Tuesday, January 3, 2012

Costa Rica Countdown!! And Packing For A Purpose

Barbara: Well, this is it, folks! Our first adventure of 2012 and the year is only 3 days old. Tomorrow we leave for Costa Rica!!!!

We’ve been running around these last few weeks, goggle-eyed and holiday-zombied. Not only have there been holiday to-dos and house-fulls and parental duties (speaking for Deb), but children home who must now be packed back off to school (sniffle, sniffle).

I was so paranoid about my ability to pack coherently for our trip under these circumstances that I started a week ago. You know, throwing this and that into a suitcase as thoughts occurred. Making sure I’ll have all the wardrobe necessities covered. But not to worry—inspired by Deb’s order, I did take stock yesterday, eliminating any extraneous items (I mean, who needs 5 bathing suits for 7 days, especially when 2 of them are so old, they risk disintegrating like wet tissue?). There’s more yet to do today, but mostly I am set.

And speaking of packing, one of the travel docs we were sent by our gracious hosts included a link to a site that I had never heard of before. They do seem to be well established so I imagine many of you might already know them, but if you don’t, we thought it would be good to introduce them to you. The organization is called Pack For a Purpose and they help set you up if you want to bring truly necessary items to your destination country. You simply go to the site, enter the country you’re visiting, determine what the needs are, then click to the participating hotels. You bring as much as you want from the list and drop it off at the nearest hotel.

As luck would have it, The Harmony Hotel is one of the hosts of Pack For a Purpose and that’s the final hotel on our itinerary. Deb and I plan to bring school supplies and soccer balls.

We do wish we’d known about this program well before leaving because we might have been able to organize a donations collection. That said, now that we know this is an option, we’ll pay more attention the next time we travel. But we are just THRILLED we discovered them in time for our trip—we’ll keep you all posted on how it works once we get down there.

Fair warning for our Costa Rican travel diary: we will post daily, but we will probably only get to post at the end of each day (or during cocktail hour :) ). Tomorrow’s post will go up after we travel and settle in at the first hotel (so don’t look for one at our usual 8am).

We can’t wait to take you with us on our grand adventure! See you in the rain forest.

27 comments:

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  2. Wow....isnt it great when things work out ...when we want them too.....its awesome !!!!! Gosh you guys must be so excited...and thanks for the heads up about the post times !!! And yeah we want all the details of the amazing trip you are gonna have....well maybe not all of them (since you are going with your husbands ;) ) !!!! Have a safe journey.....click a lottta pictures and Enjoy !!!!....And Deb and Colin I hope you both relax and let your stress dissolve in the rainforest.....and Barb i have a work for you .....eat and drink a LOT on my behalf ;) !!! Love you guys have fun !!!!

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  3. Be safe. I'll be eager to know you've reached your destination tomorrow.

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  4. Yes Barb is right. We will be doing posts during cocktails. Stay tuned for typo's.

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  5. Safe travels and look forward to the typos and your adventures of the day!!! Enjoy....Enjoy....you all deserve it and we'll await your stories!!! xo

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  6. Have looooooooooads of fun!
    Hope you find time to relax and enjoy every single minute of your trip! :D You deserve it!
    Safe journey!


    I always pack too many things. I feel safer if I have an extra pair of trousers, 3 pair of socks, towels, books, shoes, etc...

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  7. Well, you should always know where your towel's at. ;)

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  8. Hope the tavel goes well and you don't foget anything of impotante. Sigh please excuse the spelling my r and c ae only woking rarely or if I smack them many times, makes typing a bit of a pain in the you-know-what. Have Fun!

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  9. As the founder of Pack for a Purpose, I want to thank you for your generosity in bringing school supplies and mentioning our website on your blog. I am sure you will have an amazing time. When you return, I hope you will decide to post your experience of taking supplies on our website under Your Story to inspire other travelers.
    With Gratitude,
    Rebecca Rothney

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  10. I loved the Pack for a Purpose site. I usually just leave clothes and stuff in each hotel for the workers to take home but this is even better. Have a great time. Be safe and I can't wait to travel along with you via your musings and photos. I know so many people who love Costa Rica. I am sure with the tourist bureau behind you it will be fabulous.

