Shimmering sun sprinkled gold glitter over the sea, piercing blue skies and white cotton candy clouds suspended to the east and west as our caravan of three cars crossed the Lazaretto bridge. We had no idea what was in store for us on this little clump of sand. Questions filled our our heads… Would we only live here for three months as our temporary winter rental suggested? Or would we find a new life here? Thirsty and hungry to fill a void that ached in both of us for a long time. Years of going through the motions and living out decisions that were based on the way we were “supposed” to live had piled on and eventually took its toll on us. Laughter filled dates nights had been replaced by mounting bills and debt and working 16 hour days to fulfill obligations that we weren’t sure why we were obligated to them.

Two months before, we had already sold everything we owned. The commitment of searching for a new life had already been made. Putting into action, the proverbial saying “Leap and the net will appear” …we had made the leap, we just didn’t know if and when the net would appear.

Within two weeks, it was quickly apparent that Tybee fit like a glove for the whole McNally clan. We soon began searching for long term housing on the island. Our winter rental contract would be up before we’d know it. In the last hour, we found a little apartment, thinking it would ‘make do’ for the first year, but it would at least keep us on Tybee. Convincing our children that we would live like we’re on vacation in the two bedroom, one bath tiny space, as it’s only a seashell’s throw from the ocean. Five years later, we still love our little space and the seascape view it provides. We continue to keep life simple. Owning only the items that we want to use and care for, and not accumulating stuff for storage and dust collecting. Choosing to do only what makes us happy, cutting away stress and anxiety in every area. “Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” Hebrews 13:5

This weekend is our five year Tybee-versary. We continue celebrate life every day with thankfulness, joy and gratitude that we followed that little voice that led us to this place, this quirky, peculiar little island of misfit toys. For the first time ever, we somehow fit amongst the misfits and have learned many lessons. First of all we have learned what community really is, and how to love each other through many differences, not hurling judgement on those that live or believe a differently from us. When one hurts, everyone hurts. When one is in need, everyone pulls together. Fund raising and benefits are weekly events on Tybee. Raising thousands of dollars to support neighbors and tybee family. “Love the Lord God with all your heart, and all your might and all your strength and love your neighbor as yourself…this is the greatest of commands.” Loving your neighbor is definitely one thing that Tybee gets right. Just last week, over $4,000 was raised in one night at The Sandbar, for our buddy Steve-O, who is recovering from a stroke. The same day another fundraiser was held to support life long tybee resident, Captain Royce whose shrimp boat had sunk during hurricane Matthew. Tybee people jump into action when the needs are plenty.

Last night we walked down Tybrisa (our main street on Tybee) for our annual Christmas tree lighting. Five years ago to the day, we attended the same event on our first night living here, we didn’t know one person. Now, I gaze through the crowd and can call out each one by name. I look in their eyes and know a part of their story. We have all been gathered on this island of love to celebrate each other cherishing these moments we call life. I feel as though our lives have been knitted together with these people into this creating a beautiful blanket of love that has filled the emptiness we ached from five years ago.

But I have good news…my heart rate has been normal for over two weeks, so maybe it’s all behind me.

And more good news…even though I love summertime on Tybee, I am truly happy to slow down and really enjoy winter. I crave my carefree days that are coming in January. Days to stay in my flannel jammies all day sipping hot tea writing blog posts and planning my new year. Purging closets literally and figuratively. Removing unwanted debris from my life.

I welcome those eight weeks in January and February, when I can read books from cover to cover in one day…yes, I long for it. I need the solitude and time to center my life again. It’s like each year I get to know myself a little better and when that happens I become a more in tune wife, mom and friend. I take the time to take inventory of what’s most important, where I’m headed and how I’m going to get there. Time to allow my faith to deepen and my communion with God to be more pure. Throughout the year I strive to take moments each day to continue this practice, but in all honesty it’s really easy to miss the mark. So I receive the slower months as a gift.

It’s the last day of November and from the words in this post, it seems as if I’ve already skipped December.

Maybe I just know how fast December comes and goes so I’m preparing myself for it.

Or

Maybe I’m just setting myself up to start my slowdown ritual in December. The to-do list is getting whittled down. I can make the choice to unwind a little earlier this winter. Why wait till next year to slow down and enjoy a little peace and serenity?

Our Christmas season doesn’t have to be a crazy month of madness. We don’t have to go to every event, every party and participate in every gift exchange. That is, unless you really want to.If that is what brings happiness to you.

