The richest weekend doesn't require much "labor"...

Lazy Saturday morning. 

Mander and single serving vanilla cake eaten with our fingers. 9.99 wine at the QFC in "Korea town". "Oh, Oh, Oh!" 4 best friends celebrating friendship, laughing mercilessly at clogged toilets, celebrating with family, mojito's and fake spilled wine glasses, mustache's and love at the Almero's beautiful home. FLIP CUP! "DJ Got Us Fallin' in Love", Usher. Bal-Mar bar-tender and bar-keep friends. Active rainy Sunday. 

3 incredible waterfalls. Snoqualmie Falls. Twin Falls (rain). Gloomy gray and beautiful, treacherous for dogs, Franklin Falls (down pour). The Cure, REM, Toad the Wet Sprocket, Journey, Coldplay. 

Life is a smorgasborg of wonderfullness! 

March

I can't believe it's March already. I just returned, what seems just a few days ago from Montana, to surprise my mom for her 62nd birthday! Montana was so much fun! I surprised my mom the day before her birthday, with a basket of flowers that told her I was coming the next day. Then I drove from sunny, green Seattle to dry, brown Missoula...but one good thing is that the sunshine followed me. I just couldn't get it to follow me back! Hmmm.

I was able to spend great time with LeeAnn Pohlman, Kylie Barnes and dear sweet smiling Cora (her gorgeous daughter) and then had girls night with Jess and Rach. These women, and a couple others that I didn't have time to see, bring life to Missoula for me. Not to mention my dear parents. It's always so good to go home...but so sweet to return to Seattle. I wish I could bring them home with me.   :)

But now I'm back in my beloved Seattle and it's spring here!!! Everything is always green to a certain extent but now everything is vibrant green! And pink. And white. And red. The trees are in full bloom with every color of flower and new green buds that are starting to unfurl into vibrant leaves. The "easter egg" tree behind my apartment is full of pink easter-egg shaped, and sized, flowers. It greets me every morning as I wake up. I will say, my heart is full of life and green things...new beginnings and buds of life for the future. I can feel the winter melting away, the smell of spring and the warmth of the sun kiss my face and my heart. I caught myself giggling relentlessly last night and couldn't stop laughing at a random act of silliness.

Today was such a fabulous day. I slept in, had a great 6 mile walk around Green Lake in the wonderful sunshine, a veggie lunch and then I went and hit tennis balls to practice my serve and then had a much needed massage. And now, blogging. I think I'll hop in the shower and hit the hay! C'est La Vie!

Milestones and stilettos...

I am officially, legally, back to Emily Jackson as of December 29th. It has been a bittersweet process but precious to be able to find myself again and remember how full life can be. I will also, officially, and legally be 30 years old this Friday! :) A lot of people keep asking me how I feel about this birthday coming up. They say, "Oh, I dreaded my 30th!"

My early 20's were like that feeling I had in highschool, maybe it was junior high, but anyways, the feeling you get when you put on your first pair of high heels. It doesn't feel right. You feel like you're not old enough or sophisticated enough to rock 'em with confidence. But you do, because you want to and it's exciting to feel like a woman, or at least try and act like one. I tried to act like a woman in my 20's. I did the college thing, I partied, I started a career, I got married, I acted out of my insecurities and selfishness, I got divorced.

Let's just say that over the last year or so, I have been able to rock a pair of stilettos with confidence and beauty (at least I hope so)! :) But I feel like a woman inside, whether I'm wearing heels or not. Don't get me wrong, I loved my 20's, but it's the 20's that are gonna make the 30's even better. I learned so much about being a woman, and not just pretending to be a woman, or slipping on a sexy pair of heels, but really what it means to be a woman of integrity, of love, of commitment, of value, of self-worth, of intrigue, of varied interests and goals...no matter what pair of shoes I slip into that morning.

So, in response to the inevitable question, "Emily, how do you feel about turning 30?" I'm so excited! and I'm excited for 31, 32, 33... I'm excited for the rest of my life! It really is true, life has always been, and will always be SWEET, no matter what age I am.

A New Year, A New Life but really, just back to ME!

I'm sitting here after a long day of errands, my bi-annual doctor appointment, education for work and my first tennis practice with a women's tennis team. I'm exhausted. My house is a disaster, I don't have a husband or children and I can't even keep it clean. How do my mommy and wifey friends do it? You girls are amazing. Seriously.

