THE FLIP FLOP LIFE

After 10 months and 15 days we are back to Costa Rica!!. Yipieeeeeeeeeeee!

And what is best: This time it is for good! OMG, it feels so good to say it out loud!

Behind us are very hectic weeks and months, many sleepless nights and endless to do lists. Not to speak about the number of moving boxes that never seemed to diminish, no matter how many we had sent home already. (Frank and I suspected that they were reproducing at night, when we were not watching).

It seems that the packing had one positive outcome though. We learned how to fit an elephant into a matchbox. This skill proved to be key on our way to the airport. We managed to fit our luggage – which included the dog’s crate, 3 large suitcases, a trolley with Frank’s 8 kilos of Technic lego, two backpacks, ourselves and the animals in a Fiat Cinquecento 😉.

Frank was absolutely convinced that it would not be possible at all to fit everything in the car, so he had already planned to take a train to the airport and meet me there. But after having packed our entire life in a couple of boxes and three suitcases, I was more optimistic. And voilá. Half and hour later and a couple of tetris, we were ready to go.

This time we were four travelling, since Kika, our dog, joined the “family travelling circus”. I was -of course- worried sick about her trip: twelve hours on the cargo hold of the plane, plus a few hours more for loading, unloading and waiting for us to pick her up! (Sigh!). All the vets that we consulted prior to the trip recommended not to give her any medication to calm down. Instead they recommended to use a hormone-based collar – Adaptil-. And so we did.

The flight went fine. It was quite full, considering that it is “low” season. But we had bought seats with extra space for Mati (our cat) and because of the extra cost, that part of the plane was emptier. So we had a row of three seats for the two of us and Mati and we could place her comfortably on the floor. The flight was LONG (12 hours) and when we finally got out of the plane, we had to wait another hour for the passport and health control. All I could think was about Kika. I just wanted to see if she was okay.

Fortunately, the ground staff at the luggage claim hall had been with her. So, when I asked where could I pick up my dog, they asked me – Is it Kika? ;-). She is waiting for you on Belt 1. She is a very cute dog! The next minute, they were helping us taking Kika out of the cage, putting her fresh water and helping us with the suitcases. Tico kindness through and through. It feels home already!