Traveling can be a real eye-opener, especially when it means stepping out of our comfort zones. This week, we dive into the adventure of exploring Costa Rica, where flexibility and curiosity were the names of the game. From unexpected bathroom protocols—yep, no toilet paper in the toilet—to the common breakfast fare of rice and beans, our journey was filled with quirks that kept us on our toes. We learned that being adaptable isn’t just about having a flexible itinerary; it’s about embracing the local culture and finding joy in the unfamiliar. And trust me, rainy hikes in the rainforest? Pure bliss!

Throughout our trip, we made connections with locals, tasted new foods, and even learned some valuable lessons about self-care while traveling. It’s easy to forget about hydration and rest when you’re busy soaking up the sights, but we shared tips on how to maintain wellness on the go. By the end of our adventure, we found ourselves not just appreciating the beauty of Costa Rica, but also reflecting on the gratitude for the comforts of home.

So grab your passport and a sense of humor because this episode is all about how travel can expand our horizons and enrich our lives, one quirky experience at a time!

Links referenced in this episode:

• Click on Age Well With Us to subscribe to our newsletter
• Support the Boomer Banter Walk to End Alzheimer team.

Well, hello and welcome to Boomer Banter, where we have real talk about aging well and I am your host, Wendy Green. And every week we have honest conversations about what it really means to grow older in today's world.

Navigating health, purpose, relationships, caregiving, and everything in between. Today's episode is for the adventurer in you, the one that wants to push through their comfort zone and find new experiences through travel.

We're going to talk about the importance of being adaptable when you're traveling, how being curious is a superpower and the opportunity to make new relationships, interact with locals and experience new cultures. And of course, the importance of self care and gratitude while you're on the road.

So fasten your seatbelts, get comfortable and let's go go on a journey. But first, if you want to stay connected with us, it's really simple.

You can go to hey Boomer Biz, our web page and click on Age well with us and you'll receive the weekly newsletter and links to the Monday live show. And I also want to invite you to help us support the Walk to End Alzheimer's. Every year I sponsor a Walk to End Alzheimer's team.

I would love to have you walk with us on October 4th here in Greenville, South Carolina. But if you're unable to join our walk, please join by supporting our team.

Every little bit helps in the fight against Alzheimer's and also in supporting the families and the people that are dealing with Alzheimer's. Our link is act.act.alz.org goto boomer banter. I will put that in the show notes and hopefully you will be able to support us.

So before we go to Costa Rica, I want to tell you about kind of a preamble. What happened on the morning of August 7th. We woke up very early because we had to drive from Greenville, South Carolina to the Charlotte airport.

Our bags were packed, the house was clean. I had left last minute notes for my sister who was going to be staying with my sweet cat Pepper, and she would be close to my mom while I was away.

I unplugged my phone and stuck the charger in the backpack because you never know if you're going to be delayed and you're going to need to charge your phone. And there was a message from Capital One that had come in overnight. They were questioning a suspicious charge on my business card.

Remember, it was very early. I was thinking about getting out the door so we could get to the airport, which was an hour and a half away.

And the last thing I wanted to do was mess with my credit card. So I responded, no, I didn't authorize the charge without really even looking at it. And you know what that does? It locks down your card.

All the transactions on the card are stopped, no problem. I thought it was the card I used for business and I was going to be away for 10 days. I could fix it when I got back.

But a day or two later, an email showed up that an automatic payment had been declined for a product that I used regularly. Oh, that was not good. Oh, well, I'll still fix it when I get back. 10 days won't be a deal.

Then I got a notification about another ongoing charge that was declined. And here's where I messed up. I made a mistake before going by not getting an international calling plan.

If you're traveling out of the country, that's a really good thing to have. So that meant that, you know, on the bus, wherever we were, I was not able to call Capital One to fix the problem.

I only could could make outside call connections.

When we got to wherever we were staying, I could connect to their Wi fi and use WhatsApp to connect with family and friends who were back in the States. But I didn't really want to take that time to call Capital One. So, okay, my choice.

It's fixable when I got home, but the thing to know is you have to be adaptable and flexible to the realities of the things that you face when you are traveling. You can plan all you want, but you've also got to learn to practice acceptance. I made the choice to roll with it, to not let it hijack my joy.

And that choice set the tone for the entire trip. So as we're talking about flexibility and adaptability, let me take you with me now into Costa Rica.

Costa Rica has the most stable government in all of Central America. And it is still a fairly poor country with limited natural resources.

