A place like no other...

...Costa Rica.

You cannot understand the pure beauty of this place until you step off the airplane onto the tarmac, throw off your sweatshirt and take in a deep breath of fresh, warm Costa Rican air. The beauty is breathtaking but the cultural is what makes this place somewhere you never want to leave.

The road from the airport to your destination is filled with rambling green cattle fields, farmers, dirt roads (while sometimes paved they don't last for long) and monkeys swinging from trees. It is a serene experience minus the constant bumps in the road, but it is nothing that an imperial in hand can't fix. While you past by modest homes, children out playing, and little tiny markets, all you can really notice is how happy and content everyone seems to be.

A quick 45 minutes pass and you can arrive in a town with the most beautiful stretch of beach on the pacific coast of Costa Rica, Playa Conchal. The beautiful white sand, the calm blue ocean, the little vendors set up on the beach, tico children playing in the waves and the hot Costa Rican sun make the perfect combination of what I look for in a relaxing tropical beach vacation. That and an ice chest filled with Imperials, followed by a lunch of freshly caught fish, which all can be found within a 10 minute stroll down the beach.

But yes, I know not everyone is looking to just lay on the beach and tan. Drive 25 minutes down another beautiful stretch of road and end up at Playa Avellanas. Known for the great surf, seclusion, amazing trees to lounge under, and well a place of true Costa Rican beauty.

But what makes Costa Rica even more unique is that after a day of sun and surf it is the nightlife that often times makes you realize how truly amazing this country is. The laid back vibe, dollar beers, reggae nights, outdoor bars, salsa bands, casual attire, endless parties. There is nothing to complain about, not a worry exists.

There is no wonder why it was named the happiest country in the world.

(http://www.guardian.co.uk/en

vironment/2009/jul/04/costa-rica-happy-planet-index)

....and I like to consider it my home away from home...

All of the places I have been..

1. Austria

-Vienna

2. Czech Republic:

-Prague

3. France:

-Paris

4. Germany:

-Berlin

5. Greece:

-Athens

-Mykonos

-Santorini

-Thessaloniki

-Rhodes

6. Hungary:

-Budapest

7. Italy:

-Atrani

-Capri

-Pisa

-Rome

-Capri

-Florence

-Pompeii

-Sienna

-Sorrento

-Venice

-Naples

-Viareggio

8. Portugal:

-Lisbon

-Porto
9. Spain:

-Cordoba

-Madrid

-Seville

10. Sweden:

-Stockholm

11. Switzerland:

-Geneva

-Interlaken

12.Turkey

13. Caribbean:

-Antigua

-Aruba

-Guadalupe

14. Mexico:

-Puerto Vallarta

-Cabo San Lucas

15. Costa Rica:

-Liberia

-Playa Conchal

-San Jose

-Tamarindo

-Tortuguero

16. Panama:

-Panama City

17. United States:

-Washington

-Seattle

-Virginia

-Richmond

-Williamsburg

-Chincoteague Island

-Arlington

-Oregon

-Medford

-Ashland

-Portland

-New York

-NYC

-Nevada

-Las Vegas

-Lake Tahoe

-Michigan

-Ann Arbor

-Illinois

-Chicago

-Hawaii

-Oahu

-Kauai

-Big Island

-Maui

-Georgia

-Augusta

-South Carolina

-Charleston

-Florida

-Miami

-Ft. Lauderdale

-Daytona Beach

-Washington DC

My favorite place...

....Florence, Italy.

The love of my life. My home for a short 6 weeks, however I long for it to be my home forever. There is nothing better than waking up to the smell of espresso and fresh baked croissants, and hearing the bustling of local markets set up their fresh fruit stands.

While some argue that Florence is not one of the "must see" places in Italy, I could spend hours explaining why it is the only place you need to see.

The beauty of the Duomo, the magnificent art at the Uffizi, the small narrow streets, the ability to leave the city and be in the beautiful hills filled of castles and vineyards within 20 minutes all make Firenze the gem of Italy.

Not to mention the cuisine of Tuscany known for local produce, cheeses and grilled meats. The most famous Florentine staple being the Beef Steak Florentine, which cannot even be described in full, it simply must be tried and savored.

If that isn't enough, the Tuscan region is known for it's rich Chianti. And while I personally do not enjoy red wine, in Florence Chianti was all we drank. I'm not sure if my enjoyment came from simply being there in the moment, or the pure fact that Florentine Chianti is that superior. The later is what which I am thoroughly convinced it is.

But above all it is the culture of Florence that makes me wish I was there everyday. The markets filled with people shopping for fresh cheese, produce and meets for the night. The guitar player sitting outside my window serenading passerbys, even though we pretended he was there just for us. The gelato at every corner. The enjoyment of a long meal filled with endless amounts of flowing wine, amazing service and seats in small alleyways. A nightcap moretti beer at the local bar on a lit piazza. An apertivo on the Arno with live musicians in the background.

There is nothing better than a summer day and night in Florence. If I find it I will let you know, otherwise go find out for yourself as you will never forget it....ever.

In the meantime, I am finding a way to go journey back.....

Biking the city....

.....It really helps clear your mind.

Being in a rut happens. Your mind is pondering a million different things, your not sure where you want to be, who you want to see, or what you want to do, and then you realize you just need to get out.

What is better than an 18 mile bike ride, across the Golden Gate bridge and back? Not much.

I started off leaving my area, headed through China Town, passed by North Beach, ended up at Pier 39, which by the way refreshed my memory of how big of a tourist town I live in, then on through Fisherman's Warf, to the Marina, and finally the Golden Gate. The pure beauty amazes me, clears my mind and makes me realize how lucky I am.

Life is like riding a bicycle - in order to keep your balance, you must keep moving. ~Albert Einstein

Ramblings of a "traveling mind"

One day of work to the next, the only thoughts that cloud my head are, where can I travel next, where else can I be sitting in the world right now, and how can my life end up revolving around traveling?

I say this as if I live somewhere undesirable, however San Francisco is the farthest from undesirable. I live in a place surrounded by beauty at every angle.

I can walk five minutes down a steep, uninviting hill and be in the heart of the city, downtown. Or I can take a fifteen minute stroll through the bustling streets of China town only to end up in the streets filled with Italian flags, aroma of pizza and heaping portions of gelato known as North Beach.

Better yet, I can jump on my bike, peddle for fifteen minute and be gazing out at the golden gate bridge during sunset.

There is something for everyone in San Francisco, whether it is the natural beauty, the cuisines, the art, museums, shopping or strolling through all the different neighborhoods. While I sit here writing this, knowing how I live in one of the most amazing places in the world, the thought still resonates in the back of my head, "where can I venture to next?"

That question in currently unanswered, yet constantly pondered. While this beautiful city is keeping me entertained, my roots are not tied, my mind is not set, the only thing I'm certain of is my passion for seeing the world.

I have created this blog to keep me excited about where I am living, but to also keep me motivated in the direction of where I want to go, and to figure out how I can get there.