We did a little “housekeeping” this morning, since we weren’t scheduled for anything. We rolled our suitcase of laundry down to the Backwash, which is the only laundromat in town. I separated it into three baskets and came back at noon to pick it up. It cost about thirty dollars and was folded when we returned. We rolled it back, but will probably take smaller bags more frequently from here on out.

While our laundry was being done we also did a little shopping and bought some new flip flops, suntan lotion, board shorts, etc. A short list was made over the last week as we realized what we needed to make our surf trips a little more comfortable. We agreed that if Abby’s sandals from Target fell off her feet one more time, (which meant carrying her to the beach,) it wasn’t worth the trouble. So with that in mind, we shopped the “main drag” for a couple of hours.

After lunch, we went back to the beach for an afternoon Catamaran trip on the Marlin Del Rey, which was set up for us by Frank and the school. We met at 1:15 on the beach and returned at 5:30 after watching the sunset from the water. Abby and Jacob “captained” the boat for about an hour during our return, enjoying every second of attention from the crew and our new friends on board.

We went straight from the beach to dinner in town, still in swimsuits. Saturday night and the start of the high tourist season, gave us a tiny taste and desire for a night out on the town in Tamarindo. The restaurants and bars were busier and there were a lot of people out in the streets. But alas, the kids were exhausted, (total troopers) and we were home and tucked in by 8. No complaints here, but we look forward to a little, albeit important, social life outside of school and our family as we settle in and feel more comfortable.

I woke up this morning feeling homesick for my friends. The highlight of my day was spending time on the boat with Barbara and Kathy – two best friends for 45 years, spending a week together in Costa Rica surfing and playing. It made me miss and love my friends and feel thankful that I have that in my life.

Nothing planned tomorrow, but an early night since surfing will be at 7:30 am on Monday. Hoping for a little muscle memory?!?!?