So the infrastructure and accommodations are not on par with what we are used to in most of the US in our orientation meeting, our group leader set the tone early. She warned us about rustic lodges. Warm, not hot water and showers, lots of rain, bumpy roads and jungles. She told us we needed three things.

Flexibility, friendship, and respect. So with these warnings in mind, we were very pleased with the places that we stayed.

Each of the eco lodges that we stayed in were gorgeous in their own way. The plants were lush and vibrant. There were reds and yellows and pinks and oranges bursting from every corner.

One lodge had walkways, wooden walkways over the forest floor connecting the Rooms almost like a treehouse village.

But I don't think we were ever prepared for the unfamiliar bathroom protocols that are found around the world, even if you know about it ahead of time, which we did. In Costa Rica, you are not supposed to put toilet paper in the toilet. That's right.

There's always a small trash can next to the toilet where you're supposed to deposit the used toilet tissue. Their sewer systems are not developed enough to handle the addition of paper.

When I worked for a previous company, we used to train people for international travel. And some of the sanitary accommodations were even more primitive than what we found in Costa Rica. At least we had indoor toilets that flushed.

We had indoor showers. Still, getting used to throwing toilet tissue into a trash can rather than into the commode never really became comfortable. And so we adjust.

It's a small act of respect for the place and for the people who call it home. So let's talk food. When was the last time you had rice and beans for breakfast, lunch, and dinner?

Rice and beans are a mainstay in the Costa Rican diet. They call it gallo pinto. Gallo means chicken. Pinto, of course, is the beans. So it's chicken, beans, but it's also just rice and beans.

Now, for breakfast, there was also eggs, bacon or sausage, lots of fruit, pineapple, watermelon, guava, things that we weren't even sure what it was. Mango. And generally there was a fruit juice.

Lunch was similar, but instead of eggs and bacon, the offering was chicken that was typically pounded so flat it was like, no nice thick breasts like we're used to. Just flat. Chicken or tilapia, which happens to be the main fish that they can get out of, are all lake. And it was the same with dinner.

Lunch and dinner always included a small dessert for me. And for most of us on the trip, it turns out that this was way more food than we normally eat and way more carbs.

We finally were offered a plain yogurt at one of the places we stayed. Oh, we were so grateful to find that. But part of experience, a new culture, is experiencing the foods. So we tried everything.

That was the only way to know what we liked or did not like. And soon, at least for me, I was taking smaller portions even of the foods I liked. I did ask our guide one time, is this normal?

Do you guys normally eat this much food at every meal? And she assured me that they do. Rice and beans, fruit and a meat was pretty typical for any home in Costa Rica to serve at any meal.

So we ate a lot of food and Then we took several hikes. So one of our hikes in the rainforest was pushing my comfort zones. I know you know I love hiking.

And the beauty of the surroundings made the walk more than appealing. The challenge came with the rain. We had prepared for it. We brought raincoats, quick dry clothing.

We brought an extra pair of tennis shoes in case one pair got wet. But I'm usually a fair weather walker at home. I walk every day unless it's raining.

But in the rainforest, that would mean staying home more than going out. So our hike was about two miles in this rainforest.

And we had learned the day before in one of our lectures that were given about the plants, we learned about the canopy and the lower level plants and the underbrush. And you could see why the lower level plants were had ginormous leaves. They were trying to find sunlight that peeked through the canopy.

And they also used their leaves to soak up the rain that came through the canopy. And rain it did. We were soaked by the time we ended our walk. So many times we let our expectations grow, get in our way.

We boomer banterers are all about aging well and taking small risks, trying new things. Hiking in the rain was a new experience for me, and it was glorious. Caveat. It was a warm rain.

I'm not sure in the winter rains that I'll be out there walking. So when you think about emotional wellness, do you think about curiosity as a superpower?

By the time we reach our 60s and 70s and beyond, we've gained a lot of experience and knowledge. And we tend to stay with what we know and with what is familiar.

We often judge what is different as bad or threatening or challenging or difficult, and we avoid these things. But travel gives us the opportunity to be curious, to explore new cultures, new places, new people, and new foods like rice and beans for breakfast.

Our first day in Costa Rica, we took a walking tour of San Jose. Let me try to paint a picture for you of San Jose. There are people everywhere, but not like there are people everywhere in New York or la.

There are people with blankets spread on the pavement selling anything and everything. Why are there wares on blankets and on tables? Because it's illegal to sell on the street.

