Ahh! Let the travel journey begin. I didn’t know how I was going to start my approach to traveling solo, or just plain traveling. For the last several years, I’ve always told myself that I want to travel around the world. I just didn’t know how or when I was going to do so. All I knew was I would do it by any means necessary.
In 2015, I created a vision board. The bold words POWER, ABROAD, and PLAN are embossed at the top portion of the board. Those words have great meaning to me. I know that there is POWER in numbers. A travel journey would not be possible without a financial net. My entrepreneurial skills can be executed, no matter where I choose to travel, ABROAD. In order for a travel journey to become effective, one must PLAN. That’s right. Those words have great meaning to me.
Late 2016, I was afforded the opportunity of entering into a new career field. This new career led me on the path of the financial freedom that I have dreamt of for many of my working years. I struggled, tremendously, as a single parent. I am thankful for my strength, will, and determination to achieve all that I set out to accomplish. I decided that I no longer wanted to struggle—I deserved a life of financial freedom and worry-free living.
January 2017 was the month that I decided to pay myself, first. I was tired of working to pay others and have nothing to show for all of it. I set up an automated draft into a savings account that was a little difficult for me to access. That account was set up to be an emergency fund, travel account, miscellaneous account, or whatever I deemed fit, if I needed to access it.
Whelp! Fast-forward to January 2018. I managed to build up a nice savings that yielded enough funds to start my travels. My first solo trip destination turned out to be Costa Rica, in April. With my passport in tow, I was ready to explore and experience a place I have never been. Yes. I was a little nervous, but that subsided as soon as I was all packed up and ready to go.
I researched as many sites as I could, so that I wouldn’t seem too lost when I got to that side of the world. During my quest to become more informed, I ran across a Cost Rica Travel Blog named Mytanfeet. I was so excited when I ran across this site. Oh my word! The information was not lacking at all. Reading about Yeison and Samantha’s Costa Rica journeys and experiences motivated me to go for it (Thanks, a bunch).
I desire to be a world traveler, and doggone it, I will be just that. My trip to Costa Rica was, in my opinion, seamless. Everything I learned on Mytanfeet was on point for my own journey. I learned about how I was to go about filling out the customs form, how to navigate through the airport (I flew into Liberia-LIR airport), what to do at the immigration point, baggage claims and customs, and what to expect once I reached the outside pick-up area. The process was a breeze.
Once I made it to the outside of the airport, my driver was outside waiting for me. My name was displayed on a handheld board as explained by the transportation company (Tamarindo Transfers & Tours), which was arranged by the hotel (La Palapa Beachfront Hotel) that accommodated me. I booked my trip through Expedia.
Due to the hot weather, the driver led me to the shuttle vehicle that was parked on the side of the airport. He turned the vehicle’s air conditioner on for my comfort. He informed me that he was going to wait for the other riders. The hour-long ride was on when everyone got into the shuttle vehicle. It was a scenic and interesting ride. I somehow felt like I was at home, in a sense.
We reached the town of Tamarindo and were dropped off at our respective lodging locations. I was instantly greeting by the front desk manager that was in constant contact with me during my trip’s preparation phase. He walked with me to my reserved cabina and showed me around the room. My room’s view was directly facing the beachfront. I could see the ocean from my loft. Once I became acquainted with my cabina, I got dressed for some beach lounging. I set up my pocket blanket, and I started taking my surroundings in.
I’ve always thought of myself as a socialite, which means I have no problem meeting and speaking to people. I met a nice, handsome fellow within five minutes of me setting up my beach spot. As I was setting up my phone tripod, he offered to take photos if I needed him. Now, wasn’t that a nice gesture? Of course it was. I proceeded to take my selfies and chill out a bit before the nightfall. The evening brought the nice surprise of a live fire show. I turned in after the show. Between the long travel day and the alcohol, I was cansada.
My Official Day One.
Wow! Waking up to the beautiful Costa Rican sunrise was amazing. It was so beautiful. I enjoyed the peaceful, morning walk. I even slipped in a selfie or two. I decided to take part in an excursion, after I ate breakfast. The front desk manager assisted me with the arrangement. I chose to embark upon a sailboat cruise on the Pacific. I have to let you know that I didn’t feel too well at the beginning of the excursion due to a slight hangover from the evening before. With the assistance of water, cheap aspirin, and plenty of meals, I was able to shake my headache off and enjoy the third to fifth hours of the journey. The other passengers were great and so kind to me. They checked on my well-being throughout the sailboat trail. I even managed to get talked into going to shore, once the boat was anchored for some snorkeling time. The trip back to our docking area was better for me. My headache was gone, and we were all able to watch the sunset. It was beautiful. What made it even more beautiful was the live onboard musical entertainment.
We all had to wait for the small speedboats to come out and pick us up from the boat’s docking area. That was an interesting ride in itself. The sailboat excursion wore me out. I went straight to my cabina to call it a night. I was beat.
Day Two. Yeah?
Okay, so I don’t “party like a rockstar”. I’m older and just don’t feel like hanging out just because. What’s fun to me is just that—fun to me.
My morning sunrise stroll was beautiful, once again. I didn’t want to waste the day away by just being a beach bum, so I decided to see what excursions I could go for the day. It was a little too late for me to participate in the horseback riding or the ATV ride. I ended up paying for the riverboat tour, which turned out to be nice. It was sort of quaint and cozy, as there was only three passengers (including me) and the tour guide. I noticed that he has brought a large machete for the ride.
We saw crocodiles, many species of birds, beautiful vegetation, kayakers, and iguanas that were not afraid to take photos. I was driven back to my hotel where I walked around the town to see what I could find. I visited a few gift shops and walked into a few restaurants. I really didn’t plan on doing anything big as I was set to fly back home the next day. I ate at the hotel’s attached restaurant and enjoyed the sunset and horse riders on the beach.
Day Three/Really Four.
As I walked down the beach’s shoreline, I realized that I really wanted to travel and meet different people and learn about different cultures. Costa Rica and its environment was a sight for sore eyes. I enjoyed every minute of it. The shuttle transportation was arranged for me, and the vehicle showed up to take us to the airport. My souvenirs in tow, my small carry-on bag, and my peace of mind were all intact. I was charged up and ready to plan my next trip. I can’t wait to let you know where I landed next.
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