5 | Life lessons and reminders from my first tropical rainy season
This is the fourth installment of a five-part series I have created to accompany my weekly personal newsletter where I share my collection of moments of joy, Tuesday Tingle, published on my Substack CalmThyme -
5 | Things series is an exploratory selection of reflections focused on sharing my transcontinental perspective on personal development and growth and cultural and travel experiences as a first-generation Polish-American former NY-er traveling Central and Latin America with my rescue andsoul dog, Luna.
If you’ve read my previous post 5 | Things to know before traveling to Costa Rica, you may have gotten a bit of insight into my understanding of the tropical climate. My exposure to the tropics before 2022 was relatively limited, having only experienced an attempt at a replicated jungle in a botanical garden and zoo. Aside from the weather patterns, there’s the seasonal impact. Instead of 4, there are 2. It’s sunny sunny, or sunny with some part of the day including rain. Predictability: Undetermined.
- Have you ever tried to track the path of a rainstorm?
- Have you ever really watched raindrops of all sizes fall?
- Have you ever seen the lightning in such sequences?
- Have you ever truly listened to the sound of thunder?
- Have you ever really taken in the smell of the earth when the rain finally falls to cover it?
These are just some of the many questions that come across my mind daily experiencing my first tropic winter/green season.
Primarily, this season has taught me (and reinforced) that there is power in practicing to slow down, appreciating the resources you have, and taking advantage of opportunities existing in front of you.
Here are the 5 things this first tropical rainy season has reminded, taught and reaffirmed for me:
- Allow yourself to be surprised —
When was the last time you stood in the rain and felt the cool drops against your warm skin? A sense of relief coming over you just like turning off the gas of a sizzling pan. And just smiled? Or taken a breath while the moisture permeates every inch of you?
I continue to be reminded how good it feels to just allow things to happen without expecting and judging them. And that despite my innate nature to analyze, organize, and plan, it’s okay (and usually better) to not.
2. It’s not that serious —
Can it be an inconvenience? Yes. But do you have somewhere to rest and remain dry? Do you have the option to run an errand another day? Can you do laundry tomorrow? The answer is usually, yes.
Whatever is going on, there is always an opportunity to remind yourself to let go and to laugh instead.
3. You get to choose —
Some days you’re going to end up forgetting your rain jacket, or umbrella, or wish you brought extra insect repellent with you. It’s just like those times you’ve made lunch to bring with you somewhere and it ends up sitting on the kitchen counter instead. It happens.
So maybe try to be a little gentler with yourself. You can choose your response. How you respond. How you feel. You may not be able to control the weather pattern but you can choose how you respond to a shift.
4. Let it flow —
This climate is a whirlwind and despite your best efforts in trying to understand its pattern, it can throw you a curveball at any time. Gone are the days of expecting to get everything on my to-do list “done.” I previously shared here that, “I’ve learned that checking the weather app hourly leaves me expecting something that rarely occurs.” I’ve noticed that the more I try to “track” or estimate when it will rain in ends up being completely different than my expectation. It either downpours much earlier, or not at all. It results in this feeling of, “hmmph, perhaps I don’t know it all.” Look around you, recognize what you can do (right now), and move with what is feasible.
It reminds me that for every challenge or situation I am confronting, there is a limit to my control. Instead of leaning into the frustration from not meeting my self-imposed expectations, maybe I can hang back and shift something else. After all, it is happening for me, not to me.
5. Enjoy the journey —
Take advantage of the present chance, moment, or opportunity. I can put in as much time as I want to frame an experience, or instead simply let it happen. There have been plenty of occasions where I have shifted what I plan on doing with my day because I allowed myself to do what I feel. Whether it’s taking a walk in the middle of the day to make sure I get outside or choosing to take advantage of the rainy weather to catch up on household chores or tasks that I’ve been procrastinating on completing.
There is pleasure in allowing yourself to shift where your energy guides you. Slow down, pause, tune into what’s going on, and choose where you are willing to extend yourself.
I ask myself, “Is this pura vida?”
I’m curious to hear if any of these resonate with any readers! Is there something you believe I may have omitted? Share with me through a comment below or e-mail me: calmthyme@gmail.com.
I’d love to connect!
Read more from the 5 | Series:
Links and other spaces I occupy on the web:
- 📙Substack: CalmThyme posts featuring weekly newsletter Tuesday Tingle.
- 🎶 Shimmy along with me to this playlist: Tuesday Tingle Tunes (Spotify).
- 🪷📸 Capturing moments of joy over at CalmThyme
- 🐶📸 Puparazzi at LocalikeaLuna.