And when they see the police coming, they can quickly scoop up the blankets. Suddenly they're not selling anything. There are musicians with maracas and drums and sticks that make music. There are beggars, people going to work.

There are cars, motorcycles, buses and police vehicles. It is overwhelming. And for someone who does not like big cities like me, I was Nervous. So I had a conversation with myself.

All right, Wendy, what can you learn about the city? Who are the people that live here? What's the rhythm of life in this city?

San Jose is the capital of Costa Rica and if Rhodes scholar, the tour group that we were with didn't think it was safe, would they take you on a walking tour? Now our guide did suggest that we be aware for pickpocketing, which is a problem in most big cities.

We were advised to wear our backpacks on the front of our bodies and not keep things in back pockets.

And even with those warnings, one woman in our group was wearing her backpack on her back and unfortunately it was unzipped and her mobile phone was stolen the very first day in the country. So yes, stay curious and stay vigilant. Learning about the lifestyles of the people in the more, more rural areas was fascinating.

We visited a family that raises peppercorns, coffee and pineapples. And their 13 year old son raises stingless bees which are threatened in the area.

Yes, they're stingless, they're so tiny they almost look like gnats, but they do make honey. The family lived in a, in a kind of an, a frame house that was made of wood. It had open windows and one door, very primitive home.

And then across from where their home was, they had a setup that was catered to tour groups like ours where they demonstrated the grinding and drying of the peppercorns.

We made pineapple marmalade on a wood stove and Gabby the mother showed us how to knead and pound out tortillas which were also cooked on the wood stove. They had a seven year old daughter who toured us through the garden outside of the house explaining about the plants and the creatures that we saw.

She was so, so knowledgeable and so cute, but seven. So she was telling us about how frogs reproduce and she spoke in Spanish, our guide translated.

So as she's explaining about the reproduction cycle of frogs, she was telling us that they get married first. And the guide was like trying so hard not to crack up as she's translating this. It was very cute.

The family was so welcoming and kind and knowledgeable about their surroundings. They didn't have much, but what they had they were happy to share with us and they really touched our hearts.

So being open and curious about their way of life helped us appreciate what we have and also appreciate what they have. We learned over and over again the importance of family in the Costa Rican culture.

Children and grandparents seem to spend a lot of time with each other. The children seem to learn from and respect.

The grandparents and the families seem to have a strong sense of loyalty to each other and their communities.

But I would be remiss if I didn't talk about self care because that's a big part of what we talk about on Boomer Banter and it's a big part of our wellness journey. More of us have become aware of self care by being conscious about what we eat, how much we exercise, and the need for adequate rest and relaxation.

But how do you do that on the road? I don't know about you, but when I travel I tend to get constipated. I know too much information.

But I want to be honest with you because many of you experience the same thing or just the opposite. And when we're out of our routine, our bodies are also out of their routine. So what can we do? Well, first of all, stay hydrated.

I was looking this up on the UCLA website, the Health their hospital website and it says as we age, it becomes harder for the body to hold onto water, making it easier to become dehydrated.

In fact, up to 40% of older adults over 65 experience chronic dehydration, which can lead to fatigue, confusion and serious health problems such as life threatening infections. Whether you're traveling or not, staying hydrated is super important for our health and well being. At home.

I always have water with me, but this is more difficult on the road. Even though Costa Rica has potable water. We were on the move a lot and it was not always easy to refill our water bottles or to remember to drink.

So stay hydrated. Keep that forefront of your mind. Second, get plenty of rest. There's always something new to see, somewhere else to go.

But after a few days of constantly moving and constantly going, the signs of fatigue can set in. Listen to your body. If you get tired, rest. If that means you miss an activity, it's better than getting sick.

We had two women on our trip traveling solo. We actually had a big group of women traveling solo who did get sick, really sick.

They ended up needing intravenous hydration before they could continue on with us. Being part of the group really helped that they they felt cared for.

They were able to get the care they need by being part of our group and getting to the clinic that they needed to go to so they didn't feel completely alone and isolated. But it's still not fun to get sick when you're alone on a trip. It's not fun anytime, but that makes it a little more difficult.

And exhaustion also Affects our mindset. We're less likely to be curious or adaptable or patient. Okay, I'm going to tell on myself now.

We were on our sixth day taking a hike in the cloud forest. Well, it was actually more of a nature walk and we were spotting lizards and snakes and birds. And one of the women in the group started complaining.

