“Look what we found, Karma reached out
Into our hearts and pulled us to our feet now
You know, the truth is we could disappear
Anywhere, as long as I got you there”
Ed Sheeran – Sapphire
I don’t know how you’re supposed to feel when you turn 40, but my version was logging into Second Life and landing straight into a sun-drenched dream.
Mackenzie whisked us off to Highlife Destinations – Costa Rica for my birthday, and the second we teleported in I swear I could almost hear real-world seagulls. The entire Highlife Destinations team always do an amazing job, so much so that we don’t miss a single chance to visit them. (We’ll see you all again in December too). We had the gorgeous Posada Villa tucked between palm shadows and ocean blue, all warm light, soft edges, and that “yeah, you’re definitely supposed to relax here” kind of atmosphere. But the best part wasn’t the villa. The villa was absolutely stunning as you can see from my few shots below. Truly though the best part was her. The thoughtfulness to plan something like this trip for my birthday just, it’s who she is. She always makes sure the important things get the attention they should.
I walked in and the place was covered in birthday balloons, floating little pockets of purple and gold (she knows me too well, I’ll bleed purple and gold until I die. Go Lakers!) bouncing in the breeze. Streamers draped along the beams. A whole cake (and tons of cupcakes!) sitting out like it was waiting for me to make a wish I already secretly have every single day. She gets me in this way that makes my chest feel too full, like she’s somehow always one step ahead of what will make me smile.
After the sugar and celebratory ridiculousness, we wandered out onto the beach. The sand was warm under our feet, that shimmering-water kind of light hitting everything just right. We messed around with poses and took some awesome pictures. Her over my shoulder being cute, me trying to pretend I wasn’t the one grinning like an idiot. Every corner of the sim had something new to stumble on: tide pools, narrow paths through the palms, little tucked-away views begging for snapshots. It felt like the two of us were just drifting through a postcard someone forgot to fold up.
Then we found the cave, that perfect little hideaway carved into the rocks. The ocean kept rolling in, soft and rhythmic, echoing off the walls. Inside, it felt like our own private world. We splashed around, chased each other like kids, laughed way too loudly for how quiet the place was. She kept dipping just out of reach, teasing me with that grin she does, the one that makes it impossible to think about anything except her. At one point the water hit just right, droplets catching on her hair and skin, and for a second it was like time didn’t know we were in it.
All of a sudden something in the air shifted. The whole cave leaned in closer, like it knew what was coming before we did. She stepped toward me with that look, God, the one that hits me right every single time. That quiet mix of wanting and knowing she’s wanted back. The tide rolled in around our feet, warm and slow, and everything else just blurred out. It was just her eyes, her mouth, the way she touched my jaw like she was grounding both of us.
We kissed, and it wasn’t rushed. It wasn’t wild. It was that slow, intentional kind of kiss where you can feel every thought behind it. Her hands on me, my hands on her, the warm water curling around our legs like it wanted in on the moment. The light bouncing off the cave walls made her look unreal, like she’d stepped out of the water itself. She pulled me with her deeper into the cave, just a few steps, but it felt like crossing into our own little pocket of the world. The ocean kept making this steady, rhythmic sound behind us, echoing off the stone, matching the pace we were falling into. There was something so ridiculously perfect about it, hidden away, wrapped up in shadows and soft light, like the whole place had been waiting for us.
Being with her there was warm and slow and full. The kind of closeness that makes your body shake in the best way. Her breath on my shoulder, the way she held onto me, the way she looked at me like I was hers for the moment and she was absolutely mine, it got me in a way I wasn’t even ready for. Every little sound, her laugh, her breath, the water hitting the rocks, just made it feel even more surreal. There was this point where she looked up at me mid-kiss, this soft, almost dizzy smile on her face, and I swear that on it’s own could’ve undone me. It felt like the whole world had narrowed down to her right there in my arms with the tide brushing near the coast near us.
And when we finally slowed down, both of us leaning into each other, catching our breath, the water had crept in around the beach like it had been trying to hold the moment too. She rested her forehead against mine, and everything felt warm, unhurried and perfect. We snuggled up on a lounger and just enjoyed each other for the rest of the night. Sex on the beach sounds cliché until it’s you and the person who makes your whole world tilt in the best way. Then it’s not a cliché, it’s a memory you want to tuck into your pocket and keep forever. Maybe we’ll dive back into the “Let’s Lose Some Sleep” posts (yes I know there’s nothing there right now but there probably will be) here soonish. We’ll see.