We each have the same hours in a day and we have the power to choose how we spend them, December is no different.

Here’s a little example of what I’m talking about. Last week Sean and I had a photoshoot in Washington DC. The session started at noon and we traveled to several monuments around the nation’s Capitol to photograph our long time customers in various settings with their three boys, capturing life as it unfolds. We wrapped up our session around 3:30, just in time to drive home in rush hour or should I say rush “four-hour” traffic. When we relocated to Georgia, traffic is something that we just gave up and refuse to participate in. After a lifetime to living in the DC metro area, it is a part of our past and not our present or future. Once we saw that everything was grid locked and it would be close to three hours to travel 46 miles, we just stopped. We pulled into a strip mall on the side of the road, walked into a restaurant and ordered a lovely meal. We relaxed and recounted moments from the day laughing and enjoying each other’s company. Two hours later after traffic had thinned out, we jumped on 95 and we were home in less than an hour and we were not stressed.

Shopping and gift giving doesn’t have to be pushing our way through crowded malls and waiting in line. Other options are plenty. This year, as I have more often each year, I choose to shop online for few purchases as well as shopping from small local businesses or making gifts from home.

So here’s to the arrival of December. May you pause, and enjoy it.

I have been needing to write an update on my health and heart episodes.

After several appointments with cardiologists, electrophysiologist, endocrinologist and echocardiography technicians, the latest verdict from the medical community is inconclusive. The best they can tell me is my condition is not a thyroid issue, nor is is a heart defect, blockage or abnormality. If I’m not blacking out or fainting (which I haven’t) then it is not a life threatening condition. They don’t know why my heart rate is fluctuating at such great degrees, but I should just go ahead and have surgery to implant a permanent pacemaker in my body to take care of the non-life threatening symptoms.

That answer is just not good enough for me.

At least not at this time and not at my age. I have been monitoring and recording my heart rate, blood pressure and stats since this started and I began to notice a pattern and in triggers to the fluctuations. As I discussed these patterns and my hunches with the electrophysiologist, he pushed my results aside and continued attempting to sell me on the need of a installing pacemaker. As much as I believe in quality health care and am so grateful to the advances in technology and competent compassionate health care professionals, I cannot just accept a swift recommendation without explanation to follow through with surgery.

I have currently chose a path to do my own research and connect the dots of this issue before undergoing surgery. So far, everyday I am getting more answers with hopeful data and gaining successful results everyday.

What I have found from reading through hundreds of websites, medical papers and videos, is there is a nerve called the Vagus nerve that wanders through the upper torso from the neck, down behind and below the heart next to the esophagus and over the stomach. This nerve at times can become compressed or pinched and affect the natural firing of the sinus node (the heart’s natural pacemaker). At times I can be lying flat on my back, or face down or sitting upright and check my heart rate and it will be around 30-36 BPM. When I change positions or posture, immediately I will get a new normal reading of between 60-70 BPM. I also noticed a significant drop in heart rate after eating a meal, a few hours later it would return to normal. I decided to start removing specific ingredients from my diet that would cause excessive fullness and I began to see a direct correlation in the two. Breathing techniques have also contributed to a positive increase in heart rate. At the same time I was discovering the various physical triggers that cause changes in my heart rate, I began to tap into this research online that was giving definition to my results. Resulting in more reasons to not have a permanent pacemaker surgically implanted in my body.

I want to take a moment and thank everyone for all of the encouragement, prayers and thoughts that have poured in since I publicly shared what’s been going on with my heart issues. Many of you sent private messages of your own personal health experiences. This dialog has really helped me to narrow in on the condition and eliminate some of the possibilities. By keeping the conversation going, it has also helped me from carrying worry and stress on my own. It is easy to internalize worry and make problems worse as stress alone will create new symptoms.

As of now, I will continue on this natural path to restore my heart rate to normal… hopefully with permanent results. 

I have been reticent to share something that I’ve been dealing with as I just figured it would go away….but that doesn’t seem to be the case. Even though I have written about some of the ups and downs in my life, I usually write about them after the fact…once I know everything will be ok. This is a bit different as I am currently in the midst of this trial with no clear answer at the moment. Faith alone is getting me through this. Even as I write this at 3:30 in the morning, I am not sure I’ll even publicly post it until this is resolved.

