Celebrating Our Anniversary- Riu Guanacasta, Costa Rica

It’s our 13 year anniversary. Not of our marriage, but of our first trip to Costa Rica.

It takes me back to January 2011. Casey and I had discussed a tropical vacation a few months prior. We’d considered Hawaii, but it seemed out of reach. We didn’t have the travel time available or the budget for the plane tickets. We dreamed of the beach, the ocean waves, the volcanoes, the warm weather and palm trees.

Who needs Hawaii when you have Costa Rica?

After a little research and browsing through travel websites, I found a direct flight to Costa Rica, packaged in with an all-inclusive resort, and we were Liberia, CR-bound. Disclaimer: Still to this day, we haven’t been to Hawaii. I can’t honestly compare the two places but I do love Costa Rica.

The vibes of the country and the people were instant draws for us. We felt safe and welcome. This rainbow was a highlight- even more fantastic in person! So much natural beauty in every direction we turned.

Tanning, yes, but was it really great for volleyball?

Lesson learned from this vacation: Costa Rican sand is hard and packed. Without shoes, vigorous play will result in blisters, burns and overall discomfort. Band-aids have become an essential element in my travel bag. Water shoes have also been added to my list when heading to Costa Rica.

Excursion Deluxe

We splurged on a full-day excursion package. It included horseback riding through the mountains with a volcano in the backdrop, zip-lining through the jungle canopy of trees and mud bath and hot springs natural spa treatments.

Casey wasn’t excited about wearing a helmet to ride, but he still looked cool. We eventually traded our helmets for handfuls of mud.

The antioxidants in the mud and hot springs must have really worked- we look so young in the photographs.

This trip was the beginning of my obsession with a foreign country. I read books, scanned online reviews, searched real estate listings, you name it. Through the years it has continued with the addition of podcasts and knowledge gained from our personal experiences in Costa Rica. I would recommend a trip to Costa Rica to anyone. I count down the time to each return trip.

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