Let’s be honest, we’re cold. Darn cold. And the Fajardos, as a family, are over it! On Tuesday, January 9th we’ll be heading out for the last 3 months of our incredible journey. We’re ready to be back in the warmth and beauty of Costa Rica, but (as evident from the timestamp on this blog post – for the record I started brainstorming this around 4am…), I am my usual nervous/list-making/anxiety-filled self. The first 3 months in CR did rub off on me for sure. I had friends tell me how relaxed I seemed, how laid-back, that in general I seemed lighter. And it’s all true. I can, without a doubt, say that my time in Costa Rica impacted me greatly. Taking time to relax, enjoy, focus on the now… It helped that while we were there, I didn’t have much else to focus on, but it was nice to see the changes in myself and have some of my closest friends notice too. That was the whole point of this, right? I mean, yes, I wanted to spend time with my son and husband; and yes, it was nice to not work. But if you’re reading this blog, you’re my family or close family friend and you know – I tend to NOT relax. I tend to stress out. I may or may not always overthink things. And Costa Rica, despite starting as a crazy idea to enjoy as a family, has become an opportunity for me to refocus and learn some new skills. Knowing how I felt at the end of the first 3 months, I CANNOT wait to pick up where we left off. I won’t have the months of “figuring it out” time. I know the lay of the land, so to speak, and I’m ready this time around. I think… Regardless, this trio is super excited.

To catch everyone up, we’ve been back in the states since the end of October. As a surprise, Ken and I took Noah to Disney for Halloween. Not that this kid needed a vacation, but who doesn’t love Disney? And Halloween in Disney is even more amazing. We were able to stay a week or so into November and, therefore, saw a lot of the Christmas decor go up. This was a perfect segue into our time back in NJ. Although Disney allowed us to live in warmth for a bit more, we were now even more ready to be back in Jersey.

Thank you to my parents, again, for not only caring for Princess (who is loving life, btw), but for also housing the 3 of us. We take up a lot of space. We have a lot of stuff. We have a loud, demanding, needy, pain in the butt, (adorable) person, and that’s just Ken. Noah is even worse!

But in all honesty, it was a lot of fun to watch Noah transition from Costa Rica to NJ. We’d have school, as usual, but instead of walking to the beach or pool, he’d go outside and explore the same woods I knew as a child. He took some of the amazing habits he picked up abroad and continued to use them here. Now we notice the birds in the sky and trees. Now all the bugs get picked up an examined (ew…). Noah always wanted to be outside with my dad, but now he’s not just following Grandpa around, he’s taking it in, applying what he learned and experiencing things in a whole new way. He’s eager to explore the world around him. You can’t get that in a classroom. I know. I’ve tried.

We’ve spent the last 2 months enjoying a relaxing (but COLD) time at mom and dad’s. I’m grateful to all my friends and family who have made it so easy to meet up. We’ve been able to have numerous dinners with friends (without our son, thanks to handy babysitters); I’ve brunched and lunched with as many people as I could line up… it’s been wonderful. Ken and I were able to reconnect with friends and family over dinner, at weddings, during UFC fight nights.

Our time home without my working and Noah not in traditional school allowed us to do so many other wonderful things. Noah’s enjoyed play-dates with some of his best buddies. We had mini-trips into NYC, Noah trained with Gary at his yoga/martial arts studio Ground Up, Noah was able to grocery shop with Grandma and have breakfast with Mommom almost every week. There were times when I thought: “Oh man, this kid needs to get back to school,” not because he was driving me crazy (honestly), but I worry (shocking) about his ability to keep up with the other kids. But then I remind myself: he’s bright, he is fine, he might even be ahead, and even if he’s not – this time is more important.

The holidays were kind to us. Thanksgiving was delicious at both my mom’s house and Ken’s mom’s house. I got my Black Friday shopping done (can’t miss it). I was grateful to see Ken’s aunts and uncles and Abuelita for Thanksgiving and Christmas. Christmas Eve at Ken’s mom and dad’s was fun and cozy (thank’s Kat for the PJ idea. New Tradition!!) Christmas morning at my parents was sweet and comfortable. We rang in the new year at Ken’s parents house in Rutherford (in our PJ’s again, thank you), with two laughing kids (Noah and Kenzie), playing games, and wondering where Alberto went. He was asleep upstairs by 9pm, fyi.

2017 was surprising and wonderful. 2018 has started off already better than expected. The next 3 months have us in one of the most beautiful places on Earth, and we already have a lineup of friends and family coming to visit. Thanks all you readers for your love and support, and here’s to the next three months! We’ll keep you posted.