Over the summer I experienced an extreme drop in my heart rate and was short of breath when walking distances or climbing stairs. This was during a time when I was trying to lose weight while adhering to a low carb diet. Perspiring and working in the extreme summer heat it was easy to dismiss this change in heart rate as dehydration and electrolyte depletion. A few bottles of Gatorade and a couple days later, I was like new again. Lightheadedness and trying to catch my breath were barely a memory from the dog days of summer.
Weeks passed and we were vacationing in Costa Rica, enjoying the exotic sounds of the jungle, when out of the blue the symptoms from a month earlier returned. After one flight of stairs and trying to catch my breath, I pressed my index finger into the sensor of the heart rate monitor on my phone, thirty seconds later it revealed that my heart rate had indeed plummeted again. I immediately thought, it must be the heat again. So I began to drink fresh coconut water and Gatorade filled with electrolytes and expected everything to bounce back. No such luck. We continued to enjoy our vacation, though I was cautious in my activities.

As we journeyed for almost a week with canceled and delayed flights as hurricane Matthew pounded up the East Coast, we were safe and sound staying in cozy airbnbs, and not so cozy sleeping on freezing cold airport floors, running to catch rescheduled flights… you name it, it was quite the adventure returning home. Meanwhile, I was still dealing with this unexplainable low heart rate. I had no pain or tightness in my chest, no numbness, tingling or any symptoms other than getting winded running through the airport. But, hey that’s happens to me anytime I have ever had to run through the airport.
So after the dust had settled of getting back home and letting out a sigh of relief that even though our little slice of paradise had taken a beating, we still had a home to return to. Other than three family portraits that were cancelled due to the family’s vacations being cancelled, I kept my work schedule as I photographed two full weddings and two vow renewals within five days of returning home.

I was still getting abnormally low heart rate readings when I would check my blood pressure vitals several times a day. Reading at 34 bmp, less than half of what normal should be. It was time to seek professional help and get to the bottom of this.

Earlier this week, Sean drove me into the Southern Urgent Care facility on Whitemarsh Island. I figured a quick blood test, they would see what I am lacking, give me the fix and be on my way. Oh, how far from the truth that would be. The next thing I know, I’m lying on the table naked from the waist up with round stickers and wires connected to me from head to toe as the doctor ordered an in office EKG. One quick read of the results and they had me out the door and headed to Savannah to meet with a cardiologist that they made the appointment for me. An hour later I was rushed to the front of the line in a waiting room filled shoulder to shoulder with older grey haired cardiac patients. Within minutes, I was again hooked up from head to toe with wires and machines surrounded by a very concerned doctor and two nurses all shaking their heads in disbelief of my barely existent “impressive” pulse. They were all asking me how I felt and what other symptoms did I have. My answer was always the same. “None. Just don’t ask me to climb stairs” but they did make me walk on a treadmill, only to have my heart rate not increase. They ordered blood work and made an appointment for me to consult with another cardiologist specialist about getting a pacemaker installed.

What are you talking about?? A pacemaker? That can’t be. I’m only 46. If having a low heart rate didn’t make me dizzy, telling me that I would possibly be having surgery to install a pacemaker was about to make me throw up and pass out. The Dr also ordered an echocardiogram (recording a detailed sonogram video of my heart) which also did not reveal anything abnormal.
My blood work came back the next day showing everything normal, except only a lowered number in my thyroid. The nurse called and said that the Dr was consulting with an internist and said that a thyroid condition can cause a lowered heart rate. They immediately called in a thyroid medication to the pharmacy, although the next morning, I received a call from the dr himself telling me to not take the medication. He has continued to consult with other physicians that specialize in this area of thyroid that is outside of hs expertise.
They suggested doing further blood tests showing a full thyroid panel as well as referring me to an endocrinologist to help assist in my diagnosis. Continuing to keep the pacemaker appointment on the books in the event that I cannot be treated with medicine, it may still require a pacemaker to get my heart back to normal.
So now I wait until Tuesday’s endocrinologist appointment as daily I hope that miraculously I will wake up and have my heart rate jump back to normal… just like it did this summer.

