Our last two days on Playa Guiones were spent surfing beautiful, big glassy waves! It was so refreshing to have soft, clean waves to ride and a manageable paddle out to the outside. The sunsets were absolutely stunning. I couldn't have asked for a better way to end my travels. I am now back in California where the cool ocean air, with all of the wonderful smells, reminds me of where home is. Jackie returned to Cape Cod to live her last summer there before she too makes the California coast her home base! As I gradually become reacquainted with my [View Full Entry]

---

---

It's my last week of travel and guess who shows up at my door in Costa Rica? Mi Hermana!!! All of my family did a great job concealing the surprise visit from Jackie. In some ways the shock still hasn't worn off yet. It turned out to be a bitter-sweet reunion for us. Sadly, our dog Abbey passed away on June 20th and Jackie felt it was best to tell me in person. Our time together proved to be a period of healing for us both. We know in our hearts that Abbey wanted Jackie to be free and for her [View Full Entry]

---

---

Hola, Sorry for the near week delay in contact, but i´m still adjusting to my shift from Nicaragua to Costa Rica. I made my way down South and crossed the border using the chicken bus system, which proved to be painless, cheap, and of course entertaining! I met mi amiga, Darcie, at the Liberia airport and have been staying at an upscale 2-bed, 2-bath condo that she rented. Needless to say, i am still in culture shock. What a stark contrast to sleeping in a 8-person dorm with a shared bathroom that often times didnt work! All of the peeps i [View Full Entry]

---

---

Hi everyone! Thank you so much for the sweet comments and positive feedback about my entries. They feel good when I´m in need of something familiar. Well, i just returned from the isla de Ometepe. For those who aren´t familiar, it is the island of circles and spirals located in Lake Nicaragua. The indigenous ancestors of Nicaragua, called the Nahualts, referred to this island of two volcanoes as the promised land and as the geographic heart of their country. This location was believed to be where their gods existed and no one was allowed to walk the island back in the [View Full Entry]

---

---

Hola mi familia y amigos, On Sat. I completed my spanish lessons (20 hours) with my teacher, Juan Jose Garanja. I am beyond pleased with the results. I´ll admit, i was a bit overwhelmed at first, but they paid off. I am now able to speak in all of the tenses and my vocabulary continues to build. As a thank you to mi maestro, i promised to show him how to do yoga. He loved it and was determined to do his sun salutations every day before he surfed or ran. I met my ausie friend at playa maderas and got [View Full Entry]

---

---

Buenas Dias! i am finally here in san juan del sur at the casa oro hostel. i spent about 2 hours in line at customs the morning i arrived in managua due to the extra details of screening people with a heat-sensored camera to detect possible flu symptoms??? for those of you who know me and my minor anal retentive ways- you could imagine how crazy i was thinking my nica driver was going to leave me at the airport since so much time had passed. But, wouldn´t you know it, there was juan standing with his face pressed against the [View Full Entry]

---

---

I finally pulled the trigger and committed! I bought my airline ticket to Central America for the summer. I'll be leaving San Francisco the night of June 14th, 2009 on an overnight flight to Managua, Nicaragua. As of now, the plan is to head for San Juan Del Sur on the Southern Pacific Coast. I'll be staying at the Casa Oro Hostel to start while I brush up on my Spanish at the Nica Spanish Language School close by. Of course I'll be spending most of my time at Playa Maderas and other fun surf spots. I'd also like to check [View Full Entry]

---

---

I finally made it out to visit Jackie on the North Shore of Kauai. She had already been living and working on Hanalei Bay for 3 months. We spent most of our time in Hanalei. The surf was small so we went out on an out-rigger canoe for the first time. It was a laughing-fit from the start. Eventually, flipped it and lost a pair of Electrics-definitely worth it though! She took me up to KeKe beach, where the Kalalau Trail head begins. Unfortunately, we didn't have enough time to hike the trail into the valley. Instead, we hiked up to [View Full Entry]

---

---

My fiance (at the time) and I completed the 4-day Inca Trail trek to Machu Picchu and arrived on a spectacular, sunny New Year's Day 2008. The following day we were married by a Quechuan shaman in Aguas Caliente. It was a private, traditional Andean ceremony and the only other person there was a Quechuan translator. We also exchanged our own personal vows and rings before departing to the Sacred Valley together. The rest of the trip involved exploring the Sacred Valley and celebrating in Cusco! The Inca Trail was by far the most memorable. The intensity of the trek (especially [View Full Entry]

---

---

Primal Quest Expedition Race 2006 took place in the hot desert of Moab, UT. My husband (boyfriend at the time) was a member of Team Nautilus and completed the 500 mile trek, bike, kayak, & ropes course on the eighth day. During the race, I flew into Utah and explored the area. Arches National Park was indeed a highlight. An even greater highlight occurred at the finish-line. As Team Nautilus was interviewed by the race officials, Paul took the opportunity to call me up on stage, knelt down, removed a ring that was hanging on his neck, and gave me a [View Full Entry]

---

---