Amy Lu's View

“We had joy, we had fun, we had seasons in the sun”–Seasons in the Sun, Terry Jacks

How can those profound words from that classic 70’s song of my childhood NOT run through my head when I think about our recent vacation to Costa Rica? (I’m slightly worried that I’ve already used this song as blog material, but it IS so profound and poignant, and I think I just referenced it in a photo caption: https://wordpress.com/post/amyluedtke.wordpress.com/144. But I promise, I won’t blog about this song again!…at least for 6 weeks.)

Okay, we didn’t have a season exactly, we had a week, but it was a glorious, sun-drenched, booze-infused week that felt removed from our ordinary time and space. So in some ways, definitely a season.

And did I write “booze-infused”? Why yes, and let me explain with three word: ALL-INCLUSIVE RESORT. Three exhilarating and dangerous words. Happily, we made mostly relaxed but wise choices. I gained 3-4 pounds over the week, which I think is evidence that I indulged enough not to feel deprived/stingy but not so much that I now need rehab/detox/fasting (at least not too much more than I usually do).

I can’t possibly experience a week of buffeting (NOT buffering) without thinking about another profound song, “A Little Bit Of Everything” by Dawes.

“I want a little bit of everything,
The biscuits and the beans,
Whatever helps me to forget about
The things that brought me to my knees,
So pile on those mashed potatoes,
And an extra chicken wing,
I’m having a little bit of everything.”

Wow. I almost DID have a little bit of everything (not chicken or other meat besides a ton o’ fish) on the buffet and as much as everything of the week that I could–sun, pool bar time, people watching, ziplining, looking for monkeys and sloths, enjoying awesome and cheesy dance shows, trying to give as much love to the bands that were performing without being stalkers as possible, karoake. AND “downtime” with Chad (at least time I didn’t plan out TOO much).

I actually did NOT have a little bit of every available alcohol, mostly because I’m a snob and calorie phobe (so no-fruity drinks or bacardi) but did have PLENTY of Costa Rican rum (with and without Diet Coke–trying to order Diet Coke in Costa Rica, what an Amy hardship), guaro sours, red and WHITE wine, and gin and tonics.

While I love the Dawes’s song, all this reveling in a little bit of everything wasn’t to forget things that have brought me to my knees out of pain and sadness (or at least not primarily that) but to remember the things that have (okay, metaphorically, or else I would need knee pads) brought me to my knees in wonder and awesomeness. And to experience more of those things.

Now back to a song…I just can’t quote the Terry Jacks’ song without including my brother’s version of it:

“We had joy, we had fun, we had seasons in the sun, but the cops had the guns, and they shot us in the buns.” –-Seasons in the Sun, Charley Luedtke

Which of course is just a really brilliant, metaphorical way of saying all good things, in fact everything, including time at all-inclusive resorts, end (did I mention we spent a lot of time by and in the pool drinking and discussing “Why Buddhism Is True” by Robert Wright?) Luckily no cops, no guns, but my butt was really sore from an extreme water-taxi ride.