This year’s hot vacation spot: Costa Rica! After two weeks in the beautiful, yet cold, snowy mountains of Crested Butte Colorado I quickly began to miss the powerful sun of the tropics, the windy mild temperatures of the December-January-February months, and my gorgeous tan which faded after just three days in the snow. I had forgotten the difficulty of enduring five to six months of layers upon layer of clothing in order to keep warm, the dreadful thought of leaving the house and stepping into the icy temperatures that await you the minute you leave your doorstep and the numb sensation in my toes after merely one hour of skiing. Don’t’ get me wrong I am a full-on winter, snow flakes, and fresh powder lover, nonetheless, after five months in Costa Rica your skin grows thin and you realize how wonderful it is that you can visit the cold, but not have to live in it.
Skiing is amazing, the sunny glistening whiteness after a snow storm is remarkable, people look more elegant in winter clothes, and coffee and hot chocolate are daily treats; however, this is incomparable to months of moderate sunny temperatures, affordable fresh fruit on a daily basis, the white sand against your feet and the coolness of miles of sparkly salt water that lure you in for hours and melt your troubles away. Now, that is a life! So for all of you out there miserably enjoying the winter season, as well as for those of you who are ski bums and winter lovers, do not hesitate for one second to join the sunny party that awaits you in the warm, windy beaches of Costa Rica. So do yourself a favor and pack your bathing suits, Coppertone, shorts, flip-flops and short sleeve shirts, leave behind your boots and heavy coats, trade in your skis or snowboard for a surfboard, and don’t forget the first book of your 2008 reading list. It just may be that you will never want to move back, and if you are wise, you will choose to buy a beach condo that will guarantee you weeks of sunny bliss during those long and cold winter months.