BoomerGirl Diary

After four full weeks back home in Kansas, I've returned to my everyday life in Southern Costa Rica. The flight home last week signified the first time Ken and I had traveled alone together since we moved to Central America 2 1/2 years ago. We were really happy that Ken's nephew Bradley, who has visited us before, was willing and able to keep an eye on our home and dog so we could travel together again. Always in the past, Ken and I would return to the States separately for various reasons of our own, leaving the other behind to watch over our property.

Ken doesn't like to be in the States any longer than he really has to. I, however, like extended stays. I want to be able to see lots of friends and family as well as visit several stores and restaurants. I went to Kansas two weeks earlier than Ken to get those things "out of my system" before he arrived. Once he joined me, we attended graduations, spent time with his family members and friends and tackled HIS shopping list.

We were a little disappointed in the weather while we were in Kansas. Disappointed ... but not surprised. It was quite cloudy and cool (to us) most of the time and we shivered a lot to try and stay warm. There were several thunderstorm warnings, flash flooding reports, and tornado watches issued during our stay. Typical Kansas weather in May. Sadly the deadly Greensburg, Kan., tornado struck during this time too.

Prior to Ken's arrival, I spent two weeks in my childhood home near Topeka with my parents. During my stay with them it rained ... a LOT. At one point the local news helicopter flew over their country home to report on flooding in nearby Grantville. The station was also covering the rise of the Kansas River. It is located less than a mile from my parents' home, and was getting close to breaching its banks (I'm pointing towards the threat in the picture below).

One day we couldn't even leave the area because Highway 24, connecting their small town to Topeka and Lawrence, was flooded. On that stressful day, I spent some time moving my most precious items, that I have stored in their basement, up to their attic.

Since surrounding farms and fields were saturated and some already flooded over, I stressed about what we would do in the event that the river water came rushing onto their property. I had a plan. I went upstairs and removed a screen from an attic window to make for an easier climb out onto the roof (in case we would need a boat or air rescue). While upstairs, I recalled video newscasts of homes being completely washed off their foundations in fast-moving water. I needed a Plan B.

Knowing that some large and sturdy trees are left intact after a flood, I debated an escape up one of their 40+ year old sycamore trees. I thought if I could place a ladder at the base of the tree in advance, we could climb up to a high and strong branch. From there we just might be able to withstand a raging river.

Then I remembered how a rescue could take hours. I knew that neither my parents, nor myself, would be able to cling to a tree trunk for very long. Therefore, I would need to climb the tree before the floodwaters came and tie some strong ropes to our safety branches. Once up the tree we could secure these ropes to our bodies and pray they would hold.

I continued to stress out over the potential disaster and shared my plots and plans with my mother. She, as always, complimented me on my "planning ahead" and seemed impressed that I could think of so many potential problems, and their solutions, in advance of them even happening. Well, as helpful as planning ahead at times can be, STRESSING ahead of time isn't. I realized that what Ken has always observed about me was correct. I ALWAYS think of the WORST things that COULD happen way before I NEED to. I admit, a lot of my thoughts begin with "But, what if ... ?"

Had I not learned anything living in Costa Rica about PURA VIDA and living TRANQUILA? Wouldn't life be a lot less stressful for me if I didn't worry about things until I HAD to? I could use all that stressful energy on more pleasant things. It's a choice. As Ken has tried to tell me, I can CHOOSE to worry and stress or I can just go through life and take what comes and deal with it THEN.

With THAT now being my focus, I returned to my parents' basement in search of Plan C. Looking for lifejackets, I found the only ones they still had were three tiny, child-size life preservers. These had been used when I and my middle-aged siblings were toddlers!! I doubt if they would work, but they'd have to do. I got a cold can of Tecate (Thanks, Dad.) from the basement fridge, put a lifejacket around my neck and waited out the flood. We'd either sink or swim.

Thankfully the next 24 hours were dry and the river became less of a threat. My precious items were saved, and my parents didn't lose their home or lives. All that stressing and planning for nothing.

In a few weeks I had returned to Costa Rica and my on first morning back there was a snake in my kitchen. A four foot long, nicely coiled up snake under my dish drainer. I began to think ... "But what if there is a nest nearby and more snakes are in the house and... "

"Stop it!" I told myself. "My life WILL be tranquil and I WILL be less stressed. Part of the reason I moved here was to enjoy a less stressed life style, right?" "RIGHT!"

"But what if there ARE more snakes in the house... ?"

It's a Jungle Down Here.