Pura Vida;

I'm extremely saddened to be coming home, but I'm going home with a happy heart.
"The cure for all is salt water; sweat, tears or the ocean."
I will stand behind that quote till my dying day. It really is the truth. I feel a thousand times better after the gym, after a good cry or vent with a friend or my mom. And the ocean has to be the most relaxing and rejuvenating thing we got on this planet. I may have grown up in the mountainous area but I am an ocean girl at heart. The quote may direct you to think I was in a bad place when I left or I was in need of a cure. That's not true, I was however not completely happy. I didn't feel alive with what I was doing on the daily. I have goals and dreams of traveling and I need to look more at working to achieve those than simply just existing to get by.
It's always been a toss up as to what country I've been to that's been my favourite. This trip kind of cleared the air on that subject, Costa Rica is it. It's that country, they've just got it all. They're happy, they're positive and they really take advantage of all the land has to offer. It's a gorgeous country, and the people I met on the trip made it a thousand times better. It's not just about where you go or what you do it's half as much about who you meet and who you experience things with. The three girls I roomed with on the trip were the people I needed to share these experiences with. They wanted to run out in the thunderstorms just to feel the rain just as much as I did. They wanted to drive around on ATVs pretending to speak Spanish for a whole day. They wanted to drop in on waves that destroyed us, go for runs that turned into walks and go skinny dipping even when the guards to the pool said no. They wanted to stay up late to talk about the serious stuff, our dreams, our goals and our pasts. They told stories that captivated my attention and made me feel what they felt in those moments. They're my kind of people and I'm lucky we all crosses paths. It's amazing how much you can get to know someone in 2 weeks time, it's remarkable how much I've laughed in the past two weeks because of them. I'll surely be seeing them this summer, or at least chatting with them!

Pura Vida!

Atv rides with the wild one

Had a time and a half today acting like a wild child with my friend Jen. We rented an atv and went motoring around roads that lead to no where, trespassing signs and anywhere but where we wanted to go. We giggled ourselves stupid the entire time and sang songs we didn't know the words to. It was awesome and well worth the $10 we each paid.
Surf was mediocre today. I got slapped around silly. Caught a half dozen decent waves and then called it a day. It's exhausting trying to paddle out past the current. Consider myself stronger. Also I've gone six days without burning. Unbelievable. Absolutely crazy for my white complexion. I always burn. Even ask my mama! Well so far I only have a burned nose and hair line. It's pretty amazing especially compared to my peers and how badly burnt they have gotten!
Tonight's a live band after the NHL game. I'm less interested in the hockey while on vacation and more interested in the beer and good company that comes with it.
Surfing tomorrow morning and probably evening, super stoked at how much I've improved and how fun these people have been to be around.
Squeezing in a nap before dinner so I can stay out late with the crew! And by late I mean past 10pm. Haha!

Oddest reunion and other things

Everyday I'm reminded of my trip to Europe and everyday I'm reminded why I love meeting new people. Mainly meeting people who love to travel.
Yesterday I had the craziest moment. I was taking pictures of sunset and out walks a guy whose looking at me funny. Immediately I'm thinking I know this person, and before my brain figures it out I'm blurting out "oh shit that's rick". Hahaha as soon as I said it my mind went back to u12 soccer when I was 9 years old. My mind was boggled, how am I in Costa Rica and seeing someone I haven't seen in my own hometown in 6-7 years plus. It was great to see him, hear about his life, the yoga, the foood, the life and the dream he is living.
Today we got a surf lesson and were out on the ocean for 2 hours. It was a blast, caught some good waves. Wiped out a bunch and added to my collection of sore muscles and bruises! We will be back out by 4pm for another session and then stay for sunset!
The people on this trip are awesome, we got drinking and playing games last night. It was a lot of fun, a lot of laughs.
My napping has been often and timing hasn't always been great. I napped after dinner last night and came back out for drinks. Not ideal but you gotta work with what you got.
Anyways, time to tan. :)

Battle bruises and people

I'm alive! Napping like a champion and generally kicking ass at life. I'm feeling invisible but my bruises say otherwise.

