I came all the way to Costa Rica....

“A friend is someone who understands your past, believes in your future, and accepts you just the way you are.” – Unknown

While I am not a particularly religious person…(which clearly upsets my Mother as she made evident after my 4th of July blog questioning why Jesus needed so many holidays… though I am not sure what she expects, as the only time we EVER went to church when I was growing up was on Christmas Eve) … I do believe that things happen for a reason. And I believe that certain people are put in your life, just for you, at just the right time.

Y’all have heard about and seen pictures of Linda, but I don’t think I have really let you get to know her. It seems like on this blog Kurt gets more “air time” … but that is because he is the one who is a little out of hand…thus providing many comical things to blog about. And while I appreciate his ability to provide great subject matter... my favorite thing about Kurt is how much he loves Linda…though it is easy to understand why.

I already told you that when Linda and Kurt arrived at Las Palmas, I was not really excited about the prospect of having SF neighbors in Costa Rica….and back in June I ate those words because I realized how much I adored them. But now, as I sit here thinking about my time in Costa Rica, I know that my friendship with them will be one of the greatest gifts I take away from my time in this country.

It is funny to me, because before I came to Costa Rica, I had friends tell me that I would meet people here who were traveling, who I would become really close to in a short period of time. I, wrongly, discredited them as I thought that
1. I didn’t want to hang out with a bunch of Americans…if I wanted to do that I would have just stayed in SF.
2. I don’t get close to people very quickly…as I put up walls and tend not to let people in.

Well, Linda has proved me wrong.

It is crazy to me, that in about 2 months, I have become really close friends with this amazing woman…who for years, lived just blocks from me in SF. But, if I had to wait years and come all the way to Costa Rica to have the privilege of her friendship, then it was worth it.

Linda is one of the most kind spirited people I have ever met. She just has this calm presence about her that makes you want to be around her. But don’t let that fool you, this girl grew up in NY and will take you down if necessary.

She is generous, and funny, and smart….a great listener and a good gossiper (though not in a mean spirited kind of way…I mean that she and I can spend considerable amounts of time at the pool talking about the articles in People Magazine…that is when we are fortunate enough to get our hands on an issue) .

She is a tri-athlete (which frankly scares me a little) and a Physical Therapist, and, unfortunately for her, has also become a little bit of my personal assistant while here. I didn’t mean for that to happen, but as she is not working, and I am…she volunteers to plan our activities...and often brings me gallo pinto. A luxurious, yet non paid job.

She gets the hiccups when she is drunk, and walks as slow as a snail up to the line when bowling (thus just tossing the ball instead of getting some real momentum behind it).

But my favorite thing about Linda is that she accepts you for who you are. She likes you for just being you, and makes you feel like that is good enough. And when you came to Costa Rica to find that “lost” piece of yourself again, that is just the kind of friend you need.

I am a lucky, lucky girl…and am thankful for her friendship. So even if I had to come all the way to Costa Rica to meet her, it has been more than worth the journey…even if there weren’t any monkeys.