We are now in San Jose awaiting our early morning flight back to the States.  We are staying in a modern hotel in Escazu, the upscale business district of San Jose.  The atmosphere is similar to a hotel in Silicon Valley, but instead of being put off by this, we welcome it with open arms.  We are looking forward to coming home.  We miss the United States.  From the beginning of our trip, we secretly feared that we would not want to come back.  But that isn’t the case.  We are ready to come home.

The journey has been amazing.  But truthfully, how could a six month vacation not be amazing?  I wouldn’t say it has been some powerful transformative experience that brings us back totally different people.  Rather, it has been a gradual unwinding that has enabled us to get back in touch with what is really important in life.  It has given us invaluable time together as a family.  It has given us some time to dedicate to activities we love, like surfing and yoga (although a certain energetic two-year old often prevented these activities from occurring).  It has given us some new language skills.  We are a little more aware of ourselves - a little better at living in the present.  We are more aware and respectful of different ways of life.  We have been reminded why it is so critical to protect our planet, even if it means a little sacrifice on our end.

The trip has also made us incredibly grateful for our life in the United States.  It has for sure made us hyperaware of some of the aspects of life in the US that are a bit ridiculous - excessive materialism, constant advertisement bombardment, the desire for huge or multiple homes, and grueling work hours that leave little time to actually be in those homes.  These things often manifest from a selfish desire to just get more, more and more.  More of everything except peace and fulfillment.

But with that aside, living in the US is pretty nice.  We have seen what it is like to live in poverty, and it just isn’t something we are prepared to do.  We are lucky to have the opportunity to obtain an education, work, be of service, and just simply provide for our families.  Instead of dreading coming back and eventually going back to work, we are looking forward to it.  We are excited about once again being contributing members of society, hopefully contributing something positive in whatever we end up doing, in addition to making some money.  We have seen those who have wasted away in paradise, and this isn’t something we want either.  I mean, don’t get me wrong, wasting away in paradise is OK for awhile.  In some ways, it is a practical necessity in order to clear the air and make room for creativity to sneak back into your life.  But complacency for too long often leads to just ending up, well, blah.  We must also admit, as much as we detest endless strip malls and over-development, we really do miss some of the conveniences of the US. 

Of course, there are some lessons from Central America that we take back with us.  Family and friends are the cornerstone of life.   Children at play are a joy, never an annoyance.  You don’t need the new iPhone or that pair of designer jeans to be happy.  There is always time for anyone, for everyone is equally important.  Greet everyone with kindness and never hesitate to give a stranger a smile.  You don’t need to move so fast.  “Tranquilo” is definitely the preferable path. 

And so we take these lessons back with us as we go into the world.  It has been the adventure of a lifetime.  We will miss Central America.  I am sure that a few weeks from now, we will long for the humid air, warm ocean and abundant palm trees.  But for today, we are excited to come back home.

Can’t wait to see you all soon!