Technology vs. Coconuts

Wait. wasn't that an episode of Gilligan's Island?  Well, one thing's for certain, we aren't on a 3 hour tour!

We spent our first night in San Jose, at a pet friendly hotel called Hotel Kekoldi, to give the cats a break from travel and also for us, too!  This place was SO friendly and awesome, the rooms were clean and the breakfast was really good:)  All for $60 a night.  We bought some large foil baking tins to use as temporary litter boxes, and the cats used them so I'd call that a success.  They hid under the bed for a while but even the shy ones eventually came out for food and love.  We were even able to venture off for a nice dinner at a nearby restaurant, as we were confident the cats were doing well.  The next morning Dan and our friends went in search of a place to buy/activate SIM cards.  They found a store nearby, and were starting to make some headway when they were told the system was down.  Sigh.  No communicado  for us yet!  Dan managed to get one SIM card working that we had pre-purchased from a 3rd party distributor located in the States, so at least we could arrange for our friend's arrival as they are staying nearby with a wonderful lady I met last time I was here.

The back garden area of the hotel.  It was raining so we weren't able to eat our breakfast out there, but it was very pretty and a great welcome into the tropics!

The cats were getting antsy and upset that we put them BACK in the carriers, and our transport van to Nosara was running late due to insane traffic in San Jose, so I put them out back to look at birds and smell the air.  It *sorta* worked.  Yin yowled the whole was to Nosara, poor girl!

My friend left a key for us at the house because she was at work, so when we arrived we had an exciting greeting from dogs and kitties!  Then we settled our guys in the secluded guest room that was safe from other cats getting in.  They've been in there all week, getting used to the smells and greeting the other cats through the door, and also getting used to dogs barking as they've never lived with dogs before.  I think early next week we should be able to let them explore the rest of the house and eventually outdoors :)

The next day was full-on "I'm here at an animal rescue!" kinda day, as we received 3 puppies and 4 kittens.  Pups were full of fleas, so they got baths and everyone was given tasty nutritious food...probably the first time they've ever had a proper meal.  The puppies were about 5 weeks and the kittens about 4 wks.   So now there were about 15 cats/kittens (not including my 4), 5 dogs (2 belong to my friend), and 3 pups.  Welcome to the animal jungle!!

A *few* of the kitties in the house.  They're indoor/outdoor but love to cuddle together in these chairs

The bravest kittens waiting to see if Kabuki leaves any food behind.  She never does.  But they still wait...

New puppy and new kitten bonding :)  Soon they were all playing together!

 
Fortunately, we soon found a foster home for the 4 new kittens, and she also is fostering one of the dogs who is for adoption!  She's really great and has fostered for NAC before.  Also I believe all 3 puppies have found homes so they'll be going to their new owners next week :)

The next day there was an event in town at the local school, where they had different dance groups perform and it was an awareness event for the environment, to teach people to reduce, reuse and recycle!  NAC had an information booth there so I went along to help represent.  It was nice to be around Ticos and see their local dancing, and I saw a few people I knew from last time I was here, too :)  

Our information booth.  It was SO windy, so we McGyver'd the photos using string and duct tape.  Worked for the most part, though the temperature here can make even duct tape less than invincible...

NAC does an education program in the schools to teach empathy and awareness to youths.  Start them early!  Helping them appreciate life in all its forms, and treat animals with respect.  They receive a certificate once they complete the program so that makes them proud of their achievements, too :)

Some of the dancing :)

 The rest of the week has been spent adjusting to our new "schedule"...wake up with the monkeys at sunrise, lay in bed and decide whether to *actually* get up, then cater to the whims of furry creatures all day!  While my friend is still here she wants to spend as much time with her dogs as she can, because she can't bring them with her, so she's been doing a lot of the morning walking/feeding.  But in a few days that will change I'll be a morning person again!  I don't mind in this environment, and when waking up doesn't mean having to bundle up, take the TTC, and deal with crowds of rude people who hit me with their bags and can't look where they're going.  

