Pura Vida!

Life is Funny and Beautifully Meaningful…our story begins shortly after Christmas 2020 in Northern Virginia, only a short distance from one another. Lorenzo thought she was cute, and Tara said, “alright he probably isn’t too crazy”. They chatted one late night: “What are you doing up at this hour?” Lorenzo inquired, and Tara got straight to qualifying him: “What are the top three things you think I should know about you?” I guess he answered well. After a virtual, curious, and flirty chat that went into the wee hours, Lorenzo and Tara were going to meet for dinner at a lovely little Indian restaurant in Sterling…Tamarind. Days later, they met for the first time in person and shared a lovely meal in an empty restaurant. Lorenzo looked to see if she could take some spices and get a little dirty while she ate; Tara regaled stories of her wild 20s and shared her love for her friends and incredible roommates. After a slow walk to the car, they shared their first kiss. Lorenzo wanted to see her again and quickly asked her to come to his distillery for the New Year's Day Pajama Party. Date number two, and Tara is already meeting Lorenzo’s dad at the New Year's Day party. The couple danced, drank and laughed amongst new friends and smiling faces, entertained with live music and a belly dancer. A few dates later, Tara is sharing fond memories of her teenage trip to Costa Rica - this sparked an idea! As you can imagine, having been trapped inside during COVID, they were itching for a getaway. Fortunately, Costa Rica was welcoming visitors! They embarked on their first trip together only a month into knowing each other over Valentine’s Day week. Some say to truly know someone, you should experience 4 seasons and a road trip. Well, with that said, they touched down at San Jose airport and shuttled to pick up their rental car. After some back and forth with the rental company about the 4X4 they had reserved, they rode off in an all-wheel, low clearance, 4-cylinder with absolutely no more than 65 horsepower. Tara didn’t know yet that she was about to be chauffeured around this lovely country by an Italian Taxi cab driver who fit right in with the other drivers of CR. Off they were through the winding streets, jamming to Tara’s Spotify list of Masego and Trevor Hall, they embarked on their first climb into the mountains, proceeding La Fortuna. The car fought up that mountain with every ounce of its ability. As we dipped into the fog from the rain forest’s clouds, there was nothing to do but let it pass as visibility had been lost. There they were, just Mother Earth and their blooming love for one another. As the clouds cleared, they continued on their drive to their first destination…an incredible waterfall and nature reserve filled with butterflies of all colors. Later, they arrived at their cozy Airbnb next to a cow farm and nestled up to Volcano Arenal, hosted by two likely CIA ex-pats with lovely taste. It was off the grid and in the jungle. Lorenzo and Tara enjoyed exploring the country over the next 8 days from San Jose to La Fortuna’s hot springs in the coffee country, down to the west coast’s charming surfer beach towns of Jaco and Quepos to visit a special rainforest national reserve, Manuel Antonio! In Quepos, they stayed in a little eco home stuck in the rain forest, on stilts, and down a long dirt road. They witnessed critters of all sizes (those bugs were huge!), monkeys swinging from the trees howling at each other, a panther who strutted through the front yard, and the most incredible sunsets made only better by the company, wine, and delectable papaya. At one of their last dinners before leaving, they shared how easily it had been to experience life and love with one another. And, well, the rest is history. There really is no place like Costa Rica; the earth speaks to you and the sun wakes you up. It is a truly raw and untouched place with the kindest people and the cleanest air. We hope you love it as much as we do!