Alas, the question on everyone's mind: HOW THE HAMMOCKS AM I SUPPOSE TO POST TO INSTAGRAM?

I'm sure that's exactly what went through your mind. I know. Phones are a big deal. We definitely don't want to be without 'em. But more importantly, how are you suppose to navigate your way through a foreign country in a rental car in the middle of the Central American rain forest without Google Maps? And how are you suppose to communicate your arrival time with the dude whose house you're renting? And how are you going to take a selfie next to a monkey with a piña colada in hand? You know, the important questions.

So there's good news and bad news.

The good news is that you can connect! You can get service! All will be well in the world! The bad news is that your options depend on what kind of phone you have.

There are two kinds of phones: locked phones and unlocked phones. Unless you're a regular traveler, you might not even know this. Most phones in the United States are locked phones, which means that, for example, if your provider is Verizon, then that phone only works on the Verizon network, with the Verizon phone chip, within the United States. Whomp, whomp, whompppp. (Check with your provider.)

If you happen to be coming from Europe, however, it's most likely the case that you have an unlocked phone, which means something very important: you can buy a Costa Rican phone chip right in the airport (there’s a stand where you pick up your luggage), pop it right on in, charge some money onto it, and suddenly you have a Costa Rican number and access to data. So that's the most important thing to figure out first: is your phone locked or not? If it isn't, you can buy a Costa Rican chip and you'll be on your way. (For anyone who is not a traveler, this is pretty standard around the world. Anytime I fly to London, for example, I take my Costa Rican iPhone, which is unlocked, and just buy a phone chip in London for $20, and I'M IN. And then it works all over Europe. Ditto for even places like Santiago, Chile, where we also spend a lot of time. Phone chip and go!)

If your phone is locked, however, don't lose hope: you can contact your provider and add an international package for the week that you're here. It's actually not as expensive as you might think: most recently, Verizon had a thing for $10/day anytime you use your phone abroad. You just have to get it turned on. So let's say you're in Costa Rica for 7 days, that's $70 and you're golden. Your phone will automatically connect to the local network here.

Last but not least, the good news is that you can always connect to WIFI for free—hooray!

Of course, you probably won't have wifi while sunning yourself on the beach after climbing a giant boulder and frolicking amongst the palm trees, however, you will find wifi in most public places across Costa Rica. And yes, THERE IS WIFI AT THE AIRPORT. You can connect as soon as you get off your plane and, at the very least, let someone know you've landed. From there, most restaurants will also have wifi, so you can stop, grab a beer, connect, and take care of business.

Are you as excited as I am about all of this? Because let me tell you, when I got here in the year 2004, none of these were options. I still had to hit up the good ol' Internet cafe like a boss! Be grateful there are no more internet cafes. And also be grateful that the climate here will make your skin glow and your selfies look approximately 87% better—unless you've got a sunburn, in which case, find the nearest aloe plant and RUN.