“Don’t regret growing older. It is a privilege denied to many.” ~Unknown

I was widowed at 24.

At the time, I made a quiet promise to myself: I would live this life fully—for both of us. I just had no idea at the time what that would mean. Back then, I was simply trying to survive the next step, the next decision, the next breath.

Over time, life slowly rebuilt itself into the beautiful, complicated picture it is today. Piece by piece and year by year, I became an intricate blend of wife, mother, teacher, trainer, farmer, and traveler.

So turning 50 didn’t feel dreadful to me. It felt meaningful.

Truthfully, once you get here, you realize 50 is not really that old. But I have lived an entire other lifetime since my world first fell apart at age 24. This birthday felt less like aging and more like a time to celebrate everything I have become.

And I wanted to celebrate it in a big way.

As a true introvert, that definitely did not mean a party. I knew exactly what I wanted instead: to wake up somewhere far from home, somewhere that felt wild and alive, somewhere that reminded me how big the world really is.

My birthday falls in March. Yes, I could have waited and traveled during our April school vacation, but for the first time ever, I decided to take a full week off from teaching.

I did not want to wake up on my 50th birthday to a normal school day. Not to a cold Maine morning, endless routines, and the exhausting pace of kindergarten in early spring. With a week’s worth of sub plans, an excellent sub, and a dependable team I knew my little ones would be in good hands. I realized that it is important to remember we are more than just our jobs. I wanted to wake up feeling energized instead of ordinary. Curious instead of responsible.

I wanted anticipation, sunshine, adventure.

So I chose Costa Rica.

The moment I stepped off the plane and the heavy 95-degree heat hit my face on the tarmac, the teacher guilt quickly melted away. That evening, my husband and I walked along a silky black sand beach as the sky exploded into one of those vivid tropical sunsets that almost do not look real. Standing there on the eve of my 50th birthday, I knew I was exactly where I was supposed to be.

Costa Rica overwhelms your senses in the best possible way. The sounds. The heat. The wildness. The rough edges. The unfamiliar plants and animals around every corner.

Everything familiar fades into the background.

The routines.
The expectations.
The endless mental lists.

And in their place is something else entirely: presence.

For a little while, you get to become whoever you want to be in that moment.

The next morning, I woke before sunrise to the sound of tropical birds, palms rattling in the breeze, and enormous Pacific waves crashing outside. We had spent our first day simply recovering from travel and soaking in the beach and resort atmosphere. Today was the day for adventure.

For my actual birthday, I had something much bigger planned: a full day on Costa Rica’s “Wild Nature and Adventure Combo” tour.

Llanos de Cortés Waterfall

Our tour driver picked us up at the resort, and after a few quick stops to collect other guests, we were on our way to our first destination: Llanos de Cortés Waterfall.

The heat was intense when we stepped out of the van into the dusty parking lot. Around us, tourists were coating themselves in sunscreen and bug spray, so we followed suit.

From there, it was a short descent down a forested path to the waterfall. The wildlife was quiet that morning, but we were lucky enough to spot a few howler monkeys perched high in the trees above us. It is those unexpected moments that remind you just how far from home you have traveled.

Once we reached the bottom of the trail, we were greeted by a stunning waterfall cascading into a large swimming hole—and what felt like half the tourists in Guanacaste.

Llanos de Cortés is one of the most popular waterfalls in Costa Rica, especially for visitors staying along the Pacific coast. While it was crowded, the falls were beautiful enough that I did not mind sharing them with so many people.

I knew the water would feel freezing compared to the 90-degree heat, and having swum beneath waterfalls before, I was not particularly eager to join the crowd. Instead, my husband and I picked our way across the rocks to the side of the falls, where we found unobstructed views and plenty of opportunities for photos.

From the rocks, we were actually able to get closer to the waterfall than the swimmers. A safety rope prevented people from approaching the base, where the water quickly became much deeper. The cool mist drifting off the falls felt heavenly in the heat, and I never once regretted skipping the swim.

We cooled off, snapped a few photos, and headed back to the bus ready for the next adventure.

Sloth Encounter and Guided Rainforest Tour

As we left the waterfall behind, our guide shared information about the changing landscape outside the windows.

One thing I quickly learned about Costa Rica: everything is far apart.
Before each stop, our guide would cheerfully tell us it was "about 45 minutes away." In reality, most drives were at least an hour and a half. Fortunately, I loved every minute of it because the scenery was constantly changing.

The Pacific coast province of Guanacaste is remarkably dry during the spring months. Even though this was my second visit to Costa Rica, I was still surprised by just how brown everything looked.

Back home in Maine, winter had only recently released its grip. The snow had melted, but the trees had not yet begun to bud. After months of cold weather, I was craving color and life.

The resort grounds remained green because they were irrigated, but outside those carefully maintained spaces, the landscape was dry, leafless, and dusty. At times it looked more like the African savanna than the tropical paradise most travelers imagine.

Of course, that dry season is exactly why so many tourists visit Guanacaste. The sunny weather is perfect for beach vacations. Just as autumn strips the leaves from our trees in New England, this seasonal dryness is a natural part of Costa Rica's annual cycle.

There was a rugged beauty to it all—a sense that the land was patiently waiting for the rains to return. In the meantime, the sparse foliage made it much easier to spot monkeys in the trees along the roadside.

