At the tender age of 6, still a little, bouncy boy, my family and I traversed to a land known as Costa Rica. The intention of said trip was not for leisure exclusively, instead, a much more momentous occasion: my aunt and uncle-in-law were hosting a gathering to witness their joining in matrimony, or a wedding. Needless to say, the trip was an incredible experience. Costa Rica is truly a magnificent country, with its tropical fruits and warmth and such. I recall frolicking down the beach with the company of my cousins. There were so many pleasant memories regarding this long distance outing. However, I had an encounter that rattles my bones to this day!
Everyone was eating breakfast but my hunger became satisfied rather quickly due to my small body. I asked to be excused, most likely to retrieve my beach frolicking slippers, and ventured to our room. As I sauntered towards my destination, I came across a walkway surrounded by tall trees and beautiful herbage. My curiosity got the best of me, so I decided to take that path instead. It only took a few steps for me to realize I had just made a grave mistake.
I came across a reptilian creature that forced me to stop dead in my tracks. An iguana! Not just any iguana! This one was very large, like a teenaged crocodile! Up until that point, I had no inkling that a fear of hideous reptiles affected me, but as soon as I peered into its beady eyes, I knew. Tears began to formulate in my eyes and steadily stream down my face. At this point, some might wonder why I didn’t just turn around. Well, I was quite literally frozen in place. This scaled monster had petrified me! I stood there crying like a babe for what seemed like an eternity. Eventually, my brave grandfather found me and had to carry me away. With each step away from the iguana, I became increasingly at peace.
The moral of the story is don’t go to Costa Rica if you don’t like reptiles, because I’m pretty sure there was a poisonous snake on the roof of one of the restaurants too.