I've been showing Dan and our friends around, walked the beaches and we toured the more popular beach town of Guiones.  Since we don't have a vehicle it's a little challenge to get around, but walking is great as long as it's not mid-afternoon when it's the hottest.  Also the main road is starting to get really dusty!  There's dust on all the trees that line the road, too.  Kinda crazy.  We try to stick to the side roads,  or the beach to walk to Guiones if possible.  But to get to Nosara town center (sounds fancier than it actually is) it's about an hour's walk on the main road.  We had to go one day to the electric/phone place to finally activate SIM cards so our cells work.  It was an adventure! Fortunately the day we went there was a great breeze so it was actually a nice walk.  Then we went to the Supermercado (or the Super Nosara) to get, well, all the things and a cab home because we got jugs of water, too.  The cab was about $15, so not cheap.  

Now that I've reacquainted myself with everyone here and the board members of NAC, it's a great community so I can just send out an email to see if anyone with a vehicle is going to the store and usually get a ride with them.  It's a good system of support, and I'm very grateful!  I had my first meeting with the NAC board last Thursday, which went very well.  We met by the beach, which I've since decided is the *perfect* spot for a business meeting!

The business meeting place :)  Also known as the place to get beers at sunset, or lunch after walking around the beach in the morning. 

My next post will detail the fabulous spay/neuter clinic that we had yesterday :)  They're typically once a month and target the low income local families, encouraging them to fix their dogs and cats!

My last thought for now is having a truly overwhelming sense of knowing that we're in the right place.  No matter the technology or logistic challenges we may continue to face, both of us have the same strong feeling in our hearts.  No life is easy.  The bonuses here of learning to be without the many conveniences of the city include living a healthier, back to basics lifestyle and really getting to know our surroundings...being in touch with all life around us. A lot of the land around us is protected preserve, so there's little chance of our immediate environment changing in the near future.  Eating fresh local fruit every day, sharpening my skills on opening coconuts, and caring for furry creatures outweighs pretty much any *thing* I might miss.  We do miss our friends, though!  Next on the technology list...organizing Skype dates :)



 

We Made It...

Wow well that was an adventure and a half just to get here!  Where to begin...

I suppose with the ordeal of moving everything into storage.   Murphy's Law was in full effect, as it had been during our whole last week in Toronto.   Stress levels were *just* beginning to level out after getting back from Ottawa with all the proper stamps and signatures for the cats.  We were pretty much all packed, save a few loose ends, garbage and a few old chairs etc..that the landlord agreed to take care of.  Fitting all of our "lives" into a few bags, we really did follow the "take only what you need to survive" train of thinking.  Well, mostly.  We *did* pack a few frivolous things, but they fit in our luggage so why not?!  

We had a van rented for a few hours, and estimated a couple of loads for storage and we had a  small load to drop off at a couple people's places.  Then we were an hour late getting the rental, due to crazy circumstances.  THEN it began snowing (it was already evening).  Yup, we left the morning after the first winter storm.  We got the first load into storage, had packed up the second load and they found out the storage place was now CLOSED.  In hindsight, of course we should have checked to see if they had specific hours or were open 24 hrs before booking.  But we got all turned around in our schedule because of my Ottawa trip so we didn't think of it.  Our friend (who also is with us now, as him and his wife helped us bring the cats) said it was okay to keep it all at his place and they'll move it when they get back.  Then we still had to do the final trip to a couple of people's places.  By the time it was all done and the van returned it was about 2am.  We had to be at the airport by 6:30-7am.  Sleep is for the weak.  We kinda snoozed for an hour, after a picnic dinner of leftover cheese, crackers, apples and wine.  Then it was time to scoop up the kitties into their carriers and be on our way.  I felt really bad that we didn't have time to clean up the place better.  We were working until about 4am trying to sort out the rest, last minute stuff that's always there when you do a move.  I honestly gave up as there wasn't anywhere else to put (or take) anything left behind.  It was all junk or half-opened bottles of fridge stuff.  Still, our landlords were super great and I didn't want to have to leave it that way:(  Guilty feelings followed, and still linger...

What it looked like outside as we were piling into the cab to the airport.  

We got to the airport later than we wanted to, of course.  The cats actually went into the carriers quite easily, compared to the vet trip the week before.  By this I mean I have no *new* scratches or bites.  But Yin proved to be the stressed out "get me outta this cage!" cat for pretty much the whole trip.  They were quiet whilst moving about through the checkout.  One of our bags was slightly overweight so we spent a few minutes shifting stuff around so we didn't have to pay the extra $100 fee.  Instead we only had to pay $20, which we expected as we did have an extra bag to check.  One of our friends had a bag of ours as "their" bag, but we still had three checked bags.  Oh well, we got to bring all the things and didn't get stopped by customs in Toronto or CR.