Oh, where do I even begin? After a week of cancelled flights and staying several extra nights in San Jose, we journeyed over 30 hours to return home to hurricane damaged Tybee. It was a miracle that our home three doors from the ocean was not damaged, although there were many others on the island and all throughout Savannah that were not as fortunate. The island has buzzed with the sound of chainsaws and hammering nails for over a week as our neighbors have cut their way back into their homes and patched up their open roofs. Flooded with trucks from power companies, tree services, insurance adjusters and contractors from states away…you name it, our little island was far from the looks of the summer tourist town we saw for the past five months. Fall is the time of year when we love to get back to our small town community feel. And even though hurricane Matthew tried to destroy our little island town, it is in the hard times like that the community is made even more strong and impenetrable. Kudos to our wonderful Mayor, Jason Buelterman who went above and beyond for the people if Tybee. He was making personal phone calls to people that had decided to stay, pleading them to evacuate. Afterwards he secured a helicopter to ensure that ten new pumps were delivered to restore our sewage system in a matter of days. 

And there’s nothing (including a tree fallen across the Bull river bridge and a police car chasing him, can keep Eric Thomas owner of Hucapoos from coming back on the island. Only hours in the wake of Matthew, he fired up the generators and pizza oven to serve free food and provide comfort for anyone that was left on the island.

Thank you all that reached out in concern for our family and friends. Please continue to pray for all of those that are still dealing with the devastation in the wake of Matthew. The media is quite neglectful in covering the aftermath of this monster if a storm that ripped through Haiti, the Bahamas, Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina and Virginia.

We just had our internet restored at an acceptable level yesterday. So my blog posts have not been as frequent as I’d like, but in the big scheme of things…just a mere blip in my life. I have a few backlogged pieces that I’ll post in the coming days. I have written online reviews for each of the places we stayed in Costa Rica that I want to share with you. I’ve received several messages from readers that are thinking of traveling to Costa Rica and I’d love to help you plan your trip!!

In addition to trying to get our life back to normal, I photographed two full weddings and two vow renewals in the the past week. Most all of the restaurants and businesses are open and ready for guests to return. So if you want to have a fall beach getaway, now is the time to do it. The weather is beautiful here and at least 90% of the island is ready for you!

We were looking for a place to stay relatively near the airport. Our flight was not until noon so we opted to stay just outside of the city since we had ample time to get to the airport.

The pictures online looked lovely of this cute little cabin. Arriving after dark during the rain was a little challenging but we used our GPS for turn by turn directions to get to Grifo Alto. Communication with Jose was great, he sent us the more detailed directions to enter the property since it was so dark. He was waiting at the gate to welcome us in and show us around. We were in the smaller of two cabins, it was a little chilly, but he had plenty of blankets there for us. We didn’t have time to cook at the cabin, but the kitchen is really cute and seemed to have all of the essentials.

We really enjoyed our stay, even though it was quick. It is just about one hour from the airport, but up in the mountains.

We had dinner at a fabulous restaurant called Pilo Restaurant as you come up the mountain on your left before the Grifo Alto sign. Great food, large portions and small price with fabulous service.

The next morning we spent some time talking to Jose. He showed us his other cabin which was really nice. Quite a bit bigger and a little more finished. He told us how he had built the cabins himself, even from cutting down the trees on his property and using that wood to build the cabins.

The views from the porch of the second cabin were spectacular.

There is not much around the Grifo Alto area, as it is just a small town and not a tourist area. So I’d only recommend this for travelers who don’t want to stay in the city the night before flying out.

If you are interested in booking a night at Finca Las Mariposas you can search Airbnb or just contact Jose directly at elticorico@live.com

Due to hurricane Matthew wreaking havoc on our hometown in Georgia, we had to extend our stay in Costa Rica extra nights. As soon as we received our first flight cancellation, I found Monica’s Airbnb listing and sent an inquiry. She replied right away letting us know of availability for my husband, myself and our three teenaged daughters. She said they had two rooms available and could add an extra mattress for one of the girls.

We stayed in touch through the day of our arrival and she replied promptly to all my inquires and specific direction requests. It was dark and rainy when we arrived she came out in the rain and helped us get parked in their secure private garage. The power was out upon our arrival but she had prepared lit candles for each of us as she and Esteban gave us a tour of their home. From the front of the house it doesn’t look big, but don’t be deceived.. it is huge!! Four bedrooms, huge kitchen with all the necessities for cooking and meal preparation. (Although, no microwave) their home also includes a yoga studio that Monica runs her business from and a bakery where Esteban bakes fresh organic bread for the local Ferreiras. He shared several loaves with us during our stay. There were also two comfortable living spaces so we could interact with other guests if we wanted as well as space to just be on our own.

Since we were facing a crisis at home, it was imperative that we had WiFi to communicate with our neighbors and friends about the hurricane destruction that was happening. We had unlimited WiFi and used it a lot to reschedule flights and rental car arrangements.

