Belated birthday wishes (and other dreams)

I know that my husband and I are biased (and maybe a little narcissistic), but I think that we can all agree that June is the best month in the whole entire year (at least for those of us in the Northern half of the globe). Unofficially summer starts (on the 1^st), 3 weeks later summer officially starts (on the 21^st), school's out for summer (and for some, “school's out for eva!"), the city pools open, boat and beach season are in full swing, BBQ, beers, backyards, and, of course, birthdays abound. That is where the narcissism comes in. It's when I have my birthday. And my husband has his. And a strangely high percentage of many people I know have birthdays. My husband seems to especially love June between June 5 and June 20. It is every day during this window that my husband constantly reminds me that I “robbed the cradle” as for 2 weeks, I am 2 years older than him, making me so old.

I know I shouldn't even be going on about the best month anymore since we are well into July, but like my birthday celebration, this blog is a tad belated.

Trying our best to stick to a total budget of $50/day doesn't leave much room for birthday extra-curriculars, but we took advantage of a rainy season special (buy 2 nights, and the 3^rd is free) and spent a few days at a lovely mountain retreat just outside of Antigua, Guatemala. The Earth Lodge is more than just another hostel; it's a lovely layout amidst a large avocado farm, gracing the mountain side. Multiple private cabanas, a famous tree house room, a dorm and deluxe camping allows for whatever accommodation one desires. Since we were celebrating, I made a reservation for the deluxe tree cabin: a cozy loft cabinita with two stories, two double beds, a window seat, a tree growing through the whole thing, and an entire south-facing wall of windows overlooking Antigua.

Good morning view!

You see the tree?

Adjacent to the cabin was a private outdoor toilet and shower. I suppose that could sound like a bit of an oxymoron. Private in the sense that it wasn't shared, and outdoor in the sense that the 4^th wall was in fact a shower curtain. Yes, I showered with it open. Let me tell you, that is the best shower in the world!

View from the toilet, through the shower

There is also a very lovely lodge area where the guests typically share vegetarian-fare dinners family-style, tell stories, make music, play cards, and the like. After 7pm, the internet is out until the morning. It's like life before 1998 and it's really nice.

We went on a hike, practiced yoga, read our books, and enjoyed meeting other travelers from the comfort of a hammock. I intended to use the stone sauna but it never seemed to happen. To top it off, we shared a bottle of Chilean Cabernet on our final night. I reminisced about our wine-drinking days in San Francisco and enjoyed the effects a half bottle can bring when you haven't had a glass in months. :)

View of the  fields during our hike.

I like the story of how this place came to be: a Bay Area gal left the “rat race” as she tells it, traveled Central America, received her Divemaster training and met a Canadian fellow. He also frequently traveled to South America and was looking for something more than just a place to warm up during the winter months. Between the two of them, with little to no experience in this particular field, they decided to purchase land, learn to farm, learn to build, and together, created a special haven now well-traveled by people from all over the globe.

This isn't too different from one of my own dreams! I've got lots of dreams so chances are, they won't all come to fruition. But with some good luck, some of them will. One is to own a bed & breakfast/hostel with my best main man. Our eyes are always open for the right spot! We both love Central America (and are optimistic about South America too) and could imagine finding the right coastal spot to settle down a bit. I don't know if we would revamp something that already exists and make it our own, but I like the idea of building it (with hired help of course) ourselves. Lacey, you know what I mean when I say the design dreams in my mind have no boundaries!  I dream that we would live in a little casita out back with a view of the ocean from our deck. Stays would include delicious breakfast and coffee and offer family-style dinners some nights. We would grow our own fruits, veggies, eggs, and chickens and we would know where our food came from.   I might lead yoga every morning, Brandt might teach SCUBA divers or surfers (ok, well he doesn't know how to surf yet but he will...), our kids would grow up playing in the sea with our dog. The cat would just be lazy. I would make a small hammock for the cat and the cat would love it. He would rest there when he wasn't killing mice and cockroaches.   

I mean seriously.  If it was even half that cute.

Like I said, I have many dreams, and we still have plenty of traveling to do so don't book your reservation with us just yet!  Instead, sit down with your partner or your kids or your best friend, and talk about your dreams.  Especially the ones your share.   Even if they are completely far-fetched or crazy or include hammocks for animals.  Someone might tell you it's a waste of time, but I'm telling you otherwise.  It's the absolute best way to spend an afternoon.  Dream big and don't miss out on sharing your dreams with the ones you love!