"We come to the table because our hunger brings us there. We come with a need, with fragility, with an admission of our humanity. The table is the great equalizer, the level playing field many of us have been looking everywhere for. The table is the place where the doing stops, the trying stops, the masks are removed, and we allow ourselves to be nourished, like children. We allow someone else to meet our need. In a world that prides people on not having needs, on going longer and faster, on going without, on powering through, the table is a place of safety and rest and humanity, where we are allowed to be as fragile as we feel." This is an excerpt from Shauna Niequist in her book that reads like a love letter to life around the table: Bread and Wine.

Costa Rica has a variety of flavorful food options. Gathering around the table for meals is a beautiful part of this culture and the people here are proud to share their traditional foods with visitors.

The most popular “pinto” is a mix of rice, black beans, cilantro, red pepper, and onion with a special Lizano sauce served with a fried egg, cheese, and plantain.

A “Casado” is a meal served for lunch or dinner that contains everything you need: a protein like chicken, fish, pork, or beef, rice, beans, and a small salad.

“Arroz con Pollo” is a rice with chicken dish that is made red with a seed called achiote an made with veggies and commonly served with potato chips.

“Ceviche” is a fresh fish dish where the fish or shrimp is cooked in the juice of a lime. It is tart and tangy and refreshing on a hot day in the Costa Rica sun. Quepos is a large fishing port so the seafood is fresh and delicious.

“Picadillo” is a stewed mix of vegetables like ayote, potatoes, palomito, or chayote.

“Chorreadas” are corn tortillas that can made salty or sweet, eaten with sour cream.

“Olla de Carne” is an elaborate yet simple stew commonly made best by grandmothers.

“Arroz con leche” is a delicious dessert enjoyed by many here in Costa Rica.

I love sharing meals with people. Gathering around the table is one of my favorite things. 

I have been cooking a so much lately with my housemates and friends. 

I host or attend a dinner party every other day. It is so fun for me to share meals with friends. I love learning to cook new things and old favorites. 

The Bible is a mirror you can see if you're hair is sticking up and you can fix. 

You can see who you are  

You can see who God is.  

In pursuit of a life of purpose, I left a life of comfort. I was full of faith, my fears tried to steal. Imperfect courage means going scared. Bravely showing up for yourself, for the people you love, and for strangers who may one day be friends... feel like family. 

Feeling scared?  (I'm a little scared) heart beating outta my chest, shaking knees...

Go anyway

Weave a story of compelling accounts across the globe. I am invited, you are invited!!!

...to be free from doubt and embrace risk with honesty and wit. We grow stronger when we choose to be vulnerable... 

I know you're scared of the unknown 

You're not alone  

You are never alone.  

"You're a sunflower, " sings Post Malone

"What's up danger  "

Im afraid, yet I'll go afraid

Life is a journey  

walk in joy  ...

Mine started in stained glass churches, oh the beautiful truth I learned in those pews.. 

Now i sit in the sand at church on the beach, and I'm not trying to preach, but I found God there. Bright shining and glorious and I don't always agree or understand... But He helps me choose faith over fear. 

My life is a tapestry and all the things are becoming one thing .

I value the gift in me.  

My friend told me tears are a good sign that my heart is in a good, soft, safe place. And that this is my time to go higher, deeper..

New heights and levels of joy

The most real in this new year,  

This feels really raw.  Vulnerable

But here I stand,  an adult in this foreign land and I'm not alone, there's a community around me to encourage, serve, and come around.  In unity we are connected. 

In this place, I've found healing of my pain, forgiveness and restoration through overcoming. 

Imprefect Courage. 

My first spoken word, Slam poetry performed live at Teva in Manuel Antonio last Tuesday. I pulled pieces of my sketchbook and spoke them in the mic to a room full of friends and new faces that at the end of the night I formed a deeper connection with by sharing my heart.