with Matt and Cam on such a great trip!

We were on the Pacific coast of Costa Rica at a perfect resort in Playa Flamingo. Moments after arriving, we had drinks in our hands and we were giddy about the days that lay ahead. Without children and on the beach, we couldn't believe it!
Every restaurant we went to had excellent food (thanks to our travel guide book!) and a very charming and romantic atmosphere. Each morning, we'd get up and go for a run, then meet up with Matt and Cam for breakfast. Then off for a day of whatever we wanted to do! We loved having a general plan for each day, but knowing we could do whatever we wanted to do whenever we wanted to do it. Our first full day we spent at our beach next to the resort. Mike and I had massages on the beach as our graduation gift to each other, it was perfect!

There was a lot of reading on this trip! I think half of Camie's bag was full of books! As boring as it might seem, I think we all really enjoyed laying down with a good book.

We took a risk and planned our trip to Costa Rica during the rainy season. What this really means is that every afternoon the clouds roll in and it sprinkles for a few minutes. So, we pull the chairs under the tiki hut and wait out the "storm".

I love this picture, mainly because it shows how beautiful our view was from our breakfast table!

On Thursday, we headed out for an ATV ride along the beach, through villages, and into the jungle for our canopy tour. We loved not taking the tourist bus and getting to see some of the countryside, it was beautiful!

This was such an awesome experience! I've always dreamed of flying and this is the closest I've come! We loved flying through the jungle upside down, like superman, and hearing the howler monkeys howl.
Camie was in her prime in Costa Rica! Cam and I both enjoy chatting with those around us and hearing other people's story. She taught high school Spanish, loves using the language, was quick to chat with any of the locals, and quickly made friends with our canopy tour guides. After our tour, one of the guides climbed up on a roof and picked fresh mangoes for us. We washed them and ate them on the spot, best mangoes I've ever had!
On our way back from the canopy tour, our guide stopped at a grove of cashew trees. Cashews grow one nut on a piece of fruit. He picked a few pieces of the fruit and we all had to give it a try. Sweet but starchy.
That night we went to the most romantic beautiful restaurant, Mar y Sol. It was up a windy road at the the top of a hill and thus had an amazing view. The food was just as amazing as the view, and so was the company. We had such a lovely evening!

In the evenings we'd talk and play games. I loved this! We love Matt and Camie and no matter what we do, we just have fun being with them.
Here's the view from our morning run, so beautiful!
These twin brothers happen to be working for direct competitors! We'll see who can win over the family this summer by bringing the most free cereal to the family reunion!

Friday, we went to Tamarindo to do some shopping and then headed to Playa Grande for an afternoon/evening at the beach. It was a gorgeous beach, quiet, romantic.

One of the best parts about traveling with your twin couple is that you have someone who snaps a picture like this for you. Such a great memory walking and talking with my honey on the beach. I love this man!

These two spent a lot of time body surfing in the ocean and loved it! They were so happy riding wave after wave...until the school of sting rays joined them, which happened on a few occasions!
Here they are scoping out the waters to see if they have any unwelcomed friends out there.
I really love this girl! Cam and I are very different, yet the same in so many ways. I am so grateful for the relationship we have, she's truly a sister. I admire Cam's passion for education and motherhood and I often go to her to talk through those parenting moments that stump me. She's creative and bright and I always love to hear what she's got going on, it's always something good! We finally pulled off our vacation together, maybe someday we can finally pull off living near each other!
Sunday, we went to church in Liberia and then drove 16 km on the bumpiest road to El Rincon de la vieja- an active volcano! We didn't hike the volcano (as it was a full days hike), but we did enjoy a great six mile round trip hike to a hidden waterfall.


Monday morning we found ourselves at the airport. Yes, this is the airport. No walls, a windmill fan above, and a one stall bathroom for the women!

We had a wonderful week! We loved every minute!

Favorites not pictured:

Getting attacked by taxi drivers when we stepped out of the airport

Our awesome clown car

"I may have woken up, but I didn't wake up yesterday!"--Matt

negotiating our price for ATV/canopy tour with Matt and Mike standing by

Mike and Matt screaming like girls running from sting rays

Um, an $84 phone call...

Catching a lizard in our hotel room!

Superman on the canopy tour

Great drinks- pina, guarana, mango, orange fanta, fresca, etc.! Yum!

Leaving Playa Grande in the dark, the whole road covered with crabs that didn't scatter!

Leaving half of lunch at our hotel when we went to hike the volcano. Pineapple jam sandwiches

Birds thieving breakfast foods

Searching tirelessly for the bascilis lizard (that only live in Costa Rica) for our boys

My suitcase handle getting stuck up on the first flight to Atlanta.

Matt's hot chocolate EVERY morning

There's probably much more, but this is the longest post of my life!