Pennsylvania to Pura Vida

Hello fair readers and welcome back. Daring to assume I may have acquired a few of you who aren't aware of my every move and new location, allow me to explain - I've recently returned from a whirlwind trip to Harrisburg for Christmas followed by a stay in Costa Rica for the New Year.

Don't fret though; I return having amassed a plethora of new random facts you may or may not ever need to know in addition to loads o' inspiration.

Highlights of the trips include but are of course never ever limited to -

1. my first geese sighting (and for that matter my first goose sighting too)

2. my first stromboli (There isn't a picture...I'm terribly sorry but sometimes my stomach gets selfish). It is a fabulous calzone-like beast filled with whatever your heart desires, and it's gooey and crisp and thoroughly delightful. As it turns out though, it was rather fitting as their origin is traced back to a teensy township just outside of Philadelphia and I just so happened to have tried it a bit outside of Philly as well. Lovely. Even lovlier is their namesake - a melodramatic Ingrid Bergman film.

3. visiting the Liberty Bell

4. zip-lining through the forest with the greatest of ease

5. monkeys monkeys everywhere

6. lizano (to be explained at a later date)

If you're like nearly everyone else in the Western hemisphere, the name of the game we've all been playing for the last month is "Eat Yourself into Oblivion, Go, Go, Go". Good for you; you lived a little. However, we're all back in reality now, potentially a smidge jollier, plumper, etc than we were prior to leaving it.

Whatever shall we do? Hydrate, of course, and my very favorite method is with another highlight from Pennsylvania (or at least that's where I found it), Sassy Water. On my very first visit to PA, Jon's mother introduced it to me, and I actually crave it. Yes, I crave water. It's that thirst-quenching.

Sassy Water
from: The Flat Belly Diet (officially...)

8 1/2 cups of water
1 tsp grated ginger
1 medium cucumber, sliced thin
1 medium lemon, sliced thin
12 leaves spearmint (although I'd imagine any mint would work just as well)

Mix all ingredients together and let stand overnight.

Strain in the morning, enjoy, and hydrate.