I have so many cherished memories of my 10 years in Costa Rica that it’s impossible to single out one. People who read my columns, “Practically Paradise” and “Machita,” know them all anyway!
I still laugh at some of my insane escapades in the jungle and adventures in traveling around the country. I image people’s faces and celebrate the time that we shared. I look at photos that only begin to portray the unequaled beauty of the forests, beaches, rivers and mountains – and feel a bittersweet longing.
From Presidents to the homeless and everyone in between, I can only say, “Thanks for the memories.”
After leaving Costa Rica in 1997, I’ve gotten older. How could that happen? Along the way, I had my own business, worked at a few other jobs, and most recently earned a Master’s in Counseling. I started on a Master’s in Non-Profit Leadership. I am accruing the 3,000 hours of counseling experience required to become a Licensed Professional Counselor in Texas.
Kimba, my boon and constant companion, died five years ago at age 15, and I still miss her. The other two critters who returned to the States with me from Costa Rica don’t seem to have aged as much as I: Sundancer is now 16 and Moonshadow 15 by best reckoning. Each of the kitties has adopted her/his own canine: Nightstar is an eight-year-old German Shepherd and Cherokee is a six-year-old Golden Retriever. The furfaces keep me sane – or close to it anyway.
I am blessed with good friends in my life, a home that I love, and a yard that tries to be a jungle. Life is good and I’m still celebrating it!
–Gypsy Cole
