A Well Fed Soul | CR

All is well with my soul

Over this last week I've realized I have been the happiest out of my entire time in Costa Rica. I've been here for 10 weeks so what had I even been doing the other 9? Don't get me wrong, I was enjoying my time here. I loved traveling and seeing different parts of this country while making new friends. But it didn't hit me until I went to Nicaragua that in order for me to be happy I had to put myself into an environment that was conducive to that emotion. From there true joy could be born.

I think it's amazing to have a mindset that anywhere you go and anything you do you can be happy. But for me, willing myself to be happy was never enough. It felt fake and wrong. I knew that wasn't authentic. However, I wasn't sure what made me genuinely joyful. It's taken me a lot of time being unhappy and unsure to realize my "happy place" and how to get there.

Jesus in Nicaragua 

I'm not satisfied in a quiet and unproductive environment. For some people, this "pura vida" lifestyle is perfect. They feel at ease doing relatively nothing all day and enjoy the break from the hustle and bustle of life and responsibilities. Sitting down, being silent, and simply being in other's presences makes them happy. Not this girl. I cringe at silence though I've learned how to appreciate it. I want to constantly be doing something and taking breaks is never a thing I enjoy. The time apart from responsibilities makes me anxious and I really feel like an unproductive and lazy human being who is contributing nothing back to the human race. Not the way you really want to feel about yourself. The wise Big Sean once said "(Expletive) a vacay I feel better at work." I feel you Big Sean; I really do.

The Beaches Aren't Terrible 

I haven't spent many, but I have spent a few, days alone here and I hate them. (See above about being an unproductive and lazy sloth.) I'm an extrovert at heart. Even my Meyers-Briggs test told me so. Being an extrovert means my battery is recharged when with other people. I don't need a lot of alone time and if I do I simply take a step back. I find fulfillment in sitting down and asking four other women 36 questions to get to know each other better. I enjoy sitting at my plastic kitchen table talking to my friend for hours about any topic imaginable. Going out with my friends is only fun to me because they are present. I don't need a gaggle of people around me constantly (quality is far superior to quantity) but I've found that living life together as opposed to alone is the most fulfilling life of all.

My Puerto Viejo friends

I like colder weather. And AC.

I was looking up places to go for my birthday and I realized if I was in South Carolina the place I would pick is Asheville. I'm not a beach kind of girl. I'm not even really a mountain kind of girl. I'm a city and adorable town kind of woman. I like cafes, small antique shops, vegan restaurants, walkable streets, and a fun energy. Puerto Viejo and Nicaragua have been my favorite places to visit because they had genuine culture, history, nice/helpful people, and great food. While I'm happy I've tried adventurous things and gone places most can only hope to dream of, I'd rather be spending my time in a side cafe in Italy munching on a croissant and reading a book I picked up from a local book store. That's my kind of place.

Currently my soul is happy because it's fed with God's love, His breathtaking creations, and His beautiful children. My soul wasn't always happy. But today, all is well with it.