My trip into Costa Rica was awesome, after meeting the one couple I later then met an old man. Great guy, great story and such a cheerful person. We got talking, he's lived in Costa Rica for 2.5 years, going to move to Belize and was headed back to Costa Rica to collect his things. He had never been married but he has a dog ginger bear and she passed away so he got up and left the next time, sold everything and decided Belize was the new destination. He was 80 some odd years, healthy and extremely happy. He's been to 130+ countries, owned modelling agencies signed by the playboy mansion and Hugh Hefner was a personal friend. He's dated hooters girls; as in the 2002 hooters girl of the year. Flew for an airline for 30 years and was in the army. He had stories like no other and his passion in telling them was phenomenal. He offered me his first class ticket for the flight to Liberia which I kindly rejected. I told him I couldn't take something he's earned and he said he would send back a drink to my
section. When I landed he made sure to find me and give me a hug and make sure I had a ride because it was late and he worries about the young in this country. It's old people like this that I absolutely love. They make my travels amazing and they honestly have the best stories. I love hearing how happy old people are and when they tell stories about "that one time" and their face lights up and they stop to chuckle to themselves before finishing the sentence. It's these stories and these people that make me want to live the life I have to the fullest. I want those stories and I want those moments. Bob was a great guy, and I'm so happy he coincidentally asked me for the time so I could ask him about his life.
I love hearing stories and it's the main reason I love travelling.

There are many reasons why me and people who speak English as a second language aren't best friends. The main reason being I am a sarcastic asshole and that's not often translated in people who speak little English or English as a second language. It's hilarious when they take things so literal and try and you try and explain that no no it's not like that. But it's also awkward as all hell.
This trip there's a bunch of French girls and I think I'll have to learn to shut up or forever be an asshole on their mind. I'm sure they have another word for me, I'm certain I won't understand it. Haha.
Either way, Costa Rica is amazing. It's gorgeous, it's hot and it's waves are crazy. Tamarindo has murdered me. I've got bruises beyond belief and it's been one full day here.
Some idiots, didn't hold onto their surf boards in the water and well my shin got stabbed so good it's a green welt. I also took some ones board to my right ass cheek and have a blue bruise/welt forming. It's like walking with a Charlie horse. Needless to say I've learned to avoid said idiots when it comes to surfing.

New city tomorrow. Night pretty people.

Misconceptions or Ms.Opportunities;

I’m not sure I am on board with all of my fellow narcoleptics. I’ve seen how upset they’ve gotten over the recent Modern Family episode that talked about narcolepsy and then the Black Box episode. I get it, it sucks that a show aired to millions of people and got Narcolepsy “wrong” or misinterpreted the sleep disorder. But are we all really that negative these days? I mean narcolepsy was aired on popular shows that spiked awareness of it even being a condition in the first place. Can we not see the good in it; we at least got past the ever so famous “rat race” interpretation.

I just feel like the narcolepsy community needs to take this opportunity to educate people who talk about the episode and say, “Hey no it’s not exactly like that, this is how it is”. Don’t like talking about the condition or don’t like educating people about it? Then sit back and watch it get misinterpreted. You can’t be upset about something you’re not willing to change…and getting upset and mad is a waste of energy that won't change peoples opinions about Narcolepsy.

It’s like the Facebook forums where we are suppose to get support…if you take it all seriously damn rights you’re going to be depressed and get thinking it’s the end of your life. But you have to see the good in it all, people post what works for them and that may not be what works for you. Flip side it could be the ultimate game changer and improve your quality of life. Everyone’s narcolepsy is different, it’s not even fully understood. So why do we sit here and get upset about misinterpretations when these misinterpretations are allowing us to educate and change point of views.

We are not the ONLY people who have an illness that has misconceptions…there are plenty out there and ultimately they all had to start somewhere too.

I understand the negative comments, the negative feedback, the person who thinks they have got the cure are all discouraging. People suck, people aren’t perfect and that’s the bottom line. Narcolepsy is going to be misinterpreted at times and it’s going to be dispiriting but I think we just need to take the time to be positive. If you’re letting people get you down and you’re fuming over these interpretations then you’re wasting your energy. Take that energy and put it towards telling someone what it’s really like, educating someone who wants to be educated. Ultimately at the end of the day, no one is going to “get” it or completely understand it unless they have it. You can bet the people who wanted to educate themselves on the condition hit up the Internet after the episodes and got a dose of what it potentially could be like. As for the others who laughed it off or think it’s stress related… let them think that. When someone wants to learn they ask or research and they have an open mind. Let the close-minded people be close-minded…they aren’t worth your time.

Of course with the post…I’ll say this is just my opinion. My humble opinion on how negative society as a whole is these days. I may not post much these days, I may not comment on much in blogs, facebook or twitter…I do read it all though. I read it all and I don't let it alter my outlook or alter who I tell about narcolepsy.

Stay positive people, and start taking these moments and turning them into opportunities not bitterness. The more we focus on the bad the more bad we will see… and I’ll leave it at that.