So, you know how you have to go through security, and put all your bags on the conveyor belt to go through the x-ray?  Well.  Traveling with 4 cats made that experience quite interesting, and also insanely stressful.  Actually, I was so tired that I was kind of on autopilot, which really helped level off my stress so I didn't freak out.  We can't put the cats through the x-rays.  So we have to take them out of the carriers, carry them to the other side of the security poles, and wait for the bag to come through before putting them safely back into the carrier.  I'm super glad I brought a towel.  Did I mention one of my cats used to be feral?  I'm a pretty good cat wrangler, though I haven't really used those skills on a daily basis in a couple years, since I quit working at vet clinics.  Being sleepy helped me because my automatic brain knew what to do and I just took it for a matter of fact, like "oh, this is what I'm doing now..okay.".  I got Yin around and back into the carrier.  Then I turned around to go back to do the same for the other cats.  One of the guards stopped me and told me I can't go back.  The look on my friends' faces were sheer panic...no way they can guarantee the safety of getting the cats out, holding them still and putting them back in.  I pleaded with the guard, and the other guard saw what was going on and said it was okay, that after I got all the cats back into their carriers I just had to go through the super body scan security machine.  Fine.  I can do that.  So as quickly and efficiently as possible when sleep deprived and stressed out, I got each cat safely through security and back into their carriers.  

We made it to the gate within minutes of boarding.  Whew!  Yin continued to fuss during most of the flight, but I had her under my seat so I could keep an eye on her.  The other cats were pretty much frozen the whole time:/  Not ideal as I'm sure they were scared outta their wits, but better than them ALL screaming.  

As we landed, I then worried I would have to repeat the cat wrangling going though the final security check.  This time I was a bit more stressed, having had a little bit of sleep.  So we get our luggage, get through customs with no problems and head to the final security check.  As we approached the conveyor belt,  I motioned to one of the guards.  I showed him my fancy expensive paperwork for the cats, and said in my limited Spanish "Cuatros gatos" as I pointed to the papers and the cat carriers behind me being held by Dan and our friends.  His eyes widened as he looked at them, said "Cuatros?!", and slightly amused by my attempt to communicate, he waved us through saying (in English) "quickly, quickly".  I said a huge relieved "Gracias!" and we put the luggage on the belt and walked through with the cats, safe in their carriers.  On the other side, the paperwork was stamped and we were set.  It was only at that point where I finally breathed a sigh of relief.  We're here.  We ALL made it.  

Now, I don't want to make this post too long..it's been six days since we got here to Costa Rica, and five days we've been in Nosara.  Stuff has happened (nothing bad), but I'll save that for tomorrow's post.  It's taken this long to secure a decent internet connection (more on that later!) so that's why I haven't posted sooner.  Suffice it to say there are puppies, kittens, cats and dogs, all living together (mostly) in peace.  Our cats are still secluded in one room, and are slowly getting used to the smells and sounds!

More to follow.  I'll leave you with these pictures :)

Our first day living at the rescue, we acquired 4 new kittens and 3 pups.  Soon they were happy playing together:)  Happy to say the pups have all found homes and the kittens are being fostered by an awesome supporter of NAC 

A couple days after being here, we were finally able to make it down to the beach for sunset.  Then we all had a lovely dinner at a local beach restaurant

Only *some* of the many kittens here right now that are up for adoption.  Interested??  

Jumping Through the Hoops

Today ends with an enormous Sigh.  It encompasses many emotions, including anger, frustration, impatience, worry, panic, guilt, more anger, a moment of happiness, then exhaustion.

The plan for today was this:  Go to the CFIA (Canadian Food Inspection Agency) office in Markham to get the health certificates signed for the cats, come home to get more packing done, then go to a friend's place for drinks and go dancing at our favourite club for the last time before we leave.

Apparently life had other plans.

First of all, the CFIA "hours" that they have available for people to get papers signed are very limited, between 1:30-3:30pm.  The bus that goes there (for people like us who don't have a car) is a "D" bus, 24D to be specific, that leaves from Victoria Park subway station.  The regular 24 bus only goes as far as Steeles.  Anyway, unbeknownst to us at the time, the 24D bus only runs until 1pm, then doesn't start up again until 7pm.  Really, TTC?  How does that make sense?  So we get to Vic Park station shortly after 1pm.  We ended up taking the bus that goes to Steeles, then a cab to the CFIA office.  

