There are sunny days and cloudy days. Which one do you prefer?
Sunny days in Costa Rica have an almost magical glow. Mountains, cities, and landscapes shimmer in their light, as if everything were meant to be seen. They act as a quiet guide, inviting you to go out, explore, and share. There is something in the sun that draws life outward, making it visible.
But when the sky is overcast, everything changes. At Arenal Volcano, its shape dissolves into the mist; at the dam, the water turns into a mirror between light and shadow. And on those cloudy days, my skin —which struggles with the sun— finally finds relief. Only then can I be outside without covering myself from head to toe. These are the days when I can swim, walk, feel the breeze, and finally go to the beach, where the waves and sand melt beneath my feet.
Sunny days allow me to contemplate and capture the landscape; cloudy days, in contrast, allow me to inhabit it, even if from a quiet solitude.
The night and the day
That is why the night becomes my accomplice as well. In it, San José reveals itself as more beautiful. In the dark, every place finds its own light. And maybe that’s why I’m still drawn to cloudy days and nights. Because in them, I don’t have to protect myself, or adapt, or hide. In them, I can finally be.
While the world shines in sunlight, I am learning to exist in the dimness, where everything feels easier, more honest, more mine. And it is there, in that quiet way of inhabiting the world, that I discover there is also beauty in not fitting into the light most people seek.
If you’re curious about how I experience sunny days, you can take a look at my trip to Curaçao here.
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