la vida pura.

in costa rica, they have this phrase:

pura vida.

figuratively, it means almost everything good.
literally, it means "pure life." 

before visiting, 

i always thought that it was some touristy gimmick that they just used to sell tee shirts.

but after spending a few weeks there two summers ago,

i realized that in costa rica, pura vida is a way of happiness-- a way of life.
everyone says it, and everyone means it. 

and right now, 

as i take on a week full of weddings and finals,

i could use a little reminder of that pure life. 

and so my mind wanders...

to the bluest skies,

bananas the size of your fingers,

the most exotic of plant life,

hikes to volcanos, 

the best meal i ever ate,

and a really, really happy anna.

you know what?
i think that the ticos have it right!
life is pure; life is beautiful. 

even when your brain feels so full of anatomy terms that you think it might explode and your right eye has developed a regular, uncontrollable, fatigue-related twitch!

spring break dreams.

sometimes, i just want to take a spring break from my own life.

this week has been exceptionally hard.

the hardest of the semester... even more difficult than those gloomy weeks of tonsillectomy recovery.

and that's saying something.

it's right about now that i just want to escape from everything.

to take a break and fly off to my paradise with my family.

to take a hiatus (i wouldn't be opposed to a year-long hiatus...) to costa rica.

but i also know the importance of hard work.

how after that awful, terribly stressful and emotional week is over,

life will carry on.

and i will be happy.

the hard weeks teach us to appreciate the good.

and are crucial in accomplishing goals.

but maybe, just for a few minutes this weekend, i'll pretend i'm in costa rica, listening to this and this.

and all will be well.

i hope that you have a relaxing weekend.

*photo of tamarindo, costa rica. august 2010.

i fell in love, with the world & you.

still feelin' a bit like this:

good thing it's the weekend, right?

poison dart frogs & benny.

i just came across this photo from the summer, and it made my night.

(sorry for the lack of quality this image possesses...)

benny-

come to utah to visit, por favor?

you're the only one who will jam to passion pit & the very best with me.

love,

zee best older sister, ever.

on a more normal note, how cool is it that we got to play with poison dart frogs in the rain forest?

oh! and i am pretty sure the frog is smiling at the camera in this picture.

costa rica > snow

it snowed today.

not a lot, but enough to accumulate a little on the ground.

and i'm not quite ready to handle the snow.

so consequently,

i couldn't stop dreaming of this place:

so i think it's about time i share some more photos with you!

i am seriously contemplating moving there. seriously.

even the plant life seems happier!

mis amores.

so, i am supposed to be writing a spanish paper at present.

but, it's a little bit tough, when all i'm thinking about is this place and these people:

¿ayudáme, por favor?

the rumors are true.

we met mr. obama while we were down in costa rica!

apparently he finds it a nice vacation spot too?

now i know why costa rica and the u.s. get along so well...

comida.

indeed, there is an explanation behind the...curves... some of us picked up while in costa rica.

explanation #1: the food was killer.

you don't believe me? see for yourself!

explanation #2: i'm fairly confident that i could live off of nothing but casado (typical costa rican dish, see 4th photo from bottom)

and don't worry too much about my eating habits (yet)... i didn't consume all of this on my own. in fact, many of these dishes contain my arch nemesis (ahem, gluten), so i just watched my travel-mates enjoy them.

¡que rico!

lost in translation.

who wouldn't want to go on the "longest & hightes" zipline in costa rica?

yes, this really is a billboard.

hilarious, no?

oh, costa rica.

view from my balcony, la fortuna.

so i must admit, i am feeling a bit spoiled.

i woke up this morning to this view:

seriously, it's unbelievable.

when the fog clears (which is rare... we are in the rainforest, after all), you can see the volcano's mini eruptions.

i'm not much of an earth science person (tectonic plates aren't my thing), but even i catch myself thinking, this is sweet.

after a long, adventuresome day in the jungle, we're set to head back to san jose tomorrow to enjoy city life for a day.

then, it's back home to colorado.

is it fair to say that this trip has gone by too quickly?

ayyyy carumba, i never want to leave!