Just this past January, I had the great fortune to participate in a workshop in the heart of the rain forest at a resort known as Sueno Azul. I fell in love with the many colors of green and the opportunity to see “wet” in a whole new light.
Any one who knows me, knows that one of my least favorite things to be when hiking or camping is wet; this is only surpassed by being cold and wet. There in Costa Rica in the Plains of Northern Sarapiqui my idea of what a “dry season” rainforest trip would be challenged.
My “bff”, Rebecca and I decided at the turn of the New Year that it had been way too long since we got together on a “girl’s trip”. We decided that Costa Rica was the destination and after a successful last minute renewal of my US Passport we were on our way to a writer’s conference lead by a western shaman of sorts. Believe it or not the topic of the conference was not as important to us as the destination. That being said, it was after all a writer’s conference and Rebecca was working on a book and the leader of the workshop was a shaman and I am the Practical WooWoo. So by and by everything had its universal order.
We arrived on a Saturday after an hour and a half bus ride through towns and a national rainforest park; it was some of the most beautiful scenery I had seen.
There was not much time to waste as the workshop started on Sunday with a mix of half days and full days of workshop that were complemented by eco tours of the area. We settled-in and began exploring. The resort, the food, the service, the tours were all exceptional.
The weather turned wet --rReality TV wet. The first two days were sunny and bright with a shower here and there. The remaining five days were showers broken-up by torrential downpours. As workshop participants, we went from writing how lovely the rain was and tenderness of the drops to pleading for whatever it would take to make the rain stop.
The beauty of all of it was that we continued-on. We continued-on with the workshop - each of us making it our own, whether we were furthering a book, developing poetry, or creating a healing experience, we continued-on. We continued-on with the eco-tours - the horseback riding, the zip-lining, the swimming at the swimming hole -- all in the pouring rain.
And much to my "I hate to be wet" self's surprise, it was fun; it was great fun! The forest the resort - everything was so alive. All your senses were enlivened. You could feel the humidity to your core and felt that you would never again be completely dry. You could almost taste the smells of the forest for their aroma lingered in the heaviness of the air -- the richness of the dirt and the green of the trees were no longer just treasures for the eyes to behold. Not only were there more colors of green that I have ever seen but they were just so pleasing against the grays of the rain-filled skies. The sounds once so unfamiliar - the constant patter of rain on the tin roof, the call of the holler monkeys, who sounded more like dogs, and songs of the forest became an orchestra for restful sleep.
I met some truly amazing people there. And, for me it turned out to be the beginning of a healing - a healing that I had been longing for for a very time. So much so that the inspiration for the layout, color palette, and photos used in the new and hopefully improved Practical WooWoo Web site is Costa Rica.
I hope you enjoy the Web site with all the delicious lushness of Costa Rica.