You learned earlier that Karen and I separated. But she is still my best friend despite our different lifestyles.

Living alone was difficult but I knew life had to go on and traveling was part of my life. So the year we separated I went on a trip to Costa Rica and Karen took care of my sheep!

Costa Rica is a very small tropical country about one-third the size of New York State. It is nestled between Nicaragua and Panama in Central America.

Despite its small size, it has, according to our tour guide: 1,400 species of trees; 10,000 species of plants, of which 1,200 are orchids; ten percent of the world's butterflies, with over 3,000 species in one of their National Parks; 35,000 species of insects; 200 species of mammals; 850 species of birds, of which 50 are hummingbirds; and 200 species of reptiles, half of them snakes. There are twelve tropical life zones in Costa Rica.

Our group was limited to 16 people, so that was a plus in not having to take fifteen minutes boarding a big bus. We all traveled in one big van throughout this travel adventure. And it was an adventure, from two days of horseback riding to white water rafting.

The biggest thrill in Costa Rica was our late afternoon arrival and overnight stay at the Arenal Observatory Lodge. This unique lodge doubles as a volcano research station. Here, volcanologists from around the world come to study the volcano. At the time we were there, it was the most active volcano in the world.

I learned more about the awesome forces of volcanoes on another trip I took to Iceland in August of 1997.

Again, I went alone and joined a group via a local tour company in Albany, New York, which is about forty miles from my home. Karen came over and took care of the sheep again. Now isn't that nice that, although we are separated, we are still friends?

I think there is a lesson to be learned here. Lots of people get divorced and or enter into a separation agreement. I haven't a clue what the statistics are but many wind up bitter enemies. That just makes matters worse. Why not still be friends, even though both couples remarry? It may be awkward but it can make life more peaceful.