At the office, everything went swimmingly.  The government veterinarians were very nice and they were impressed by my thoroughness and amazing skills at filling out forms.  I'm not sure why I used the word "swimmingly" just now, but it inspired me to look up the origins of that word.  This is what I found (http://www.word-detective.com/2008/12/swimmingly/)

Given that most of our planet’s surface is covered with water, it’s not surprising that “swim” itself is a very old word. The Old English “swimman,” meaning ‘to move on or in water, to float,” was derived from a Germanic root that also produced the words for “swim” in several other European languages.

Since movement through water is generally smooth (unless one is thrashing about in panic), especially compared to the “clomp clomp clomp” of walking on land, “swim” has acquired a wide variety of figurative uses, many involving a sense of gliding or moving smoothly as if suspended in liquid (“She … swam across the floor as though she scorned the drudgery of walking,” 1888).

This use of “swim” to mean “glide smoothly with little apparent effort” gave us the adverb “swimmingly” in the early 17th century meaning “with smooth, uninterrupted progress; easily; with complete success” (“The interview went off very swimmingly,” 1824).

So after the forms were signed and stamped, the CFIA vet told me that I should double check with the Costa Rican Consulate/Embassy to find out if I need to get the papers verified/legalized by them, now that they've been signed by the government veterinarian.  I mentioned that I had checked into it, and that there was a company who specializes in import/export of pets and they told me it wasn't necessary.  The vet said I should call anyways, as policies are always changing.  So whilst waiting for our cab back to civilization I made the call.

Now, before I even made the call, I was getting angry and frustrated.  Originally I had planned it all out, timing and budget-wise, to get all of the papers signed by everyone (local vet, government vet and Costa Rican Embassy).  It was all worked out to have been completed by the beginning of this week.  But then when I was told by the "experts" that I didn't have to do the last step, I changed the timing and money was diverted elsewhere.

I called and managed to speak to a live person right away (which is unusual with government phone calls!).  She assured me that YES, I do have to get the forms legalized at their embassy.  Sigh.  Okay, I'm leaving in 5 days.  How do I get this done?!  She told me that usually people send them the paperwork and it takes about 2 days to get them back.  Umm.  It's Friday.   The weekend is a no-go for any government agency.  We leave on Wednesday very early in the morning.  Again, how do I get this done?!?  Apparently there is a new consulate office that *just* opened in Toronto this week.  But the representative there is not authorized to sign or legalize these sorts of documents.  Sigh.  My best option is to make an appointment with the embassy in Ottawa on Monday morning.  So I did.  9:30am.  Now I have to make a last minute trip, probably by bus if I can't find a ride.  Sigh.  Good news is that Dan has family there so I can go Sunday night and stay over, then go to the appointment and head home after that.

Basically I'm pretty frustrated about the whole thing because I totally actually had it all planned out correctly but then I trusted this other company.  Also I started feeling guilty for spending money on my new tattoo yesterday (which I love, btw).  I was fortunate and lucky to have gotten some donations towards my tattoo as birthday presents from friends, so that helped a lot!  I keep reminding myself that I shouldn't feel guilty because I didn't know this would happen.  But I'm always SO careful and organized, so when this happened today I was really feeling defeated:/  

After the phone call, we were still waiting quite a while for the cab to get us back to Finch station.  We decided to go straight there in the cab as there was a BMO bank and we had to deposit the "signing fee" of $40 per paper ($160 total) directly into the Consulate's bank account.  I need to bring the receipt of payment to my appointment on Monday.  

Finally on the subway heading home, my stress was levelling out into exhaustion and hunger (having not eaten all day except a small bowl of cereal in the morning).  My feelings must have been really apparent on my face.  There was a lady sitting across from us, who came up to us as she was getting off at her stop.  She had a bouquet of flowers in a small vase , that I had noticed on her lap of course while she was sitting in front of me.  She placed the flowers on my lap and said to me "You look like you need these more than I do".  I looked at her, incredulously, and managed to muster up a quiet "Thank you!!" as she left the subway.  Then I almost started crying, as this random act of kindness triggered the release of all of the emotions I'd been struggling with all day.  Kinda restores a small amount of faith in humanity.  

