My husband, two daughters and I went to Costa Rica for two weeks in February. When we arrived, my luggage was lost. Ahhh! You would think I could just borrow my daughters' clothes but just picture me in a short skirt and belly shirt—not happening. I wasn't crazy worried as I assumed it would just arrive the next day. But no—it didn't arrive for 4 days! 

Luckily, I packed one dress, a bathing suit and a pair of underwear in my carry-on. And as it turned out, the Tia dress was the perfect piece to pack. We were to spend the first four days at an eco lodge in the rain forest—which, by the way, was absolutely stunning. When we arrived, it was unexpectedly cold at night, so for dinner I layered up the Tia with the Mandy cardi I wore on the plane. Perfect. 

The next day we awoke to the most breathtaking views from our room. This place was even more beautiful than the photos! After breakfast we did a spectacular waterfall hike in the rain forest. Wow, so incredible. It was quite hot but the Tia is so cool and light, and such a simple design, that it worked great with the running shoes that I'd worn on the plane. So far, so good.

After lunch, we hit the pool and guess what—she worked just as beautifully as a bathing suit coverup. Check out the view. Seriously. When we went for dinner that night, it was even colder as we were eating outside. Thank goodness I could just ruche up the Tia like a tunic and was able to wear my Miik leggings and the same Mandy cardi. The bonus: because it is so light, I could just wash and hang to dry in our room. 

My luggage finally arrived on the day we were leaving the rain forest and heading back to San José to pick up my other daughter, who could only join us for the second week of the trip. It arrived just as we were leaving the hotel. What a relief!

Funnily enough, when my hubby took me to New Orleans for my birthday a few weeks later, the Tia was one of four dresses I packed! I was planning on indulging in the infamous cajun food so did not want to worry about sucking in my stomach :)

If you are curious about this spectacular place in Costa Rica—we stayed at The Peace Lodge just an hour outside of San José. I would highly recommend it. The waterfalls and animal reserve are right on the hotel grounds. Just stunning.