I had a good day though. Actually, it's been a good but weird month. I've been sad but incredibly happy at the same time. Maybe the Seattle winter plays a bigger part on my mood than I realize. Sad for me=no change in personality, just more sleep! I don't know how to describe it...I guess I'm mourning loss and looking forward to living life to the fullest. I'm remembering the passions I used to have in life and tackling them with a vengence. :) I've been skiing, singing harmonies with my buds Josh, Jon and Bryant on the way to ski slopes, hanging with great girl friends Sara, Bre and Amanda (who, by the way are adventurous, successful, driven, independent, travelers, lovers of life, their families and their men), getting back into cooking and baking, walking around Green Lake, making travel plans and finding ways to surf again in the spring. West coast Washington, here I come, in my wet suit!!! Brrrr! I'm finally settling down into daily life here in Seattle, but I guess the word "settle" isn't really the right way to describe it. I'm getting busy! I just joined a women's tennis team and had my first practice with them tonight. It was fun. I think I will learn consistency from a bunch of "seasoned" players. :) I can't wait to play in some tournaments this spring and summer.

I'm living my daily life at work, with friends, out on dates, even at the grocery store with a sense of renewed passion, but also more hesitancy and maturity. I haven't been quick to jump into a relationship again. I have been learning that only I am responsible for my joy, for my fun, for my life. I am trying now to have a good balance of relying on myself for these things but not becoming so independent that I don't remember to rely on my closest family and friends for some things so that they are still a part of my life.

Last day in Nosara

It's my last day in Nosara today. So sad to leave this paradise, but I'm ready to be home. We were able to schedule a later van ride back to San Jose (a 5 hour ride) at 10am instead of 8am. After a great breakfast at the Harmony Hotel (where I stayed with Melody and Carmel), we said our last goodbye's to our instructors Meli and Christi and loaded into the van. After a long bumpy ride across the country, we were 5 minutes from San Jose and our van suddenly broke down. It was the one place in the road that was wide enough for the van to break down. Perfect. No biggie. Our driver just called another van and 30 minutes later we were back in San Jose at the Hampton Inn. We were in no rush to get back to San Jose.

So, here I am, at the hotel, just chillin' and thinking back on my time in Nosara, the beach at Playa Guiones. I had such a fantastic time. I learned to surf with a great group of girls, got a tan, enjoyed the relaxation and quiet time, the animals and picturesque scenery and experiences. I am a happy girl. I guess I've always been a happy girl, but truly, truly content. I'm an accomplished independent woman in my prime. I'm healthy. I get to see my family over Christmas. I live without worries or sorrow. Life is good. Truly perfect. Pura Vida.

Last day surfing in Nosara...

Early this morning, we had our last surf sesh. I decided to switch to a shorter epoxy board to see what it was like. I loved it! After surfing the white wash for a while I ventured out into the "outside" and sat in the sun for a while and then rode a few waves in to finish the day. What a great feeling of accomplishment.





Breakfast followed our morning surf as usual, and then a lazy afternoon of lounging by the pool. Cocktails with the girls and watching Iguana's mate up in the palms. Yes, it was an odd site.

Anyways, at 4 this afternoon, Lauren and Sara and I had scheduled a sunset horseback ride. It was the icing on this cake! A father and daughter who hardly spoke a lick of English came by to pick us up. No intruction, just an introduction to faces and names and then "get on"! Thank God, the horses were very well trained. We rode along the beach and then past the "Taj Mahal" or so we called it this whole trip. 

We rode through the little side streets of Nosara and saw all sorts of different colors of hybiscus flowers along the way. We rode through the jungle and into the National Biological Preserve which was swampy and Everglade-like, but beautiful. There were a couple of parts of the ride where it was a bit sketchy, going down steep paths with one side covered in concrete (shod horses hooves do not do well on steep concrete) and narrow openings between rocky ocean tide pools and dead trees. Sara almost got scraped off her horse by a dead branch. A couple of times my horse and Lauren's horse liked to gallop ahead of the group. We galloped through the jungle and then on the way home we were able to gallop down the beach for a while.

All throughout the 2 hour ride, our guide would yell these wonderfully passionate howls into the sky, I think to scare off predators or weird people in the jungle. Who knows. It was fun though, and I got a chance to use my little jungle call I reserve for times such as these. ;) I felt so free again. It took me back to my love for horses that I had as a little girl. This was a momentous occasion for me because I used to love horses so much. I have been thrown, bitten, kicked, stepped on and I haven't been back on a horse for about 10 years I think. Tonight was the perfect end to a perfect vacation. I was so incredibly happy to be riding in the jungle, on a beach, at sunset...accomplished in a new sport, traveling by myself and also the joy of meeting new people and missing home.