So now we're home, fed and drinking some wine.  I've totally lost my enthusiasm about going out tonight, so we're just staying in and watching some Netflix.  I'm sad about not being out to see friends tonight, but honestly just not in the mood to be around people tonight.  I'm comforted by Dan, the cats, and my new bouquet of pretty flowers :)

10 x 10

Today at this time we'll be landing in San Jose!  Hopefully with four calm cats.  Though if the trip to the vet on Monday was any indication, at least 2 of them will need a small dose of gravol (dimenhydrinate).  It's safe for pets while flying because it's not an actual sedative, and the dose is really small.  It's *just* enough to make them sleepy.  Plus if they get any motion sickness it will prevent that, too!  Win-win.  One last step to getting their paperwork complete for the trip, which will be done on Friday.  Then they're all set:)  

Danger "helping" me pack

I put these carriers here as someone from Toronto Cat Rescue was picking them up, and Stitches had to pose for this photo op.  We got 4 soft-sided carriers for the plane so we didn't need these ones anymore.  Stitches says "I'm ready to travel!!!"

Every time I pack up more things, I feel accomplished.  Until I look at the rest of the house that's still somehow full of stuff.  We've done a couple of trips to the storage locker, and it's about 1/3 full...but I feel like we put tons of stuff in there already!  It's a small room, too...only 10x10.  So strange that the physical representation of our lives can fit into such a small space.  Very surreal.  

At least my anxiety has levelled out.  It's not worse, anyway.  Still having strange dreams and I'm not sleeping through the night without waking up once or twice...but when I think about all of the things we still have to do, I'm not freaking out.  So that's progress!

Time for more packing!!!

15 days!!!

Well, we shipped off a few more things this past weekend.  The cats were mildly upset for the first little while but I convinced them all was well when I found some old cat toys that had been hidden under the furniture that left.  The living room is now much emptier, and the attic is starting to look bare, too!

We also had our Epic going away party this past Saturday evening, hosted by our amazing friends...the couple that is also travelling with us so that we can take all four cats on the plane in-cabin.  I think there must have been around 50 people there.  Our nearest and dearest:)  It was a treat to see everyone in the same room, and to know that they were all there in support of us and our decision to take this journey.  As much as I've been ready to leave this city for a few years now, I will definitely miss all of them.  I won't miss anything else though...except maybe the nearest convenience store, since in Nosara the nearest store isn't very "near".  Our friends and family (Dan's) reminded me of the good in this world, and I felt an overwhelming joy in being surrounded by them.  I know that even though we'll be distanced, we'll still be able to talk to each other and keep in touch.  Such is the way of technology!

My travel anxiety isn't getting any better though:/  15 days to go!  Makes the heart pound in anticipation and slight panic over "what have I forgotten to do?".  I have lists, I've gone over everything, contacted banks and credit cards, changed my address, and have all the papers for the cats.  We're both up to date on travel vaccines, and we're requesting copies of our recent medical records (to be safe).  We're not bringing a lot with us.  Mostly clothes, my vet books, my camera, computers, xbox, some stuff the cats are familiar with (blanket, toys, etc..), donated products and the cats.  Everything else is storage or "storage" in friends' homes, or given away/donated to charity.  Am I missing something?  Or do I just need to breathe...

I tried looking up "travel anxiety" and mostly just got articles to help people afraid of flying.  That's not my problem.  I LOVE flying and it's even on my bucket list to learn how to fly a plane some day.  I flew to Bali, Indonesia by myself (met up with friends once there) and that was crazy; 3 flights, approx 30 hrs of travel.  I was fine.  A little paranoid of my bag (I did carry-on only, no checked bags) and worried someone was going to make me into an unsuspecting mule...but otherwise it was a fun adventure in world travel.  I flew to Vancouver, then Taiwan, then Bali.  I've also flown to Japan non-stop, and to England twice.  So yaa, flying isn't my problem.  Maybe it's because I'm flying with my cats this time?  That seems more valid.  But knowing they're with us on the plane relieves a ton of potential worry, and I've got rescue remedy and feliway for them to help ease the journey :)

