"Retreating" to the Volcano and Beach

Hace tiempo...it's been a while. Many things have occurred in the past month; retreat, holy week and an excellent family visit. These are the three big ticket items I will expound upon.
Primarily, the retreat led by fray Jorge which occurred about 2 weeks prior to Easter; which was fitting for its Lenten theme. It was at a quaint house located in a bit of mountainous terrain; perfect for reflecting. The retreat started with Fray Jorge's thematic saying..."Camino de conversion, Camino de confianza." A path of conversion, a path of trust. Over the weekend, I read, journaled and thought about the "path" I am walking in trying to emulate Christ and trusting that I am being lead by sown the right way. The "camino" could also be referenced as the 40 days of Lent as the path to the suffering, death and resurrection. It was excellent to gather insight and thoughts to fuel the journey...keeping the mission in motion.
Holy Week was low key; no work because Costa Rica nearly shuts down during this week, especially on Good Friday. So Wednesday during Holy Week, I took a bus to Puriscal up in the mountains to visit with Fr. Michael from the states who was visiting and assisting with the masses, confessions and professions during Holy Week down here. It was great to see him and talk about anything over a nice authentic "casasdo" (rice, beans, meat plate) typical in Costa Rica.
Good Friday, my parents and aunt and uncle arrived to start which would prove to be one of the most enjoyable weeks in my life. For the weekend, we went to Arenal Volcano and were pleasantly surprised with how close and beautiful the active volcano was. The 2 and a half hour drive through the hills of Costa Rica was an excellent way to get reacquainted and enjoy some laughs. We mainly laid poolside with a clear shot of the volcano in plain view. Although, Saturday we were courageous and headed off to a canopy tour...Mom, Dad, Marty, Helen and myself flew through the sky at decent speeds, great heights and long distances; all on a single harness and cable strung between two trees...(ALFA ALFA Freddie)
We spent Easter in La Fortuna, a small city in San Carlos and enjoyed a mass in spanish. From Monday until Friday we set up shop in Guanacaste at Flamingo Beach at a completely tropic resort. It was a week of waking up when we pleased, worrying only about what SPF to use and where to dine. It was excellent to see my family, but I found as they left, I felt down; but the sweet week outweighed the bitter good-bye.