Costa Rica was truly cleansing. It took me back to the simple passion that I've always had for life and beauty that I've lost in the muck of the last 5 years. All the dust, all the dirt got washed away in the surf. I can see the life I've always wanted so clearly now. I'm ready to get back up on the horse of passion, of love, of adventure, of dreams, of life.

Finding time to write, finding time to relax...

So, I'm sitting by the pool, passion fruit daquiri in hand, sweat and salt water from the pool dripping down my poor Irish skin and my red nose. It's hot out here, 9 degrees from the equator. This morning I wore my new short sleeve rash guard to hopefully get some sun on my arms at least. Well, I did and I think I may have burned a bit. It's such a surreal experience to see everyone putting up Christmas decorations now. I have forgotten that it's that time of the year being surrounded by heat, jungle and the ocean.

I saw Tom Green this morning after our morning surf lesson! He was sitting in the Harbor Reef hotel restaurant where we meet every morning for brunch after surfing. I had to do a couple takes to make sure it was him and didn't want to stare. Yep, it was Tom Green, with a beard.

I just need some pure and simple Emily time. I'm skipping yoga now, taking the time to sit by the pool and enjoy my vacation. The passion fruit daquiri is killer and much needed. The pool is beautiful and refreshing. I'm the only one here now, besides a pair of green bellied robin-looking birds making pretty little cooing noises, occasionally skimming across the surface of the salt water pool every-once-in a while and the family of spider monkeys scrambling through the branches across the way.

After an amazing massage, in a Swiss family Robinson-like tree house, I just wanted to walk along the beach and watch the sun set... it was the perfect ending to a very, very relaxing day.


Playa Guiones to the North...

  







  
  










I usually take pictures of my feet wherever I travel, but they were lookin' pretty sorry by the end of the week, so foot prints did the trick!

The Taj Mahal...as we lovingly referred to it. It was an old abandoned hotel.

Costa Rican sunset...

A Tica wanna be...

December 2nd

I didn't get a chance to blog yesterday even though it was our "free" day. We managed to jam it full of other activities besides surfing. We did have a surf sesh yesterday morning where we got more one on one teaching and observation. I ended up switching my pop-up from left to right sided. I was getting up left "goofy" footed because that's the way I wake-board, but found that getting up the regular way was actually a faster pop-up for me in the end. I guess I'm ambidextrous...and it made me feel even more confused yesterday. This morning's surf session was great though. I'm popping up faster and able to turn the board a bit too.

After our morning surf sesh, I did some jewelry shopping with Melody and Carmel (but didn't buy anything) and then we loaded up in a van again and headed for Miss Sky's zip line adventure.

It was a short drive, then we got all geared up in our safety harnesses and then loaded into a flat bed truck and drove another 25 min further up into the mountains. It was beautiful.

We saw a ton of monos (monkeys) that howled at us like lions (thus the name "howler monkeys"). They're these cute little tiny black monkeys with curly tails and white butt's that make these humongous growling sounds, kinda like lions.

Zip lining was sooo much fun. The guides were these overzealous Tico's that must love their job, chauffeuring beautiful women and tourists around and showing them their country.

We zip lined for about 2 hours I think, then loaded back onto the flat bed and drove back to Miss Sky's head quarters. We saw a huge Iguana sitting in one of the trees on our way home.

The view from the truck bed on the drive down the mountain...

I showered quickly, then met Melody and Carmel at our hotel bar for a quick drink (banana daiquiri...mucho delicioso), then ran over to The Tucan for drinks with the Norwegians, Sara and Sissel. We sat for a while and then all walked over to Marlin Bills for dinner with every one else. Dinner was pretty good and we, like usual, mingled and laughed about the days activities and we talked politics to end the dinner.

After that, Jenny, Joellen, Sara, Lynn, Carmel and I walked back to Harbor Reef to catch some live music. It was a trio of local American men who covered Sublime and 311 like crazy. It was pretty fun. We added "energy" to the small group of people that had gathered. Then it was off to bed. Needless to say, I slept like a rock...until a group of mono's came pouncing over my roof top around 3:30a.m. It was a rude but exciting awakening...

Third day in Nosara, second day of surf...

