I have to admit, it did sound a bit suspicious. I received an email saying I had won and to confirm my contact information. I know there are a lot of scams out there so I never give information or “confirm” anything like this without doing research and background checks and that is what I did. The first thing that made me lean towards believing the email was the fact that they already had all my contact information. In the end, I found all the information I needed to realize that I had actually won this trip. I now recall entering this contest (I enter a lot of contests) every day for weeks and that I am a frequent visitor to the website that hosted the contest which, I should add, is Canadian, and yes, that makes a difference seeing as how I am located in Canada. I found no warnings or red flags whatsoever in my search and even found the original contest page with its rules and regulations and fine print.
So, by now you are probably asking “so what is the problem?” After all, it is a free trip to Costa Rica. Well, see that’s the catch…my accommodations, meals, excursions and resort activities are all paid for but my return flight is not. And the trip has to be taken by the end of November…this November. Of course, the first thing I did once I determined I was not being scammed but had to come up with my own airfare was research cheap flights to Costa Rica and I actually did find some pretty cheap ones at around $450.00 return/taxes included. That’s pretty good and affordable. I don’t have a whole lot of money kicking around right now but that is a pretty good deal for a return trip to Costa Rica. But the cost of the airfare is not really the biggest issue, it’s the timing. It’s always about the timing.
November is not that far away and I just found out a few days ago that I will be making a big move sometime this fall and starting a new job and these things may not allow me to take that much time away. So that is the conundrum; whether I will be able to leave town for that long during that time period.
Despite the reasons I may not be able to go, all I have been thinking about for the last two days is how to get around those barriers because, after much thought, I’m pretty sure I will be going to Costa Rica this fall. I only get to live once and how often do opportunities like this come my way? Not often. I believe in living life to the fullest and jumping on any opportunity that comes my way. That is why I have set up a trip watch for flights on hotwire.com from Halifax to San Jose Airport in Costa Rica. That is why I even searched for the cheapest ground transportation from San Jose Airport to Montezuma. That is why I have researched the country inside out. And that is why I researched the resort I would be staying at and took a peak at some of the reviews on Trip Advisor. The reviews are good. So are the amenities and excursions available. An infinity pool, healthy meals, nearby sandy beaches, Montezuma Falls, ziplining, scuba diving, rainforest excursions, yoga and surfing lessons. Did I mention there is an infinity pool? How can I say no to any of this?
So now it is just the waiting game. Waiting to hear back from them about how long I have to make my decision even though I am pretty sure the answer will be “why yes, of course, I will accept an almost free trip to one of the most beautiful countries in the world!”
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