Back again. Intact.

Hey!
I'm back.
I have been down in the most loverly land of Costa Rica.
Really missed you guys too.

Actually, I read some of your posts while I was there and checked my email too. I just took a break from composing any written stuff for a week. I did not drink any alcohol or smoke anything (legal or otherwise). I didn't take any drugs either. I have returned to Houston -- clean and sober. This, my friends, is a miracle. I spent many years travelling and spending time in the world's finest bars, pubs, clubs and disco's. I know how to find weed in many languages. Fortunately, for me, today these skills are a lost art. I did go to a few AA meetings however.
More on that later.

Hayden and I spent a couple of days in San Jose (the capital city of 1 million) and then hired a van to take us on the 4+ hour road trip through the mountains and villages to the Pacific Coast resort of Quepos and Manuel Antonio. (click on names for more info) I'll post a few pictures for a few days with brief explanations, but if you wanna really know what Costa Rica is like, well, you know what to do ...

This picture was from the small patio of our hotel room of the gay resort we stayed at. The place had 24 rooms scattered throughout a rainforest, a pool and all the amenities (it was also clothing-optional; I will not post those pictures). The staff reflected the nature of almost all Costa Ricans - very friendly and helpful. They are really wonderful people.

I had countless occassions to put my recovery program into action these past days. I try to always do that, but it seemed that most events and situations were magnified. Maybe because I was out of my comfort zone. Certainly, the Steps of AA provided me with the way to handle all things, when I chose to utilize them.