July 6

After going to the butterfly garden, I scurried off to the hotel pool for some much-needed coolness, being from mild-temperatured San Francisco, my body cannot take long periods of heat like that of Costa Rica. Pura vida, so I did my best. I noticed a very tanned brown man laying out noticed me as I slipped into the pool trying not to be bring too much attention to myself. After some time, the tanned man edged to the pool, and I asked where he was from like I did with so many other people I met during this trip. Italy. Oh, hmm...kinda cute, nice smile, cute brown smiling eyes, muscular arms - ooo weakness. He spoke Italian, Spanish and a little bit of English. I know no Italian, a little Spanish and only English really even though I am of Japanese descent with family lines coming via Hawaii. So our conversation was a mixture of his broken English and easy-to-understand Spanish, my broken Spanish and efforted Italian, and sign language and facial expression, Giuliano y Maile. He lived next door to the hotel renting a room from a friend temporarily originally from Milan and Portofino, Italy, wants to start a business in Costa Rica, uses the pool because he knows the hotel manager. He's going back to Italy in June or July for a few months, returning to Costa Rica.

Making small conversation and offering what little Spanish I knew from high school, my cumpleanos, birthday, is in July. O? Es tu. Quand, When? Seis, six. Big smile, NO, me too! He was born exactly a year before me, and he showed me his crab Cancer tattoo on his right forearm. !!Wow!! We were instantly bonded as we are both big-hearted, passionate, family-oriented, complicated people who all of the sudden understood the inexplicable about each other. Through our broken combination language, we learned about each other, our families, some of our background, showed him my pedicured, pinkish-red toes complete with two toerings, one with turtles and one with Maile leaves. He showed me his tattoos on his arms - snake, crab Cancer sign, elephant, tribal band. I showed him my dolphin with Maile lei tattoo on my lower right back. He asked me what I was doing after kayaking tonight. After my 5-hour lost-in-the-mangroves-in-a-kayak-at-night fiasco, it all began.

Showered off the mangrove waters, compliments of elegance of a black skirt outfit I quickly shimmied on, a blur of a beach club named after the Vikings (? in Manuel Antonio, Costa Rica, I couldn't quite put together the association), lemon drinks, saw my kayaking tour guide together with one of our tour group gals there - aha! I knew something was going on, hee hee, dancing, attempted salsa, twirling, kisses, beach, bought me a boat artistically configured from a banana leaf by a struggling local beach artist, "for you". After the day I had and with his Italian charm and smile, it was all over for me, I gave in to the night.

The next day, back at the same beach, stopped by his favorite local Italian restaurant hang-out to buy me yummy eggplant lasagna and natural pineapple refresher, met his Italian restaurant-running friends Angelo and David, listened to him speak fluent, uninterrupted Italian with his friends, loved it, lovely flowing language enunciated up and down like a song, took it in while I ate as they conversed trying to include me when they could, explained what the gist of the conversation was, he was telling them about me. He locked eyes with me, looked right into the deeper parts of me with those smiling brown eyes, saw me for me, smiled at my freckles at my smile at my face at what he saw on the surface and within, body, heart and mind. I saw him too - a heart like no other, soul of pura vida beauty, friends everywhere all over town, charisma, confidence not egotism, smiling, happy, patient with me, made me laugh even through communication challenges, challenges that are easily overcome, a mind for entrepreneurialism, a do-er not just a talker, strong, so strong, nothing hidden, tells me, shows me what he's thinking, protecting without overwhelming, lets me be me, lets me be free to fly because he is whole, so naturally lovely inside and out.

Dipped into a secluded, romantic ocean cove in the Manuel Antonio National Park with waves crashing over the rocks, he held me, swirling, twirling in the ocean current, laughing, hee hee, splashing, people watching us as we were clearly enjoying the day together. Laid under the trees under the sun, chomping on fresh coconut in his arms. My gosh, what did I do to deserve this, breathing it in, enjoying each second. Later, his beyond delicious Italian homecooking of fish, tomato and avocado salad all tossed with salt, spices, olive oil, balsamic vinegar, so comfortable in the kitchen, wouldn't let me lift a finger except to sip my red wine, "for you". ~ "I must be dreaming or we're onto something. I must be dreaming for I don't fall in love lawlessly. I must be dreaming or pinch me to waking. So undeniably yours as long as I'm losing it so completely. Euphoria...I can't take anymore of...yeah...I'm losing it." - Frou Frou. Yes, I lost it over and over again and thensome, dying to try me, pedicured toes with toerings drove him crazy, make no sudden movements, my God, what did I do to deserve this, him, such joy I've never known. Bella. His little potato in Italian, potitos - hee hee, blush, smile. His little bambina from San Francisco. His Amore. You y me.

Pasta with Italian homemade red meatsauce, yum. Tired, take it easy today, worn out, I always do that, hee hee. Later, chicken risotto, amazing, yes, he should open a restaurant in Costa Rica, San Francisco, somewhere, near, natural talent that needs to be shared, blew me away, "for you". No quiero to return to San Francisco just yet, but alas, it was time to leave. So hard to leave, times so short but hearts a-flying. Promises to see each other again, he will learn English for me and I will learn Italian for him. Unbelievable, unbelievable, unexplainable, unexpected, unbelievable again and unforgettable. Bye, Ciao, tears out of his sight. Milan y Portofino, Italy maybe in July to celebrate our birthdays together - July 6, the beautiful bonding point. Simpatico, a pull with questions unanswered not to be understood until much later I suppose. Will look forward with anticipation in the meantime with hope and a wish for the future, Mi Amore Giuliano. I found someone to live for in this world.