Today is my last full day at Rainbow Refuge at Villas Escondidas. It’s going to be bittersweet, for sure.

Last night, I was reflecting on what a hare-brained idea it was to move to Costa Rica without at least one preliminary visit to make sure my 12-plus years of due diligence research was pointing me in the right direction.

 

I mean, in retrospect, it was bordering on lunacy to just sell everything, pack up, and head south of the border. But considering the perilous situation in the United States for the present regime’s “undesireables,” it made perfect sense to me to get the hell outta Dodge while doing so was possible! As a trans male, I’m well aware of where the mustache man started his purges, so …. yeah, getting out was a definite priority when the election went the way it most certainly should NOT have. (I’m still not sure it did. Elon Musk as much as admitted that he put  his considerable finger on the scale in some nefarious technological manner.)

 

But here’s the thing.  Without Margaret Aliff pointing me to Rainbow Refuge at Villas Escondidas as soon I told her I’ m trans, I probably would not have discovered it on my own, and I simply cannot imagine coming down here without knowing that welcoming, understanding, helpful arms would be here to embrace me and to help confirm that — hare-brained as it was to come down without visiting CR first — yes, Costa Rica is, indeed, the place I was meant to be.

 

And every day that has gone by has underscored this fact of life.

 

And each of those days — packed as they were with to do lists while I found my footing and got things done at immigration with the inestimable help of Jon Graham Mitchell and his driver Adilio and finding a rental in what may have been record time — thanks to Brooke Bishop — began and ended right here at Rainbow Refuge at Villas Escondidas.

 

And during my moments and evenings here at this wonderful sanctuary for the soul, Melaney Phillips and Laurie Barron have made me feel like family in an elemental way. Although we often seemed to be ships passing in the night — my doing,  not theirs! I haven’t mastered tranquilo yet! I’ve been a human doing, not a human being so far here in CR!— when we were in the same space, I was embraced, encouraged, assisted and pro-actively helped in a myriad of ways.

 

Melaney helped me with tech challenges. (MediSmart application and more.) She corrected me when I said something dumb in this blog  — for example, letting me know that Rainbow Refuge in San Ramon will not be VE II — DUH!  since it’s in San Ramon and not at VE here in Grecia!!! I’m going to blame this numbskull goof it on jet lag, which isn’t even a thing between Seattle and Grecia, given their one hour difference during Daylight Saving Time! Laurie corrected me a time or two, too, so my blog wouldn’t mislead anyone.

 

Mel and Laurie extended themselves and gave all they had to give on every single occasion, even when it was difficult.  I can’t thank them enough for their help or their love!

 

If you are ever in a situation where you need or want to visit CR as an LGBTQIA+ individual or family, I cannot recommend this oasis of care, knowledge and kindness highly enough.

 

Being here also exposed me to people I would otherwise possibly never have met, several of whom have become good friends (or are in the process of becoming good friends): again mentioning Jon and Adilio, plus Clarkie Mullen and his hubby Dale Garrison, real estate agent Brooke Bishop, my new landlady Cat C. who I adore, Charlotte, Dani Hicks and her daughter Georgia… plus the folks who came and went while I was here, including Gayle from Utah, Nancy from Oregon, and Topher Benum from Tacoma.

 

So, yes, saying goodbye — even temporarily, as I know we will always stay in touch and do things together — tomorrow is going to be hard. This stay will become a delightful memory instead of a day to day reality.

 

Even so, tomorrow will be joyous!

 

Charli (my greatest priority right now) will  be introduced to our permanent home where it’s  less people-y. She will relax sooner than she did here. In just a couple days I’ll accompany her onto the elevated patio and sit with her while she gets the lay of the land and finds courage to venture down the steps to a wonderland only Costa Rica could deliver. In the meantime, I will be puttering around our beautiful casita, putting our stuff away so we are no longer living out of suitcases, and we will be home.

 

I’ll tell you more about that (of course!) when we get there. And I’ll take a lot more pictures, too.

 

Pura vida!!!

 

And may God/Creator/Source/the Universe richly bless every soul who has blessed me during the past two-plus weeks, whether they are here in Costa Rica or in the wider world.  You make my life a song, a dance, and an enormous blessing. Now I want to live a lot longer than I have ever wanted to live before — as long as I stay well in mind, body, and spirit!

 

P.S Reading this blog on my smartphone has alerted me to the fact that I have left typos along the way in past entries since getting down here. (That little screen on the phone is a better proofreading tool than this laptop!). I will get around to correcting them someday. Until then, please forgive and just ignore them. I’m retired and no one is paying me to write these, so extend me some grace as a proofreader of my own stuff, okay???  Thank you!!!