One of the most fascinating parts of the drive was watching the terrain transform. As we traveled north toward the volcanoes, the dry grasslands gradually gave way to mountains draped in lush rainforest. It felt as though someone had drawn a line across the landscape, dividing brown from green.

And naturally, once we arrived, it started raining.

Our next stop was a small rainforest preserve where we would enjoy a guided wildlife tour. While some guests hurried to pull on rain jackets, we were treated to fresh Costa Rican coffee as we waited for our guide.

Personally, I loved the rain.

The colors seemed richer. The rainforest felt more alive. Everything was vibrant.

The preserve's trails were covered with sawdust, which helped muffle the sound of tourist footsteps and made the environment less disruptive for the animals.

Sloths are surprisingly difficult to find. Most spend their lives high in the canopy and only descend about once a week. To the untrained eye, they look like little clumps of leaves tangled among the branches.

Fortunately, our guide knew exactly where to look.

Using a spotting telescope, he helped us observe sloths up close and even take photographs through the lens. It felt miraculous to witness these animals in their natural habitat while still maintaining a respectful distance.

After all, we were the visitors here.

I was completely in my element, listening to the sounds of the rainforest and learning about its inhabitants. Along the trail we spotted red-eyed tree frogs, hummingbirds, butterflies, two-toed and three-toed sloths, and even an eyelash pit viper.

Definitely a memorable way to spend a 50th birthday.

Lunch in the Rainforest

After our wildlife tour, we stopped for lunch at a restaurant owned by the tour company.

The food was delicious, but what fascinated me most was the setting.
The restaurant was essentially a large open-air metal building surrounded by rainforest and volcanoes. Outside, a carefully maintained herb garden displayed dozens of plants, each labeled with its name and use.

What I remember most, however, was the sound.

The constant electric buzz of cicadas echoed through the metal structure unlike anything I had ever heard before. It was loud, piercing, and completely immersive.

For us, it felt exotic and magical, another reminder that we were far from home. But after a while, we noticed some of the staff wearing earbuds and considered how difficult it must be to work in that environment on a daily basis.

Hanging Bridges

Paradise.

The reality was something entirely different.

The moment you step onto one of those suspended bridges, your body launches into a full fight-or-flight response.

The bridge creaks and sways more than expected. Your depth perception feels distorted. Voices seem to disappear into the void and echo back in strange, unnatural ways.

Suddenly, every sense is on high alert.

You realize the hand holding your phone for photos is now desperately needed to grip the railing. At the same time, you cannot figure out how to safely put the phone away without accidentally dropping it a hundred feet to the forest floor below.

And there is no turning back.

You simply keep moving forward until you reach the other side.

It reminded me of stepping onto a stage to give my high school valedictorian speech. Once you commit, the only way out is through.

As if that were not enough, our group included a very energetic little girl, probably seven or eight years old.

At one point she ended up directly in front of me on the bridge while her parents were mixed in among the rest of the group.

Then she started jumping.

On the bridge.

Repeatedly.

Completely unconcerned by the several-inch gap at the bottom of the railing.

My teacher instincts immediately kicked into overdrive. Every worst-case scenario flashed through my head as the bridge bounced beneath us.

Needless to say, I was relieved when we finally reached solid ground.

We may not have encountered monkeys swinging overhead or tropical birds landing beside us, but we certainly found plenty of adrenaline.

Corobicí River Float

Back home, we have tackled Class III and IV whitewater rapids in Maine, so this felt wonderfully relaxing by comparison. We wore helmets and life vests, but only the guide had paddles. The river carried us gently downstream while we focused on spotting wildlife along the banks.

We saw crocodiles sunning themselves near the water, osprey overhead, coatis moving through the trees, and howler monkeys hidden among the branches.

Rather than an adrenaline rush, this portion of the Costa Rica adventure tour offered something different: stillness.

As we drifted quietly through the jungle, I found myself simply taking it all in.

A Birthday Well Spent

The ride back to the resort was one of the longest bus rides of our travels.

A day that began at 6:30 in the morning did not end until we were the final guests dropped off at our resort shortly after 8:00 that evening.

We were tired, dusty, and more than ready for dinner.

But as we pulled into the resort after nearly fourteen hours of exploring waterfalls, rainforests, hanging bridges, and rivers, I realized I could not have imagined a better way to spend my 50th birthday.

The older I get, the more I understand that meaningful travel is not about luxury, perfect weather, or checking destinations off a list. It is about being fully present. It is about stepping away from your routines and responsibilities long enough to remember who you are beyond them.

For one day in Costa Rica, I was not thinking about lesson plans, schedules, chores, or endless to-do lists. I was watching sloths through a telescope, listening to rain fall through the rainforest canopy, gripping a swaying bridge high above the jungle floor, and floating past crocodiles on a winding river.

I was exactly where I wanted to be.

Turning 50 did not feel old. It felt like a reminder that life is both precious and unpredictable.

If there is a trip you have been dreaming about, take it.

If there is an adventure you keep postponing for "someday," start planning it.

Because someday is never guaranteed.

Growing older is a privilege.

Seeing more of this beautiful world is a privilege, too.

And if you ask me, there is no better way to celebrate either one.

How I Celebrated My 50th Birthday in Costa Rica: Waterfalls, Sloths, and a Day of Adventure