Expect the unexpected

        11 days from today I will be on my way to a resort deep in the jungles of North Western Costa Rica. Just a week ago, I had a vague desire to get away from the gloom and the cold of south western Ontario in January but had thought I’d like to wait till the end of February by which time I’d be nearing my limit of cloudy skies and brown terrain.

 But life being as it is, took my desire and put it into its own version of time and space. An innocent phone call, aimed at passing on New Year’s greetings to distant relatives, led to a whirlwind of unencumbered decision making and reshuffling of schedules until I had Cost Rica written on my calendar, in the square marked January 23.

         The speed with which the plans were made is part of the sweetness of the experience. Not only did I not consider Costa Rica when dreaming of a warm, sunny place away from home, but neither did I think that I would be watching monkeys swing from trees outside my balcony in less than two weeks. With so little time to prepare, I will be bringing the bare necessities; shorts, bathing suit, camera, high SPF lotion and deet. But, what else does one really need when jungle and beach are carefully portioned out to semi-adventurous travelers from the north? I don’t expect to be wrestling with any alligators or trudging through the rainforest un-guided. Maybe I’ll bring along my running shoes in case hubby insists on zip lining through the canopies or horse back riding on the beach. That’s as far as I’ll go in preparation for the unforeseen as far as this trip is concerned. Its arrival took me by surprise, let the rest of it take me where it may.

I resolve to, more or less

In light of all the new years resolutions I've been reading about lately, I have decided to set out a few of my own. I will not obsess about meeting them all but rather be mindful of them and like every year, do the best that I can.

To pay attention more, as in the colour of the eyes of the people I meet
To stand under the shower longer, just for the sheer pleasure of it
To hug my family more often, even when they would rather I didn't
To have more fun, at every opportunity
To sing along to the radio more often
To walk away less
To move toward, more
To remember to floss
To indulge in guilt, less
To try a new flavour at least once a week
To wash the floor less and shine the mirrors more
To air out the rooms more, especially on a windy day
To appreciate every wrinkle and remember how it got there
To stop saying no in my head and practice it out loud
To get rid of clutter
To read only the good stuff
To permit myself to write about the bad stuff
To say thank you as soon as I can
To give advice less
To drink more
To eat less of the stuff that doesn't really matter
To look at old pictures more often
To take new pictures more often
To dance even though I can't
To sing even if people cringe when I do
To draw without expecting anything in particular
To look just beyond the obvious
To encourage more
To give up less
To take more naps just like the cat.