One of my greatest passions in life is learning. I think it’s so important to keep learning and growing in all aspects of your life but especially in your chosen career.

Recently I had the opportunity to travel to Costa Rica for an Optometry Conference which meant two of my greatest loves coming together in one place, professional development and a tropical vacation! While I learned a lot about the advancements in the optometry field such as ocular injections, anesthesia and treatments for macular degeneration, my time at the conference also earned me continuing education credits (a requirement for Optometrists). 

But traveling to a new country is also an exciting adventure for me where I can learn about a new region and culture.

Here are 7 things I learned about vacationing in Costa Rica during the summer:

1. Summer is also known as “green season” which is code for “it rains every frigging afternoon!” The tropical environment means it rains all the time so make sure you schedule your activities during the morning and plan to spend the afternoon playing board games or watching movies in the hotel room when it’s raining. 
2. It’s actually the low season for tourism (probably because it’s raining all the time!) which means it’s not very busy at the resorts. You don’t have to fight for lounge chairs at the pool or the beach and never feel like there are too many people cramping your relaxation time. Score!
3. It’s really humid which is something I both love and hate. Obviously, it means you’re constantly sweating, and it sometimes feels suffocating, but I love the fact that I don’t need to do anything with my hair. There’s no point in spending time styling your hair when it’s going to look like the Lion King just minutes later. I’d just put it up in a bun or braid and off I’d go!
4. There are intense lightning storms, unlike anything I’ve ever seen before. One of our flights was actually through a huge lighting storm which probably isn’t the safest thing, but we made it out the other end okay!
5. The power often goes out during the rain and thunderstorms so it’s a good idea to bring a battery pack to keep your phone and laptop charged. 
6. There are mosquitos everywhere! Make sure you bring mosquito repellent and reapply often, so you don’t end up with red bumps all over your arms and legs.
7. The food is delicious because there’s a lot of Caribbean influence. You can expect a lot of plantains (a green banana that you cook) and seafood. Delicious!