I woke up in my plush bed this morning, feeling every sinew, every strand of muscle in my body. The question at the breakfast table this morning was, "what muscles hurt the most?" My answer was, can I just tell you which ones don't hurt? Ummmm, my face?" Although, even that hurts because it's the only place I'm getting sun since I'm covered with a long-sleeve rash guard and long board shorts. I am definitely more sore today, but seemed to have more energy at the surfing sessions this morning and afternoon. It's really starting to click and we worked our way out to the bigger waves. I caught a very small face wave. So Fun!!! 

We had more free time this afternoon before and after yoga. I was able to sunbathe for a little while on my private, secluded back deck. It was so relaxing. 

Our afternoon sesh in the water was later than usual due to our instructor gauging the tides to get us optimum riding conditions. It was so beautiful and of course, I didn't bring my camera. The sun went down behind the ocean while we surfed the last bit of day light. Gorgeous. Then as we wrapped up our leashes and headed back to the shore, the moon was full in front of us.

Dinner at "Cafe Paris"

Tomorrow is a bit of a "free" day where we only have a short surf session in the morning and no yoga. We're doing a zip line canopy tour tomorrow afternoon and I'm getting a massage and doing a little shopping. It will be a much needed break for relaxation, and of course, shopping. :)

Second day in Nosara, first day in the water...

This morning I woke up and met the other women at the Harbor Reef hotel (the "2 starfish" hotel) for a light breakfast of fresh fruit and costa rican coffee. Sooo good!



We hit the water after a brief safety lesson and shore lesson on how to pop-up on the board. The first wave I caught and was able to stand and ride it all the way in! The rest of the morning sesh was equally awesome and I caught several waves. We were all so excited to finally be in the water and riding the small surf waves. I think everyone got up?  My instructor asked me, "are you tired yet?" I looked at her like she was crazy or something and said, "no, this is awesome!" She replied, "well, I'm surprised because you're using a lot of upper body to push yourself up, most people would be tired." Well, after the morning session, we went back to the hotel to eat a real breakfast after a hard two hours of catching surf. Breakfast was pretty good but I was starting to feel the upper body workout.

This afternoon, we took a walking tour of Nosara, guided by the lovely surf instructor Melissa (she has the pleasure of living here 9 months out of the year so she knows the town well). We stopped by Robin's (a french taught chef who opened her own restaurant with homemade ice cream and sorbets) and got some sorbet...it was refreshing after walking in the heat through the dusty, molasses covered streets (yes, they use molasses to bind the dirt together so it's not so dusty).

Then it was on to yoga, taught by Richard. Melissa warned us that if Richard takes unusually long pauses, it might be that he has actually fallen asleep. And guess what, he paused for a very long time, his breathing getting deeper and louder, then snoring. We were left in this very comfortable position though. We were all giggling our assess off and then Sara had to go and tap him on the shoulder. He just played it off like nothing happened. Funny guy. Well, yoga was a little weird but nice and relaxing. I felt Richard's pain though, I was ready for a nap. BUT then I stumbled into this little boutique and bought two amazingly beautiful dresses and two pairs of flip flops...an hour later, it was time to surf again.

Back in the water, the current was stronger and the waves were faster than this morning. There were some amazing waves further out that some boarders were catching that were sheer walls of terror to us girls. After the first wave I caught, I tried standing up and realized my upper body was not understanding that I needed it to work for me in this afternoon sesh. I was more tired from this morning than I realized! I think I had been looking forward to surfing for so many months that my adrenaline was pumping like crazy this morning and I felt no fatigue and may have overdone it. Or, maybe I should have taken that nap right along with old Richard! Despite not being able to get up on my board too many times, this afternoon session was equally enjoyable. I got a better feel for which waves were good ones to catch. And I had a ton of fun and just laughed at all my weak attempts to pull myself up to a standing position!

Post-surf rinse, Cerveza y Juego de Naranja and breakfast back at Harbor Reef! A daily ritual and well deserved!







We ate dinner at Casa Tucan tonight, the "1 starfish" hotel. It was so good and I thought much better than Harbor Reef (last night's dinner and the meeting place every day for breakfast). It had a bar atmosphere with more people and our waiter was on top of the program and very generous. They gave us a round of free drinks. Woot. It was really fun sitting around the table with the other women. We are getting along really well and starting to enjoy each other's company. Jokes are flying, little quirks are coming out and we have a great sense of support and comraderie beginning. 

I'm looking forward to tomorrow, but my upper body is killing me. Maybe a good night's rest will do me good. And some Advil. And an Imperial.