I am still an avid surfer
Noah told me Rolling Waves cafe had the best oat milk latte he's ever had...in his LIFE. So, I woke up and walked to Rolling Waves. As I stood at the counter, I got a text from Noah that said “hope you’re ordering the iced oat milk latte.” Noah was lurking outside enjoying his coffee after a 7 mile run on trails and beach. We sat for a few before he headed to the water to meditate. I asked him about his tattoo which is a blue circle on the inside of his bicep. He told me to look up Carl Sagan’s pale blue dot later. Sagan is an American astronomer, best known for his research around the possibility of extraterrestrial life. His famous monologue about the "pale blue dot" was inspired by an image of Earth, taken by Voyager 1 in the 90's. He says: "There is perhaps no better demonstration of the folly of human conceits than this distant image of our tiny world. To me, it underscores our responsibility to deal more kindly with one another, and to preserve and cherish the pale blue dot, the only home we've ever known."
I walked back to Sendero and had breakfast with a 60-year old couple, Lisa and Mike, from Southern California. They are also staying at Sendero and we had bumped into each other a few times. They have 3 kids in their late 20s/early 30s. We talked about their life - falling in love in high school, raising children, becoming empty nesters, travel. They were also quite interested in me - my family, friends, work, love. They kindly paid for my meal. They also connected me with their 29 year old daughter. She works in healthcare tech and is doing some soul searching and they thought maybe I could be helpful. Lisa and Mike felt like home, I am glad I met them.
I ran to the end of the beach and back, my first time running since I got here! It was exactly 4 miles, which is my favorite distance. I ran barefoot and wished I had Qpa’s toe gloves at a few rocky points. After my run, I had another surf lesson with Justin. I had the time wrong, so was 30 minutes late. NYC Kiki was appalled, but Nosara Kiki apologized and was otherwise unaffected and excited to get back on the board. I met Janie, Jeff, and Otto from Weston, MA. They have 2 older girls, too, but are just here with their son this trip. Otto is special needs and was also having a surf lesson. Jeff turned out to be my goddam hype man. Think the commitment of Mimi to Dartmouth Women's Soccer and the energy and Boston accent of Uncle Craig. The content is nothing to write home about, but the sound is everything. Literally, just met this man and he's chest deep in the ocean, waves crashing on him, iPhone in hand. "Way to go girl! You're surfing! You're surfing!" really got me.
Justin and I accidentally grabbed a shorter board, which is a bit more difficult. One thing I am working on is keeping my hands closer to my chest before I pop up. Right now they tend to gravitate towards the edge of the board, which is natural as you paddle to catch the wave. The other things I am working on are sliding into a standing motion (no knees!) and looking forward (no looking down at the board!). I have been watching surf videos in my free time, which is hilarious. I anticipated a lot of yoga and meditation in my Costa Rica pilgrimage, but all I want to do is surf with J.
I stayed down at the water for sunset, where I read and watched the community gather. There were a few clouds in the sky, which had a beautiful dimming effect and made for the most vibrant colored sunset yet. By 5pm, the wind has usually picked up quite a bit and the water whisks off the top of the waves. Massive blue pelicans survey the water and nose dive in for dinner. The breeze smells sweet and feels warm.
I left the beach at 6 to head to Bodhi Tree for a yin yoga class at 6:30pm. Yin yoga is a more contemplative practice than the active flow that is vinyasa yoga - a lot of deep stretching and meditative breathing. Duncan, the instructor, was a hotter version of Tarzan. Blonde man bun, chiseled muscles, tan skin, wearing very little (!). He led an amazing 75 minute class of about 20 people. Breathe in for 5, hold for 5, out for 5, pause for 5. I really struggle with the hold. I challenged myself to breathe into my stomach versus my chest, as I felt my shoulders rise repeatedly. The studio was on the 3rd story of a building overlooking the jungle and the water. Dark wood, the end of the sunrise, ceiling fans, and open windows.
Mom, I did not fully think this through, but I will start this by saying - I am safe. Bodhi is 1 mile from my hotel and after class it was completely dark. I started walking and after seeing a raccoon and nearly getting hit by a tuk-tuk on the dark dirt road, I turned around and started to walk back to Bodhi. I ran into 4 women walking towards Sendero and asked if I could walk with them. They were from Denver and here for girls trip. One of them lives here full-time. We took the jungle trails, which are slightly faster, and used our iPhones for light. In our 20-minute walk, we saw 1 scorpion, heard howler monkeys, and talked about life. Some of their kids are in the process of applying to college. One just got rejected from Dartmouth and hears from her safety school, UVA, today (JK CAROLINE). They walked off to their dinner and I pondered what my friendships will look like later in life. I hope we find time to do what they are doing.
I came back to the hotel and had dinner solo at Sendero. Uneventful and just what I needed after a long, active day.
Love you all,
Kelsey
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