Turning 40 didn’t feel like I thought it might. It felt good. Like maybe the best parts of life haven’t even started yet. Honestly, if every birthday from here on out is just she and I, in some sunlit corner of Second Life (or elsewhere 😉 ), playing in the surf, exploring a new sim, taking photos we’ll definitely laugh about later, and letting the tide steal our footprints, I’m pretty damn sure I’d be more than okay with that. Here’s to my birthday, balloons, cake, wandering through Costa Rica, a glowing cave, a little bit of sexy beach magic, and the girl who made the whole thing unforgettable.
“When the sun dies, till the day shines
When I’m with you, there’s not enough time
You are my spring flower, watchin’ you bloom, wow
We are surrounded, but I can only see”
Ed Sheeran – Sapphire
Credits:
~Photo 1~
~Mackenzie~
Head: LeLUTKA.Head.CAMILA.4.0 ~ Jaden Nova
Body: [LEGACY] (f) (1.7.1) ~ MeshBody Resident
Hair: TRUTH Collective / Whisper ~ MissAllSunday Lemon ~ NEW @ Main Store
Bikini: TETRA – Spicy Bikini ~ Nata Fluffpaw
Ring & Earrings: (Yummy) Heartthrob Collection ~ Polyester Partridge
Ring (L): ~~ Ysoral ~~ .: Luxe Wedding Ring Doline:. ~ Fenixdragon Rau
~Lucky~
Head: LeLUTKA.Head.NOA.4.0 ~ Jaden Nova
Head Applier: VELOUR: KALEB Skin for Evo X ~ Kiria Mama
Hair: Stealthic – Haunting ~ Stealthic Resident
Hairbase: LeLUTKA.EvoX.Hairbase.044 (BOM) ~ Jaden Nova (Comes with the LeLUTKA NOA Head)
Eyes: Avi-Glam. Prism Eyes – Pack 2 ~ Eye Daddy
Ears: ^^Swallow^^ Gauged S Ears ~ Luciayes Magic
Ear Tattoo: RichB. Ears Tattoo #08 ~ Salvy Hexem
Beard: [MAGNIFICENT] Ducky Skunk Beard & Stache – LeBarbier Alpha
Beard Layer: [MR] Jimmi Facial Hair for EvoX Heads Style 1 ~ Daniel Whiskers
Body: [LEGACY] Athletic Edition (1.7.1) ~ MeshBody Resident
Skin: VELOUR: PICASSO HOMME Skin for Legacy (FIT/TAN) Picasso Neck ~ Kiria Mama
Hand BOM: K.O.K.O.S SHOP – SEXI MAN HANDS-BOM ALL BODY. ~ Aleric Dallas
Nails: Pare.Cure Mesh Nails Both Hands [Short] – Legacy ~ Flazedo Resident
Tattoo: Boscato Vigor Upper Body Tattoo MEDIUM – Boston Blaisdale
Swimwear: S&P Switch shorts Legacy Black ~ Salt Peppermint
Ring (L): ~~ Ysoral ~~ .: Luxe Wedding Ring Eliot:. ~ Fenixdragon Rau
Rings/Bracelets: *RE* Atreides Bracelet & Rings ~ Crashnoww Resident
Earrings: = DAE = SXD1 ~ Naomi Darkheart
~Scene~
Location: Highlife Destinations – Costa Rica
Pose: SP – Sunset Cove – Pose 5 ~ SweetDaniellee Resident
~Photo 2~
~Mackenzie~
Head: LeLUTKA.Head.CAMILA.4.0 ~ Jaden Nova
Body: [LEGACY] (f) (1.7.1) ~ MeshBody Resident
Hair: TRUTH Collective / Angelic ~ MissAllSunday Lemon ~ NEW @ Main Store