Monica and Esteban are both wonderful hosts as they were compassionate to the uncertainty that we were facing at home. And they rejoiced with us as we got word that our home was spared! They are they type of hosts that we want to keep up with and come back to see again. They had several friends visit during our stay and they were all friendly. It is evident that this family is a gem in the community of Escazu.

The rooms and beds were comfortable and we were able to rest during our stay. Escazu is still in the city that is busy with cars, motorcycles and some traffic that you will still hear during the night. Light sleepers may want to wear earplugs for a restful night. Even though laundry facilities are listed, the dryer was not working when we were there, but many places in Costa Rica only use a washer and they hang dry their clothes, keep in mind if you are looking for laundry facilities.

After a long drive from the Pacific coast through the mountains in the rain during rainy season, we were ready for some rest. We arrived just as the sun was setting and the rain and clouds cleared for a few minutes to allow an amazing view of the volcano.

We stayed in the lower level two side by side apartments as you pull in to the left. Traveling with our three teenaged daughters the accomdations were perfect. Each apartment was equipped with a kitchen. One had a microwave. Since we arrived so late and it was raining we did not want to go back out for dinner. We brought a few things to cook there and it worked great for our needs. The mattress was wonderful, the best we slept on all week with soft cotton linens. Also we had nice hot showers!

Driving in I saw several of the other resorts and hotels that were advertised on the internet. And I just cannot imagine that their view could be any better than this one. Since it is on the lake side and you get a panoramic lake and volcano view. Make sure you use the restroom in el Castillo or Fortuna before driving all the way in to the inn. Be prepared for several kilometers of a BUMPY & ROCKY road!! As well as grabbing any necessary items or food and drinks. We really wish we had grabbed dinner to take up there. It is just 50meters from the sky tram adventures so easy to follow their billboards and signs.

We woke up early before the sun and watched and listened in amazement as the rainforest came alive. Yellow billed toucans calling from the trees. Hummingbirds flitting about from one flower to the next. The gardens full of colorful blossoms and that was all just in the foreground. The distance was the lake with reflections of pink clouds and the volcano with steam escaping from the top as the morning clouds floated around it. Just amazing. Truly one of the most beautiful sights I have ever seen. There are two hammocks on the porch to enjoy all of this beauty from.

Breakfast was ready at 7am and served outside at the front building on top of the knoll where you can take in the whole view. Our host was so gracious and accommodating. He said since we were only there one night, he wanted us to experience a true typical Costa Rican breakfast. It was so delicious. Starting with the coffee and fresh squeezed tropical fruit juice. He made eggs to order, a corn cake with nitilla (similar to a sour cream), plantains and pinto gallo shaped into a volcano. It was by far the best breakfast we had all week. Going above and beyond to make it special for us.

I really wished we had more than one day in the area as it was so beautiful and we wanted to take pictures of everything. If you plan on visiting the Arenal area, skip the touristy accomdations and stay at Arenal Tropical Gardens!!

We were traveling with our three teenaged daughters and spent three nights here.

Located behind a secure gate, we felt safe enough to sleep with the AC off and doors wide open to feel the ocean breeze flow through the house. Comfortable mattresses fitted with soft cotton linens ensured a great night’s sleep. Bathrooms were stocked with all of the essentials and outfitted with stylish designer sinks and fixtures.

The kitchen had all of the essentials for meal preparation and cooking, including modern upgraded appliances. There was plenty of room and living spaces to either congregate together or have nice quiet moments of reflection and solitude. The view of the ocean and sounds of the rainforest coming alive in the morning are not to be missed. Several places to sit and relax outside, including a covered table and chairs area with BBQ grill to still enjoy outside in evenings during rainy season.

The common area shared with about four other condos (though we were the only guests at the time) included comfortable lounge chairs, umbrellas, meticulously maintained lawn and landscaping surrounds a pristine infinity swimming pool making this seem like our own private luxury resort.

Staying in Uvita is a perfect choice for visiting the South Pacific Coast. Only a few minutes from Dominical and other beaches for surfing and beach days. 30 minutes from Osa Canopy Ziplining and Adventure Tours. A nice grocery store for all of your food shopping is just down the hill… about 2km from the house as well as fabulous local bars and restaurants that are not typical tourists traps. Directions to the house are spot on and hard to miss. Even the road up the hill was one of the nicest private drives we’ve been on in Costa Rica.