Perhaps it's a combination of excitement and the inevitable "not knowing what the future holds".  I'm anxious to get back into doing what I'm meant to do, which is saving and healing animals.  Every day since I've been back in Toronto, since my last trip there, I've felt myself being held back, so to speak, from living my purpose.  So definitely I can see why I'm anxious to get back there to continue my work.  I didn't want to leave at all!  I also have SO many ideas, and I think those are overwhelming me too...and stopping me from getting a good night's sleep.  I'm going to be starting a business there doing puppy/dog training and consultations, as well as a pet first aid course for pet owners.  The website is all done, thanks to the amazing talented boyfriend :)  I'm not really advertising yet because it's not registered, and I have to hire a local person once I'm there in order to legitimately run the business.  They totally allow visitors on tourist visas to start and register businesses in Costa Rica, but you have to hire locally to ensure their job market is supported.  Completely understandable.  I will definitely want a person fluent in Spanish, and someone to help with the classes.  Here's the website if you want to check it out: Nosara Happy Pets .  Once I'm there and it's registered, I'll be advertising locally:)  Before I register I'll put feelers out to gauge interest, too.  I know there's interest through talking with people who live there...the industry isn't saturated like it is in Toronto, or North America in general.   Wish me luck!

So.  through typing this, I believe I've narrowed down some of the issues that are causing my anxiety, which I'm hoping will mean I'll get a better night's sleep tonight ;)  Tomorrow I've got a tattoo consult appointment (want to get one done before I go!) and then more packing...followed by having friends over for a Terminator-a-thon.  Because really, can you ever get enough of that series?  I know I can't!

G'night!

Wonderful...

So I came across this article written by a guy who lives in Nosara, though he's in Guiones which is the more popular beach/tourist area.   "Easy" Living in Costa Rica

I found it interesting, well written, funny, and it totally brought back memories of the last time I was there...eating in some of the restaurants he describes, shopping in the Super Nosara, and the inevitable waiting for the water to come back on.  However, this man has obviously had a way worse internet experience than I ever did when I was there!  I don't anticipate having such crazy problems, because both my partner and I can do most of our work offline if necessary.   Although I'll have an online presence, with this blog and the animal rescue, I refuse to be a slave of technology.  I'm really looking forward waking up, looking out the window and seeing trees, birds, monkeys, and probably kittens climbing up the window screens.  I can't wait to hear the ocean again.  Our goal is actually to live simply and in harmony with nature...it's not just a tag line.

I did agree with the writer's point about the strange pricing of things, and the lack (or abundance) of specific products that we take for granted when living in a big city.  It doesn't seem like he was much of a home cook back in New York though, as he seemed to fixate on restaurants and the happiness of finding pre-packaged foods.  In contrast, I love cooking and we seldom eat out..usually it's included as part of a social evening with friends.  Again, I don't anticipate having problems finding food...especially being vegetarian and creative in the kitchen :)  Plus I actually really love rice and beans, and all things taco; and those ingredients are typically plentiful.  Last time I was there, I made the *best* salsa.  Super easy, too, and all the ingredients were readily available. Here's the recipe:

1 Mango
1 Avocado
1 Tomato
1/2 Onion
1-2 cloves Garlic
1 Jalapeño
bunch of cilantro
Lime (limon) juice

Chop (dice) the mango, avocado, onion and tomato. Finely dice the garlic, cilantro and jalapeño.  Mix all together and add the juice of one lime or limon.  Done!  You now have amazing salsa.  If you want it spicier, add some of whatever hot sauce you like (I'm partial to sriracha or something similar ).  Salsa is the best thing ever.

I'm looking forward to checking out the organic market, as I didn't have a chance last time I was there.  I do, in fact, covet kale.  We're also going to be looking to buy used bicycles, a scooter or rent an atv for groceries if necessary...though I'm thankful for the amazing supportive people I know in town who were quick to call if they were headed to the store, to see if I needed a ride.  There's a great sense of community there, and I really loved the last paragraph of the article:

"I suppose that it does take a lot of stamina and patience for an individual to go this far off the grid for so long a time. But one of my close friends down here once suggested that all a person needs to flourish in this place is to be alive, and be a good human being, and the rest will naturally follow. Over these past few months, I’ve noticed that in being these two things, you tend to form an unwitting community with those around you, those other good and alive human beings who’ve decided to build a part of their lives down here, because part of that life requires you to invest, if not restore, your trust in others, to cultivate your faith that even without, you can still make do, and after a while, you start to realize you probably didn’t need that much of anything in the first place. Except duct tape. You can never have enough duct tape. But other than that, everything is going to be wonderful, wonderful, wonderful."

Duct tape is on the list!

