déjá vu

Tank: Free People; Skirt: Banana Republic; Shoes: Franco Sarto

It always amazes me how quickly one song, one moment, or even just one word can instantaneously transport me to another moment in time. While this is my first time here in Costa Rica [and I definitely don’t plan on making it my last], this trip keeps calling on so many memories of trips past.

My biggest déjá vu moment was three nights ago. After some drinks and convo with Grandpa, I was ready to call it a night. [Hint- never go one for one on drinks with your 72 year old Caribbean grandfather. There's no keeping up.] On my way back to my suite, I crossed through my hotel’s main foyer, and as I exited I heard the beginning chords of the next song. I then heard the unequivocal voice of Marc Anthony, and I immediately knew what song it was. I smiled to myself and quickly turned around to indulge in the moment as I was immediately taken to Sevilla, Spain. This song, Vivir Mi Vida, took me to Buddha, a popular disco in Sevilla. When Marc’s song came on, everyone stood on tables and chairs belting along to the tune. The electricity in the room was palpable. In this moment, I was watching the music video on the screen here in the foyer of my costa rican hotel, just as I once did on the screens of the disco in Sevilla.

But this inaugural trip to Costa Rica, deserves an anthem of its own, and there’s no doubt that it’s Propuesta Indecente by Romeo Santos. And while the feminist in me has some strong feelings about the lyrics [I’ll save that rant for another time], this song played literally everywhere-in the streets, in the bars, along the boardwalk-everywhere. Everyone instantaneously lit up. And somehow, no matter where we were, the locals would always stop and do a merengue dance. And it is this energy, that I’ll never forget. ¡Pura Vida!