And we are off! The first 48 hours!

Three weeks ago we left Madison, WI with our 8 checked suitcases, 4 carry-ons, 4 backpacks, 1 diaper bag, 3 car seats and 2 strollers!

Despite my best effort to pack light, it took a whole brigade of family to get us to the airport. My older brother, Tyler, packed the boys and Joel in his truck with strollers and car seats. My parents followed along with our bags, and Sonny and I trailed behind in my younger brother Dean's car. It was so wonderful having my family there at the Madison airport to see us off. Madison was absolutely the BEST airport to start our adventure. Not only do I have fond memories of leaving from that airport for Peace Corps, but it’s also so easy, friendly, navigable and crowd-less. The lady at security was so patient with us as we unloaded our 4 carry-ons, shoes, sweatshirts, laptops, liquids, foods for the kids, and not to mention the 2 strollers and THREE CHILDREN. Everyone avoided the line behind us. We made it through unscathed and still in a good mood! The first leg of the plane ride to O’hare was short and sweet. Sonny slept and we made it to O'hare in time for a lunch of Garrett Popcorn and pizza. Farewell Chicago! Next leg to Houston was a bit rough for the older boys, but Sonny just slept again. Hallelujah! Getting to our gate in Houston we realized we left one of our bags on the plane! Joel raced back and got it right before the next flight started boarding. For our final flight, there were personal screens on the back of the seats. Our screen deprived children were thrilled, and we were too exhausted at this point to entertain them another way. It was Paw Patrol movie for the win! The boys popped in their headphones and watched movies while Sonny slept almost the entire way.

We arrived around 10 pm with one sleeping baby and two very tired boys. By the time we made it out of the plane, through customs, a stop at the bathroom and down the hallway to baggage claim, our bags were already removed from the belt and waiting for us. All of them made it, and only our cooler that we checked as a bag had some damage. We called Harris, a very kind man from Venezuela, who is a friend of my father's and had been storing our 2008 Honda Pilot. After failing to get all of our bags onto two carts, we paid a worker to use his big cart. We then pushed our way through the sea of taxi's outside to the far end of the airport where we waited for Harris. At 11pm, it was a welcome sight to see our grey Pilot pull up. We loaded in the 3 car seats and as much stuff as we could. It didn’t all fit, so Harris got a taxi for the rest of the stuff that he would take to our hotel. As we were loading the last bags, a look of panic appeared on the driver's face, and he said we had to jump in the car quickly so we can get out. We weren't quick enough, as the police arrived and pulled the taxi driver aside in some sort of reprimand for not having a permit to be an airport taxi. So, we had to unload all of our bags out of the taxi, re-load the remaining bags and Harris into a second taxi (this time an airport sanctioned van), and they took off. We climbed in the Pilot with the boys asleep in the back seat, and turned the key. Nothing. A dead car.

Here we are first night in Costa Rica stranded at the airport. I quickly called Harris and he was able to turn around. We then had to unload everything from the Pilot and load it all into the taxi, including all 3 sleeping boys. Harris said he would wait with our car for his friend to come jump it. We finally arrived at El Rodeo Hotel. That's when the real work started. We had to now unload ALL of our bags, boys and car seats from the taxi and carry them up to our second floor room. The taxi driver had no idea what he had gotten himself into. Gratefully, the driver and security guard at the front gate of the hotel helped us unload everything into our room with the boys sleeping through all the fun.

Now, it was the first morning in Costa Rica! We had a leisurely morning breakfast of desayuno tipico, the boys swam in the pool, and we all took showers before we started packing our car, which Harris ended up bringing to the hotel late the night before. With limited string in the trunk of the car, Joel spent hours trying to fit everything and tie bags onto the top of the car, but we eventually came to the conclusion that not all was meant to be. The cooler with the broken wheel was given to the guard at the hotel, and the books that we had packed in the cooler now went in any available spot we could find in the car. This Pilot was packed! Sitting in the passenger seat, I couldn't put my feet down from all the bags, books and stuff piled. So much for starting our lives with less! Although, I did tell Joel that we would be grateful soon, I hope I am right.

It was early afternoon by the time we took off for our 4 hour journey to Tamarindo. We had checked maps for the best route, but didn't think to look at the weather. While getting gas on the way out of San Jose, we noticed a grey sky rapidly encroaching. Rain started shortly after we left, and by rain, I mean torrential downpour. Joel did amazing navigating the roads and potholes with very little visibility all while Sonny screamed. After 45 mins into the drive, the crying started to just blend in with the hard pattering of the rain. We stopped multiple times when the visibility got really bad, joining other cars pulling to the side of the road. We would unbuckle Sonny, and allow him to catch his breath and stop crying before starting again. Luckily, the big boys slept for most of the afternoon. Things finally started to turn around when we stopped at a road side soda for some strong cafe de chorreador.

Driving through the rain was one thing; dealing with the after effects of the down pour once the rain stopped was another story. We navigated through a river flooded over the road, a massive downed tree, and one bad car accident in bumper to bumper traffic through two lane roads that seemed to cut right through the forest. What was supposed to be a 4 hour drive took closer to 7 hours. Dinner was bags of chips, graham crackers and goldfish as we decided to push through and keep moving for Tamarindo once the rain had stopped. Sonny finally fell asleep the last hour of the ride, around 8pm at night. As we pulled into the pitch black outskirts of Tamarindo, my phone battery was dangerously low, and we followed Waze to the dropped pin on our maps just praying my phone didn't die before we arrived. It took us down a dirt road, partially flooded from the rains, then we opened a gate to a little oasis in the jungle. Our container home had AC on full blast, and beds were made and ready for our 3 sleeping boys. The relief that we felt to be there safely was surreal, but the trip wasn't over yet. We had to unload and take down all of the rain-soaked bags poorly tied to the rooftop of our car, and Joel, who had miraculously been driving through the rain for most of the day with a migraine, desperately needed some meds. Every bag was investigated, because who knew where anything was at this stage of the trip.

That first night sleep felt great...and short. To just add to the craziness of the first 48 hours, we woke up bright and early the next morning to a breakfast of graham crackers and water and piled 3 hungry boys into the car at 7:30am to get Joel to his first day of work by 8am. Arriving at Tide Academy felt unreal, we had finally made it. We blew him kisses as he stepped inside the small school. Just like that, I was alone with 3 hungry kids for the entire day in a completely new place.

With a high sense of urgency, we drove straight to the closest grocery store. I survived my first solo shopping trip in Costa Rica with 3 extremely hungry and tired kids, but I would be lying if I didn't say it ended with every single one of us in tears by the end. We made our way back to our beautiful oasis which we were to call home for the next month, and made some bread and Nutella sandwiches.

I fished out our bathing suits, and we went for a swim while we listened to howler monkeys (click here to see what they sound like) in the trees nearby. We made it inside before it started to pour again, and it continued to rain all afternoon. We picked Joel up from school. Boy, was I grateful to have him done at 2pm. The rain continued all afternoon into the evening. I managed to scrap together our first dinner in Costa Rica, spaghetti, before the power went out and remained out for the rest of the night. We were all so tired, that an early bedtime was just what we all needed. Joel and I laughed as we headed to bed, murmuring, "Pura Vida."