I've been chatting a lot with my friend at the animal rescue about how things are going there with all the animals, and I can't wait to be there to help!  The absolute best thing I can imagine doing in my life is nursing and helping animals.  It's when I feel the most at peace, even if the dogs are being super loud and barking at monkeys or chasing cats.  It's definitely NOT easy work, as I've mentioned before...but I'm SO immensely excited to be going back and staying this time.

Everything IS going to be wonderful:)

One month to go!

Wow I think I'm actually getting REALLY excited about moving now...though with that comes the inevitable travel anxiety that I always get.  This time it's worse, because I know I'm not coming back for a long while.  I think that feeling of "did I leave the stove on?" is going to be super intense on the actual day we're leaving!

We're really organized and that's helping.  Every day that goes by is another day where more is accomplished, even if it's just little things.  I'm holding on to the "accomplished" feelings and trying to let go of the anxious ones...but it's hard to fall asleep at night because my brain is on overdrive.  This weekend we're getting rid of more stuff, old clothes, books and kitchen stuff we've barely (or never) used; donating them to Value Village or the like.  Also we'll be booking the storage unit soon, so can start moving things into there.  Yup it's really happening!!  One month to go.

Getting things set up on the Costa Rican end too.  I've been in talks with representatives of a great company called Omega Alpha Pharmaceuticals who makes health supplements for people, pets and horses. http://omegaalpha.ca/  They're generously donating pet supplements to the animal rescue!  I'll be bringing some down with me next month, and then we'll be able to bring donations down in small amounts whenever people visit from Toronto (note to all our friends!).  Here's a picture of what's been donated so far (with my photobombing cat Stitches in the background):

These products are going to help SO much with the immune systems and overall heath of the animals being treated for disease and infection!  I'm so thankful to Sharon, Andrea and Monika at Omega Alpha for their generosity:)

Another announcement to add on the theme of generosity.  Nosara Animal Care has set up this fundraising site to raise funds for the animals, to make sure they can provide nutritious and good quality food.  Please check it out and share with everyone you can: http://www.youcaring.com/pet-expenses/feeding-our-furry-friends-/101285

Here's a video to also see more of what NAC provides to the community: http://exaltination.com/nac/

I've also set up an online purchasing gallery for my photography, which will make it easier for people to purchase prints wherever they are in the world!  It's a local Toronto gallery/print shop located in the Distillery district called Pikto.  I set it up on their gallery page, and people order through them (they deliver worldwide!).  Then I receive my artist's commission from any of my work that's been sold.  Here's the link if you want to check them out, I could only upload 15 images so I chose mostly travel/landscape: http://www.pikto.com/cad/gallery/top-pick.html?list_by=artist&artist=Jeanette+Johnstone
Please rate my images if you like them!  Or better yet, purchase a print :)  I'll be updating the prints available as my creativity and time allows.   I think a lot of my photography efforts in Costa Rica will be dedicated to providing amazing pictures of the animals at NAC who are up for adoption.  It's a proven fact that pretty pictures help adopt out strays and rescues!  Though I'd love to continue my work with doing portraiture, events and nature/fine art photography, too.

On a more personal note:
So, should we be worried about earthquakes?  My friend sent me this article, out of interest's sake, but it got me to thinking... http://www.vozdeguanacaste.com/en/articles/2013/10/06/september-earthquakes-released-energy-equivalent-one-million-tons-dynamite
That is also a question I've been asked by people recently.  Or the other one is "What kind of bad weather do they have down there?".
Hmmmm...well.  My answer has been (and always will be) that I'm not worried about these things. Like I mentioned earlier, I'm anxious about the journey down there; mostly about the cats and making sure we've taken care of everything (no loose ends!).  But I'm not worried about anything.  Worry = Fear.  Fear stops us from living our dreams.  I've always been the type of person to jump into things with both feet, often without looking.  Sure, sometimes I've stumbled and fallen..and a couple of times, the leap has left me with my heart in a few pieces.  But taking those chances is amazing, because even if I fall...I do so with no regrets.  And more often than naught, I become more accomplished, happier, proud and secure in who I am as a person.  And I'm living my dreams :)
If the earth moves beneath my feet, I might fall.  But as long as I'm able, I'll keep getting up again.

Stitches the photobombing cat has one last thing to say:

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!!!!!!
(He's the only one who would let me dress them up, haha)