At Chica Brava there are thirteen staff members that make up the team. Our bookings manager, Colleen, is based in Houston, but everyone else lives in and around San Juan Del Sur. As we have groups staying with us nearly every week, it’s tricky to establish a time when we can all hang out together free from our daily duties as staff. It may seem ironic that we all work together, see each other around town, even plan outings together, and still want to hang out….but it’s true, we love each other’s company! So every couple of months we make a point to close the shop doors, pile into the van, and go on an adventure.
While Chica Brava is all about the beach and surf, it’s rare that our entire staff gets to enjoy the beautiful playas of San Juan together, so we decided it was about time! Last Friday we went on a staff and family beach day to beautiful Playa Hermosa where the weather and water temp, and waves were perfect! Hermosa is a great beach to spend the entire day at, whether in the water, lounging in the hammocks, playing soccer, or sipping on Tonas…there’s something for everyone. Walkiria, our resident ‘house mom’ brought her toddler and baby, Sarah (instructor) brought her daughter Luna, Valerie (store clerk), brought her adorable one year old, Anthony, and Ashley (founder/owner) brought the baby of the bunch, Alex Adrian. At one point all the hammocks were filled with passed out little ones… #Nextgeneration!
The instructors went for a surf before the tide got too low, while the crew settled into the relax vibe that you can’t help but fall into at Playa Hermosa. There was a soccer game on the beach, sand castle building, ocean dips, a ‘fun-fact’ sharing where we all wrote things about ourselves that no one knew then guessed who was who, and a yummy lunch of chicken wings and tajadas. Fabiola (store manager) and Walkiria then braved a surf lesson with Elsi and myself, surprising us with their agility in the water. Elsi and I then squeezed in one more quick session before heading back to town around 5:00. All the kids fell asleep on the way home, tired out from the fun and sun, but the adults were worn out too!
Thanks to Playa Hermosa for having us, and thanks to all the staff of Chica Brava, for going above and beyond your duties. It’s great to feel part of a team, and better yet, part of a family. One last shout out to mother nature for gifting us such beautiful weather, because there simply ain’t nothing better than a perfect beach day, Chica Brava style!
Aloha,
Noelani
Camp Operations Manager