Costa Rica Cost Of Living Update: 6.6 pounds of mangos—$2

The sunsets lately have been amazing. There is an afterglow of  purple and pink colors that up light the sky just as the sun disappears. I like these more than the typical golden ones; these have panache.

People often “ooh and aah” on the beach as this display unfolds. It occurred to me that Costa Rica is much like a pretty woman. One so gorgeous you stop what you are doing to watch her saunter into the room. You might even get lucky and catch a whiff of her perfume as she passes.

Or maybe Costa Rica just makes everything seem prettier. I’ll remember that the next time a flying beetle gets caught in my hair. They might be pretty as well, but I can assure you, they never smell like perfume.

Costa Rica Cost Of Living Update:  16 oz bottle extra virgin olive oil- $7.88

There were times in the office my chest got so tight I had to remember to take a breath. It’s strange that something as involuntary as breathing was something I had to remember to do.

Stress does strange things to your body, not the least being holding your breath. It also makes you forget things…like kissing your husband when you get home from work, or calling your mom to ask how her day is going, or giving the older man in the supermarket your space on line.

You also forget that the sun rises and sets in a spectacular display everyday. And it seems that whenever I pause to pay attention to its brilliance, I am kinder to the people around me.

Take a break…catch your breath…and watch a sunset. You might be surprised how good it makes you feel.