ah well. (with a super side of thanks!)

costa rica 2012

A few weeks ago I got selected as a finalist in SaveLoveGive's Facebook/Pinterest board-based contest, the final prize being a trip for 2 to beautiful Costa Rica. It was a simple contest: most votes at the end = tickets to hold baby monkeys with bff in paradise (my personal interpretation). I was so excited and deeply wanted to win in order to snag my favorite gal pal, A, and head out for an international celebration of about 19 years of friendship.

My friends were amazing to me during this time, to say the least. My coworkers were a dream as well. They all dusted off their pom-poms and high kicked their support for me all over Facebook, email, Twitter, etc, to the point that my gratitude tank was tipping over into my humbled cup which then leaked through to my damn-life-is-beautiful plate. I felt loved, encouraged and supported.

In the final moments of voting (and in the most what are the odds of that happening fashion), I tied with another chica.

What happens now?! my pep squad all exclaimed.

We wait and see, I suppose. I replied.

And then about a week ago I received an email from the contest organizers that started with...

Congratulations!...

{Insert a millisecond's worth of heart palpatations}

You've been selected as our runner up!

{Insert mental scolding of said organizer's word choices}

So I looked up from my email (I'm assuming with sad puppy dog eyes to rival Lucy when she knows she shouldn't have peed there) to face B (who immediately went into his do-you-kiss-your-mother-with-that-mouth dispute of my loss), sigh and reply to them with my requested address for a box of 2nd place "prizes". That's pretty cool, I thought. I know they work with some big fashion names, could be a nice little consolation gift...

And then I got mailed a box full of logo'd tchotchkes (not one but two hot pink, plastic USB drive bracelets!)  that promptly got dropped off at GoodWill because...well...no. Clutter is my latest personal nightmare and this was clutter at its finest. What a double bummer.

Ah well, ya know?

In all honesty, I had the extreme pleasure of retreat-ing in Costa Rica last May and I #whitegirlproblems just got back from the trip of a lifetime in Australia. Travel is my happy-place, if you will, but I am not lacking in that life department. I am extremely fortunate to have visited a number of awesome places over the years, so it's actually a-ok that I didn't snag a CR vacay, part 2. I will just have to figure out another way to hug monkeys with A :)

Also, because I think it's worth saying, I really hope the little lady who won the contest has an amazing time. No bitterness to be had there. I found Costa Rica to be so soothing and healing, lovely and magic--I hope it is the same for her, as well. (But if she holds a monkey, I cannot guarantee the status of these good feelings...)

To my friends and coworkers who genuinely surprised me (though I don't know why, considering how much mutual love flows between us) with the amount of skilled cheerleading in my honor (when did you perfect your pyramids?!) -- Thank you. You rock. I love you. And I am so, so lucky to know you. Entering this contest was worth every ounce of fleeting disappointment at the end simply because I was reminded of how many truly awesome folks I have in my life.

You are not taken for granted.

In Gratitude,

Trish

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