I highly recommend this home for your rainforest coastal getaway!!

Here is the vrbo link to book this house for your vacation! https://www.vrbo.com/897465

Tuesday morning, we left the Southern Pacific Region of the country or where we had been calling home for the past five days. We drove up the coast then headed inland towards the Arenal volcano. Google maps said the trip would take five and one half hours. Well, Google was wrong. While I appreciate the super advanced technology of having any kind of information at your fingertips, Google does not take into account things like an impassable truck overloaded with lumber in front of you for 58 kilometers climbing a mountain. That will make all anticipated travel times fly out the window and just make you happy to arrive whenever you do. The afternoon rains followed us inland as we corkscrewed up the winding mountains through the town of San Ramon. We kept inching closer to La Fortuna and our final destination of El Castillo, the small town that sits between Lake Arenal and the Arenal volcano. We were ready for a full meal and restrooms when we stopped at a nice restaurant perched on top of the mountain. Our normal routine when stopping is to immediately obtain wifi passwords as our overnight accommodations font always had great signal and are part of the connected generation.
Once connected, my phone was pinging with alerts to be aware of a storm brewing in the south with possible projections of making an impact on our home island. Texting back and forth with our friends that have been pet sitting and enjoying their island retreat. I was typing out a list of the most important things to grab if an evacuation was ordered. Our black book that contains our important family documents, laptops, external hard drives, Sean’s cameras (mine are with me) and Sean’s mandolin. Most of this can fit in a plastic Rubbermaid container. We disconnected our wifi and continued to drive up the mountain till we turned the corner and saw the slight outline of the volcano faintly through the fog and clouds. Only few more kilometers, but traveling at 6 km per hour on a road made of softball sized rocks will still take a while. We then turned off the rocky road onto a beautiful hand laid stone paver road. This was definitely the most gorgeous road we’ve ever driven on in Costa Rica. Sean made a joke and said ” why don’t the do this all the way up?” A few turns later we busted out laughing as there was a while crew working on the road, in the rain at dusk hand laying each and every stone paver. 

One last turn and we arrived at our destination. The fog had lifted just in time for us to see the active volcano in clear site. White steam vapor clouds were emitting from the top of the massive volcano. It was a gorgeous site and we all scrambled to snap pictures in the last few moments of daylight.
Knowing we wanted to wake up with the jungle in the morning, we all turned in to bed rather early. What seemed like only few hours later, I awoke. (But I did get great sleep on an extremely wonderful mattress) I stumbled on to the ceramic tile deck where the hand woven hammocks were hung to see that Baylie was already up early sending out a Facebook live video. The view was just breathtakingly gorgeous. As the light changed by the moment and the sounds of birds singing, chirping and flitting all around us we were all just amazed. Water drops glistened from colorful flower petals as dozens of hummingbirds visited as many blooms as they could. There was a growing buzz that got louder as the morning progressed as bees were pollinating the rainbow array gardens. As if that was not enough just a gaze in the distance revealed the lake to our left with the clouds mirror images being reflected in the water. Then to turn my head to the right the pink morning clouds lifted from the peak of the volcano revealing the continual white steam of steam reminding is that this is an active volcano. Taking photos left and right with both my phone and my camera. Really deciding that my phone is doing a much better job capturing the scenes around me than my expensive professional gear. We all continued to gasp as this was clearly one of the most beautiful sights I have ever viewed. It was soon time to move up to the front house, high on the knoll looking down into the lake valley. That is where our homemade breakfast was to be served. By now the sun was shining in full brightness and sunglasses were definitely needed. We continued to breathe in the beauty, not wanting to leave our location for the long drive ahead of us. We could hear Juan and his staff working in the kitchen preparing our breakfast. The aroma of fresh coffee being brewed permeated the air.Imagining that it is being made from beans that were plucked from only a few mountains over. 

Our host explained that since we were only there for one night he wanted us to experience a very typical special Costa Rican breakfast. It was incredible! Starting with fresh pressed tropical fruit juices.He then cooked our eggs to order and made special corn cakes with natilla (kind of like sour cream) the pinto gallo (beans and rice) were presented on our plates in the shape of a volcano with a side if queso Blanco (white cheese). They really did go above and beyond to make our one meal with them extra special.  After breakfast we had to pack up and hit the road as we had a long drive back to the city ahead.

Further reports were coming in about the impending storm headed to Tybee. We made our last texts of communication for a while and aaid Wed check back. Y evening.