Zipline through the forest (not me, but you get the idea)
I’m here in Atenas, a small town in Costa Rica that’s supposed to have the most perfect weather in the world. So far, I believe this. We leave the doors open all the time, and it never gets too hot or too cold. It is always the same, every day.
The view from the house where we’re staying is also perfect. Mountains and birds are all around, and everything is green since rainy season just ended. Most of my days are spent here on the patio, drinking cerveza, frying platanos, and eating fruit. It is perfect.
As much as the days here have been perfect, I wonder what the people who live here think. If they were to visit Los Angeles, would they fall in love with life in a big city? Would they like the fast pace? Or would they prefer their days here in Atenas, the same year after year? Which would be perfect to them?
I can see how people fall in love with another city or country and decide to move. But I also think there’s a little bit of grass is greener syndrome. As perfect as a place may seem, there is no perfect place.
And it got me thinking. As much as I’d like to think some things are perfect or even “better”—whether it’s a job, a romantic relationship, or even a place like Atenas, this thinking hasn’t served me. I’ve spent a lot of my life waiting for these “better” scenarios to materialize, and when they didn’t, I felt cheated.
Even though things have gone wrong here—our rental car was broken into, my camera, credit card, cash and rain jacket stolen (yes, rain jacket)—I still feel the perfection of this trip. Even though my Spanish is terrible, I’ve gotten what I needed…a hike among monkeys, a zipline experience, and some delicious food.
Although most of my life I looked at what was missing or what went wrong, I can now better appreciate what is here, right in front of me. The mountains, the rainforest, the hawks outside our door, the kitten who has come to visit us each day. Belissimo. Casi perfeccione. Almost perfect.
About Kelly Seal
Kelly is a freelance writer based in Los Angeles, CA. She blogs about dating, relationships, personal growth and what "healthy living" means to her. You can follow her on Google+, Twitter @kellyseal or through her website www.kellyseal.com.
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