I’ve been back in the country for a couple weeks now, so of course it is time to start thinking about the next jaunt away. Fortunately, it happens to be coming up in less than a week. I am headed back to Central America!

Earlier this year, I was lucky enough to spend a couple weeks in each of Guatemala and Nicaragua. This time, I am headed to a couple of new countries, with just under a week in each of Costa Rica and Panama.

My trip will begin on the Pacific coast of Costa Rica, on the Malpais Peninsula at Santa Teresa Beach, where my best friend is getting married. Hotels are not really a thing here, so a couple other friends and I have rented a villa! Yes, it’s just two bedrooms, but still. How cool is that?

Besides the wedding activities, we will be hiking to a waterfall, zip lining through the rain forest canopy, and of course enjoying the beachy paradise. The wedding will even take place on the beach!

This will be my first time in Costa Rica, and sadly I don’t have time to see more of the country, as after a night at the San Jose airport, I am flying down for a week in Panama City. (My flights are on Copa so I have to connect there anyway, and wanted to actually leave the airport.)

Coming from a family that loves going on cruises, the Panama Canal has always held a place of esteem for me, though I have never been through it. (My parents have.) So of course I booked a tour to take me from the Pacific to the Caribbean via a place called Monkey Island. Sounds amazing!! In addition, I will be exploring the old city, visiting a couple of museums, and seeing what life is like in what has basically become the capital of Central America.

This will be my shortest international trip of the year, coming in at just under two weeks, as well as my final time leaving the country in 2019. As always, make sure to check back here for fun posts about some of the deeper sides of these new destinations – I have a feeling one will be about the history of the Canal. 😉

Happy Thanksgiving to all the Americans out there, and I will catch you all soon. After all, I still have more England content to put out…

Here is the map (I LOVE maps) of this trip.