A Trip to the Mountains

This past weekend I had one the most AMAZING experiences of my life: a tenting trip to the mountains of Costa Rica!  It was North America meets Central America in a true mash-up of cultures, my non-Spanish speaking family on one end and the non-English speaking Solís family on the other.  And let me tell you, it was a BLAST!

(Back) Kendall, Susi, Francisco, Dad, Grandpa, Me
(Front) Ashly, Beppe, Mom, Rachel

The family of two of our kids in the Bola Bola project, Kendall and Ashly Solís, invited me and my family to go with them to camp on their family’s property, the chance for everyone to experience the rural beauty of Costa Rica.  There were 12 of us in total: Beppe, Grandpa, Dad, Mom, me, Rachel, Susi, Kendall, Ashly, Santiago (their little brother), Francisco (their dad), and Isabel (their mom).  Not to mention the several relatives we met along the way.  What we lacked in electricity and bathrooms, we more than made up for it with rain, mud, bug spray, cows, and laughter.  With nothing but the green tropical wilderness as our friend, we enjoyed the blazing warmth of a campfire, the savory goodness of long-roasted chicharrón (pork), the sticky sweetness of s’mores, and the pleasure of good company.  The Solís family was our guide, taking us to see waterfalls, rivers, forests, and all sorts of other natural wonders.  They also fed us like royalty, offering all sorts of new fruits and vegetables to try (and fresh milk from the cows that morning and homemade cheese and tortillas).  To say the least, we were stuffed the whole weekend!

One of my favorite moments though was watching my family interact with those they couldn’t really understand, to see them struggle with the amount of hospitality that was extended to them, to come to terms with the beauty of a simple rural lifestyle and being welcomed with open arms into their homes.  And they were great!  I am so proud of the way they were genuinely interested in learning more about the Costa Rican culture they were experiencing around them.  More than that, I am so incredibly proud of the humility and respect I saw them have for Isabel, Francisco, Kendall, Ashly and their relatives.   I was not embarrassed to have my family there, despite their newness and lack of exposure to a Latin culture.  They were the best tourists in my opinion, trying the strange looking food offered to them, smiling and nodding when no translators were nearby, trudging through the muddy paths without complaint, sleeping under the stars with strangers by their sides.  I can’t express the joy and pride I feel right now for them—thank you for being so awesome!

This week I get to enjoy my family for a few more days, traveling and sightseeing as well as sharing with them my life here at Casa Adobe.  Please pray for safe travels and good times for all!  Stay tuned!