Our wedding was over. Six months of planning, and it was over in an instant. It flew by, I barely remember it, and it just happened. It practically felt like it never happened. All that time, money, and stress, gone.

I think I would’ve been a little sad about the wedding being over. But, there was no way I could be sad because I was in Costa Rica. I was on my honeymoon with my husband. Husband, it stuck to my tongue, it felt so new I could barely get it out. Husband, it made me feel like I was one hundred years old, and I loved it.

Our honeymoon was amazing. We flew to Costa Rica the day after our wedding, and arrived at the airport Sunday afternoon. We spent the first half of our vacation nestled in the Costa Rican mountains, up in the jungle, and across from an active volcano.

We arrived at our first hotel, and I couldn’t have been more pleased. There were exotic flowers, trees, plants, and animals everywhere. We had to follow a winding path through the amazing foliage to get to our room. It was a beautiful room, full of charm. There were exposed beams in the ceiling, a huge waterfall shower that tumbled over rocks before it hit your head. Best of all there was a huge Jacuzzi tub on our porch, which was surrounded by the exotic plants I was already in love with.

We spent the first few days lazing around, floating in the pool, eating delicious food, and drinking frozen, brightly colored beverages. After a couple of days of rest and relaxation we decided to try out some excursions. Zip lining sounded interesting, so we gave it a try.

I knew what zip lining was, but I don’t think I really understood. We were strapped into harnesses, given helmets, and sent on a trolley to the top of the mountain. At the top we did a short test run, they strapped us in and sent us down a thick, metal line. Piece of cake, I could do this. However, the next line was hundreds of feet long and went between two mountaintops. The trees were hundreds of feet below; we were literally flying above the jungle.

I was terrified. If Nick hadn’t jumped in and volunteered to run the line first, I don’t think I would’ve done it. Suddenly he was gone, on the other side, waiting for me, so I had to do it. Practically jumping out of my skin, I allowed them to attached me to the now seemingly flimsy, thin wire, and send me on my way. It was nothing short of amazing. I felt like I was flying, it was an experience I will never forgot. We got to go down seven more similar lines, and we zig-zagged down the mountain.

In addition to zip lining we also took a trip up the mountain one night to see if the volcano would erupt. We pulled to the top of the mountain, opposite the volcano, and waited. We waited a good thirty minutes, and were about to pack up and head home, when bright orange liquid shot up and illuminated the night sky. Nothing short of amazing, I couldn’t believe I was actually seeing it; our honeymoon was off to a good start.

Our next stop was a coastal resort situated on one of the few shell beaches in the world. The sand was literally made up of shells, the water was a clear, crisp blue, and the resort was all-inclusive. This meant I stuffed myself with food and frozen, bright colored beverages until I practically burst.

We ate breakfast, the brunch buffet, lunch, ordered room service, ate dinner, and had late-night second room service practically everyday. I think I visited every swim up bar at the resort, multiple times a day. This half of our vacation was meant for indulging, relaxing, and spending time together. And I believe we meet all of those expectations.

We rented snorkels one afternoon and explored the reef right off the beach. We had hour-long couples massages and sat in the sauna. We rented a cabana for the day, essentially a covered bed by the pool, ate, drank, and had our poolside butler running around all afternoon. We were basically honeymoon blobs, and I loved every minute of it.

SUPPLIES