(Written one day after, during my flight home)
Twenty four hours ago I was enjoying vegan pizza at a luxury hotel outside Manuel Antonio National Park after swimming in the green-blue waters on the beach. Looking underwater at the tropical fish in the reefs, looking into tide pools, taking care to avoid stepping on the tiny scuttling hermit crabs, and watching squirrel monkeys race through the trees. I never thought I’d get to see the places in calendars and travel pamphlets, but I finally did.
I started my last day with a 5am run on the beach in Jaco before we left for Manuel Antonio. Everyone was tired from the sun later in the day (and the sunburns) and wanted to get to bed early for our flight the next morning. We had our last dinner at the same place we had our first, the hotel in San Jose. I gave Mario a drawing I did of the first frog we found, with everyone’s signatures – he absolutely loved it, just as I’d hoped. Of all the aspects of Costa Rica I’m going to miss, I’m going to miss him the most.
Hasta proxima vez, Costa Rica.
