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| Mountain view on a rare cloudy day. |
This morning I packed my one suitcase of clothing and collected items for our supplies bag. My bag weighs well under the 50 lb maximum (23 kg). Indeed today, I’ll find odds and ends to get me up to the 23 kg maximum allowed by the airlines.
In a way, it’s bittersweet, packing and leaving the US once again for the next two years when once again we’ll return to visit family. Next time, we won’t stay quite as long, most likely for a total of one month between Minnesota and Nevada, giving us plenty of time to be with family and friends.
Here are our total expenses for the 25 nights in Henderson, Nevada:
| Expense | US Dollar |
| Housing (Richard’s home) | $ – |
| Gifts & Misc. | $ 299.00 |
| Airfare | $ 1,137.00 |
| Rental Car & Fuel | $ 926.00 |
| Groceries | $ 1,245.30 |
| Dining Out | $ 402.52 |
| Supplies & Pharmacy | $ 609.32 |
| Entertainment | $ 310.25 |
| Total | $ 4,929.39 |
| Avg Daily Cost 25 days | $ 197.18 |
Now, as we pack and make the necessary preparations to continue our world journey, we’ve further discovered that this nomadic life we live is our “new normal.”
There’s no way we can envision living in one place, renting a condo somewhere, and returning to a life of owning “stuff,” shopping among the crowds, waiting in traffic, and considering times to go out based on when “rush hour” ends. That’s no longer who we are.
We ask ourselves, “Was that ever us anyway?”
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| Two Mallards are sharing a rock in the pond at the Henderson Bird Viewing Preserve. |
As we’ve melded into life in the convenient Henderson, Nevada location, over these past 25 days, we’ve realized how far removed this easy life is from our reality. Living in constant temperature-controlled comfort, with nary an insect in sight, little wildlife, and nature surrounding us, we’re starving to be living in a challenging environment.
To be surrounded by nature, including the good and not so good, and the occasional discomforts that remind us of our humanness and vulnerability, is where we long to be.
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| One of eight ponds in the preserve. |
That’s not to say that living in a luxury villa in Costa Rica will be tough. It will be easy in most ways. But, we’ll be surrounded by expansive views, varying temperatures and climate, and some of the finest wildlife in the world.
Costa Rica is a country rich in unique and colorful inhabitants, both human and animal. Yes, modern conveniences will be enjoyed and appreciated but never taken for granted. Our goals will still be to focus on that which always appeals to us the most.
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| Is this a weather ball I shot from a distance? |
We have a plethora of tasks to complete while in Costa Rica, including tax stuff, visa extensions, trips to a dentist (we’ve both lost a few fillings), other financial “paperwork,” and beginning the process of preparing for the Antarctica cruise which requires medical certifications and tons of forms to complete.
We hope to get as much of this “work” completed shortly after we arrive to leave us ample time to focus on our interests in culture and take photos of the extraordinary scenery and wildlife that Costa Rica offers in abundance.
Today, we’ll complete the packing, make a quick trip to the market to replace any paper products and supplies we used while living in Richard’s home (he doesn’t expect this but, that’s just us), and fill the little white car with fuel.
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| Mountains surround the Las Vegas valley. |
Tonight, we’ll all dine on the leftover pizza which I made yesterday with a new salad I’ll make today. Overall, with as much as we’ve already completed, the day won’t be much busier than most. Thanks, Richard, for an excellent stay in your beautiful home!
Tomorrow, we’ll post from the airport while we await our flight. We’re leaving for the airport at 8:30 am, although our flight isn’t until 11:25 am. Returning the rental car is far from the airport and requires a 10 minute or more ride in a shuttle to return to the airport where I’ll be waiting for Tom.
Tom feels more comfortable leaving for the airport earlier rather than later. I’m OK with that since it is an international flight after all, and I’ll have more time to upload a new post while we’re waiting.
We’ll be back tomorrow with some favorite Nevada photos and our goodbyes once again to the USA as we continue on our “new normal.” We can’t stop smiling.
May your day bring many smiles!
Photo from one year ago today, July 31, 2016:
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| One of two long piers in Chalong Bay. At that time, I was still recovering from the spine injury in Bali occurring on June 1, 2016, and I couldn’t make the long walk on the pier. Now, I wouldn’t have thought about it twice. For more photos, please click here. |