I thought this was supposed to be a hike, she said over and over, within earshot of the guide and the rest of the group. She walked on ahead, waited impatiently for us to catch up. Suddenly the forest was alive with spider monkeys swinging from the trees. Look up. Look up.

Everyone grabbed their phones to take pictures and videos. They're moving this way. See? And we followed them. All the while she complained. I thought this was supposed to be a hike.

Well, I was tired and I was excited to see the monkeys, but being tired, I was so less patient than I would have liked to have been. So I said something to her like, maybe you could try enjoying what's happening instead of complaining. Not really my finest moment.

But the lesson learned was remember when you're tired to catch yourself before speaking. And if necessary for your well being, stay back at the lodge and rest. Which is exactly what Leanna and I did that afternoon and evening.

We skipped the later activity and spent time in the natural hot springs that were created from the Arenal volcano. We had a quiet dinner by ourselves. It rained that evening and we sat on our covered patio and watch the rain as the clouds covered the volcano.

The downtime was just what we needed, even though we missed what looked like was a fun activity. So self care means knowing when to engage and when to pull back. You don't have to do it all.

You just have to be well enough to enjoy the moments that you are engaged. Listen to your body. We've talked many times on this podcast about gratitude.

Gratitude shifts our focus from feelings of discomfort or unhappiness to feelings of appreciation and positivity. We had many lectures or learning opportunities on this trip.

Some of them were more interesting to some of us than others were, but it was part of the package. And the people who were presenting were happy to be sharing their time and their knowledge with their group.

So choosing to be appreciative of what was being shared gave me a more positive attitude and made me more receptive to the information. It's a choice. Just like anything else, gratitude also puts many things into perspective. We learned about pineapple farming. It's rough, dirty work.

The fields are tightly packed. The leaves are sharp and pointy.

As you know the leaders of this activity explained that it is mostly Nicaraguans who come to Costa Rica to pick the pineapples, people fleeing from violence in their country where wages are low and work is harder to find. This was not about me feeling grateful, except maybe feeling grateful that I didn't have to pick pineapples.

But I tried to imagine that the Nicaraguans who came willingly to do the work were grateful to be in a safer country and able to earn some money. But I'll tell you what, those pineapple fields looked treacherous.

But the bigger gratitude that enveloped the entire trip was that we were able to be there, that we arrived safely and returned home safely, that we saw some of the most beautiful scenery we could imagine, that we left with a couple of new friends, and that we that we live in a place where we can put toilet paper in the toilet. Really, we are grateful for the comforts of home and the conveniences we have. We want to remember not to take these things for granted.

Costa Rica reminded me that wellness when traveling is about being present to what's happening. It's about being willing to try, to feel, to slow down, to get rained on, to say yes or to say no, to even try dancing if it's.

Even if it's bad, to listen deeply and to rest without guilt. I started this episode with a story about flexibility and acceptance about my credit card. So I'm going to end it this way.

When I got home, I learned that the faucet in my kitchen was broken. It started leaking so badly that my sister, who was staying here, turned the water off to the sink and the dishwasher.

I told you about all the rice and beans we ate, and I was determined to get back to my regular healthy diet. So I went to the grocery store and I bought plenty of things for salads. But you know what?

It's not easy to prepare food in a kitchen without a working sink. The plumber is not coming until Wednesday. So for now I'm doing dishes in my guest bathroom.

And I'm grateful to have a guest bathroom with running water to do dishes. In traveling like we did in Costa Rica, seeing some of the poverty that we saw puts this into perspective.

It is the pura vida attitude that stays with you when you leave Costa Rica. Pura vida means pure life, but it's more than that.

It embodies a simple, uncomplicated and laid back approach to life, emphasizing an appreciation for the simple things and a focus on living in the moment. It is a philosophy that values happiness, contentment and peace above all else. So I wish you all Pura Vida.

If this episode resonated with you, please share it with a friend and be sure to subscribe so you don't miss what's next by going to my website heyboomer Biz and clicking on Age well with us and join our support support our team on the walk to end Alzheimer's. All of those links are going to be in the show notes. And before you go, next week on Boomer Banter, we're exploring the creative cure.

My guest Jenny Lee Hodgins shares how tapping into creativity isn't just fun. It's a powerful way to boost your brain, lift your mood and bring more joy into everyday life.

Whether it's music or art or simply trying something new, some new recipe, creativity might be the best medicine for aging well. So join me on August 25th for this inspiring conversation and thanks for listening to Boomer Banter. Hope to see you all next week. J.