Dress: MOWIE – “Lara” Mini Dress [Perky] ~ Bubuzinha Luv ~ NEW @ ACCESS (Nov 12-Dec 8)
Ring & Earrings: (Yummy) Heartthrob Collection ~ Polyester Partridge
Ring (L): ~~ Ysoral ~~ .: Luxe Wedding Ring Doline:. ~ Fenixdragon Rau
~Lucky~
Head: LeLUTKA.Head.NOA.4.0 ~ Jaden Nova
Head Applier: VELOUR: KALEB Skin for Evo X ~ Kiria Mama
Hair: Stealthic – Haunting ~ Stealthic Resident
Hairbase: LeLUTKA.EvoX.Hairbase.044 (BOM) ~ Jaden Nova (Comes with the LeLUTKA NOA Head)
Eyes: Avi-Glam. Prism Eyes – Pack 2 ~ Eye Daddy
Ears: ^^Swallow^^ Gauged S Ears ~ Luciayes Magic
Ear Tattoo: RichB. Ears Tattoo #08 ~ Salvy Hexem
Beard: [MAGNIFICENT] Ducky Skunk Beard & Stache – LeBarbier Alpha
Beard Layer: [MR] Jimmi Facial Hair for EvoX Heads Style 1 ~ Daniel Whiskers
Body: [LEGACY] Athletic Edition (1.7.1) ~ MeshBody Resident
Skin: VELOUR: PICASSO HOMME Skin for Legacy (FIT/TAN) Picasso Neck ~ Kiria Mama
Hand BOM: K.O.K.O.S SHOP – SEXI MAN HANDS-BOM ALL BODY. ~ Aleric Dallas
Nails: Pare.Cure Mesh Nails Both Hands [Short] – Legacy ~ Flazedo Resident
Tattoo: Boscato Vigor Upper Body Tattoo MEDIUM – Boston Blaisdale
Top: NATIVE URBAN – Rolled Jersey LEGACY ~ NativeUrban Resident
Jeans: [Deadwool] Dean Jeans ~ Masa Plympton
Glasses: :: DS :: Heath Glasses ~ Deep Static
Ring (L): ~~ Ysoral ~~ .: Luxe Wedding Ring Eliot:. ~ Fenixdragon Rau
Rings/Bracelets: *RE* Atreides Bracelet & Rings ~ Crashnoww Resident
Earrings: = DAE = SXD1 ~ Naomi Darkheart
~Scene~
Location: Highlife Destinations – Costa Rica
Pose: Ana Poses – Love Language 1 ~ Fanny Finney
~Photo 3~
~Mackenzie~
Head: LeLUTKA.Head.CAMILA.4.0 ~ Jaden Nova
Body: [LEGACY] (f) (1.7.1) ~ MeshBody Resident
Hair: TRUTH Collective / Whisper ~ MissAllSunday Lemon ~ NEW @ Main Store
Bikini: TETRA – Spicy Bikini ~ Nata Fluffpaw
~Lucky~
Head: LeLUTKA.Head.NOA.4.0 ~ Jaden Nova
Hair: Stealthic – Haunting ~ Stealthic Resident
Hairbase: LeLUTKA.EvoX.Hairbase.044 (BOM) ~ Jaden Nova (Comes with the LeLUTKA NOA Head)
Ears: ^^Swallow^^ Gauged S Ears ~ Luciayes Magic
Body: [LEGACY] Athletic Edition (1.7.1) ~ MeshBody Resident
Skin: VELOUR: PICASSO HOMME Skin for Legacy (FIT/TAN) Picasso Neck ~ Kiria Mama
Hand BOM: K.O.K.O.S SHOP – SEXI MAN HANDS-BOM ALL BODY. ~ Aleric Dallas
Nails: Pare.Cure Mesh Nails Both Hands [Short] – Legacy ~ Flazedo Resident
Tattoo: Boscato Vigor Upper Body Tattoo MEDIUM – Boston Blaisdale
Swimwear: S&P Switch shorts Legacy Black ~ Salt Peppermint
Ring (L): ~~ Ysoral ~~ .: Luxe Wedding Ring Eliot:. ~ Fenixdragon Rau
Rings/Bracelets: *RE* Atreides Bracelet & Rings ~ Crashnoww Resident
~Scene~
Location: Highlife Destinations – Costa Rica
Pose: SP – Sunset Cove – Pose 5 ~ SweetDaniellee Resident