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  11. Have a wonderful trip! Safe travels.

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  12. Oh my gosh! I am so excited for you all! I hope you have an absolutely wonderful time in Costa Rica, ladies! Take tons of pictures! You all deserve a nice vacation, so I hope it is perfect in every way! Stay safe and have fun! xoxo

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  13. Thank you everyone for your wonderful wishes!! A special thanks to Rebecca Rothney of Pack For a Purpose for joining us today!! What a great surprise!! I bow before you and the amazing organization you've created. We would love to post to your site on our return! Congrats and thanks to you!!

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    1. I hope you had a fantastic time in Costa Rica! There must have been a million things to take care of on your return. I do hope and look forward to seeing your experience at "packing for a purpose" submitted soon to the 'Your Story' section of our website, with or without pictures. :)
      We've received several referrals from your website since you've put up our link, so even while you were on vacation you were helping to spread the word about PfaP!
      With Gratitude,
      Rebecca Rothney

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    2. Hey Rebecca, thanks for checking in! And we always appreciate the gentle reminders. We are on it, and will hopefully have something up soon (with pix)!

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    3. Hi Deb and Barbara,

      I know it's only been 17 days since my gentle reminer :), and I'm sure you were inundated with tasks when you returned. Valentine's Day is coming up and I would LOVE (haha) to have your experience up on our 'Your Story' page by then, if possible.

      With appreciation whenever you get around to it,
      Rebecca

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  14. (PS Erin, that message with the missing letters was one of my favourite comments ever -- you're a real trooper!)

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  15. i hope you have a great time barb deb and families . stuck in Europe travel to the Americas north or south is beyond me financially at the moment . it is great to travel vicariously through the 2 of you !

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  16. Have a great time Barb and Deb...Hope the trip is restorative and enlightening! We'll be living the high life through you! How's that for pressure...

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  17. Have a wonderful trip. "God tur" as we say in Norway. Gather strength and make beautiful memories. Can't wait to read your blog :) love from Oslo

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  18. Did y'all know that @grantimahara from @mythbusters is currently tweeting from Costa Rica?

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  19. Have fun on your all's trip Deb and Barb. Take Lots and lots of pics.

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  20. Well, you guys, we're on the plane safely and just waiting for takeoff!!! See you in the magic land! Xo

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  21. *nervously awaits word of safe arrival*

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  22. HAVE FUN IN COSTA RICA!!!!!!!!

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  23. *sigh* I don't do well when people I love are travelling. My brain is a dastardly villain that, for the next 7 days, will have me checking various news sources at least twice a day for headlines like, "Canadian Celebrities in Central American Plane Crash," or, "Tourists Kidnapped in Costa Rica," or, "Sightseeing Van Crashes in Costa Rican Mountains." I can think it through all nice and rational and quote myself statistics and tell myself not to be a fruitloops killjoy, but it'll always creep back up on me.

    I'm thrilled beyond description that the universe has bestowed a fabulous bit of well deserved awesomeness on Deb and Barbara. "Reap what you sow," "karma," whatever you want to call it, Deb and Barbara do so much very special good in this world, and I'm glad something good has magically kissed them. They are such blessings that it is a delight to see them blessed. I can't wait to read about their travels and see their photographs. This trip is a good, good thing for them!

    But, always, always, there will be this steady, insidious drumbeat of anxiety in the background: "Please, God, bring them home safely. Please, God, bring them home safely. Please, God, bring them home safely. Please, God, bring them home safely." Despite all the things I know to be true, an element of fear holds my thoughts hostage.

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  24. It looks like u all are having so much fun. Keep posting more pics . Those photos were very nice. I

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