Costa Rican Casserole

Morning Monday greetings to all of you!

I hope you didn’t miss me too much last week since I was out of office and traveling in Costa Rica!

But, here I am, back in the saddle of what we call reality after what was an absolutely beautiful trip with beautiful people.

Anyhoo, let’s get down to business.

I won’t keep you long this week, so grab some snacks and your favorite sidekick beverage and get reading!

First, and foremost, I’m sure you are all wondering what is Costa Rican casserole…well, I am so glad you asked!

On Sunday night, we traveled to the La Luna at the Gaia Hotel where we all had a delicious meal! And the Costa Rican casserole was what I discovered calling my name from the menu. As it was described:

A typical Costa Rica Casserole made from beef tenderloin tips prepared with potatoes, onions & carrots, seasoned with garlic and spices, accompanied with a sweet pea rice blend

And even though I didn’t finish all it that night, it reheated extremely well and was just as tasty and delicious the second time around!

Aside from the absolutely gorgeous scenery, wildlife, incredible food, and wonderful company that I got to experience during my time away, I think the entity of the trip that resonated most with me was how warm and welcoming every single person we came in contact with was.

The very first night we arrived, we parked our car on the side of the street to hit up a local supermarket for some groceries. A young woman whom appeared to be walking home from yoga saw us and recommended that we not park along the side of the road because of people traveling fast and also because it was raining.

It was so generous of her to give us a heads up.

In the United States, finding someone caring and concerned for a complete stranger like that is almost impossible.

Every single waiter/waitress we had at all restaurants we encountered, every single individual who greeted us on the beach with a smile and attended to getting us tents for shade from the sun and chairs for our comfort were just genuinely kind and human.

Being a human to others is not always a common quality that we see on the daily.

It was refreshing to experience first-hand.

I got to experience parasailing in the sky for the first time ever, witnessed a sloth clap his hands and make their way down the tree at the slowest speed ever carefully grabbing branches and trunks of tree with precision and detail, I listened to the sound of rain while swinging gently in a hammock, and enjoyed the company of handsome man with laughs, cocktails, fun, and dancing.

But the genuine human energy, kindness, and welcoming compassion that each of us experienced during our time away from reality is the experience that gave me the greatest soul feeding within for myself.

I continue to pray our Country will strive to be human with each other.

To lead with love and not the hate that has become the norm.

To listen with their heart to form educated opinions.

To support the surrounding community with kindness.

Together, they are the perfect ingredients for a Costa Rican casserole of light and love our world desperately needs.

Sprinkle sunshine always,

JP!