la pura vida

Dress: Banana Republic; Shoes: Coach; Bag: Rebecca Minkoff; Bracelet: J. Crew (pink), boutique in Argentina (beige)

I love traveling to Spanish speaking countries [translation- I’m a tad obsessed]. I don’t know what it is, but something got a hold of me after my first trip to Argentina in 2010 [y’all, Buenos Aires is lit]. And ever since then, I caught the Spanish bug. I mean really- a homestay in Mexico the following summer, AP Spanish language junior year and AP Spanish Literature senior year [confession- I never made it through Don Quixote], and finally returning to Argentina that same year. Seriously- I just loved it all. I even chose to minor in Spanish at Penn, even though I placed out of the language requirement [I know-call me crazy]. It was all leading up to the study abroad experience of my dreams-Spain, of course. After multiple meetings with the Communications department and countless college advising sessions [no games can be played when we’re talking about that diploma], I finally finagled my way to Sevilla, Spain for the fall semester of my junior year. It was everything I hoped it to be plus more.

This time, my travels took my family and I [all 10 of us] to Costa Rica. This is my first time here, and I couldn’t love it any more. Beyond the delicious food [I could eat plantains all day] and beautiful scenery, the people are so... warm. Truthfully, interacting with the locals [and speaking Spanish to them, of course] has been the most fun. Everyone we meet, from the taxi drivers to the local fruit vendor to the zip line instructors, has their own story. And I love listening.

I’ve only got two more days left here in paradise [insert sad face here]. I plan to soak up every last minute and enjoy, as my newfound Costa Rican friends say, la pura vida.