Costa Rica Reflections

I have so many thoughts moving through my mind as I reflect on this beautiful trip. Joe and I love to travel, as most of you know if you follow along our journey. It actually was part of our marriage vows. lol. There is so much to reflect on here as well, because I grew up travelling with my family and it was always something that we looked forward to. As I have gotten older and life has handed my family some life challenges, I remember asking my dad why he loved to travel so much. His answer was simple: it gave him something to look forward to, and permission to rest. He always worked so hard and really never stopped until he took a vacation. Why is it that we believe we only deserve to rest when we reserve time out of our busy schedule?

This is my biggest reflection and takeaway from Costa Rica. I love that we value travel and that I learned this from my hard working family. But I believe you can have it all, and I believe that all the people who in the past were looking to find "the American dream" were fooled, marketed to, led to believe that the American dream of luxury, riches and "freedom" was what we all should aspire to. But what if that was not really the answer at all? I think freedom was described as something you earned, or only some were afforded in their life. More and more, in all the countries I have travelled to, freedom has been demonstrated to me by time, free speech, flexibility, love, and peace. Freedom is having the right to choose what you want to do with your time, and finding your true passion and gifts that you are meant to share with the world. True freedom is freedom to be and live a life of love and abundance. Pura Vida, they say in Costa Rica.

We booked our Costa Rica adventure through Exoticca. That's my referral link if you want to check them out.

Starting in San José

We started our journey in Costa Rica in San Jose, the capital city. We walked through the markets and strolled the streets downtown; eventually we found American influence, mostly fast food. I had a number of observations about that as well, but I will circle back to this again. There are some very interesting observations about what you find near the "American dream": greed, obesity, garbage, homelessness, begging, drinking, crime. Why is that? Why is it when we visit a large city, it appears that in order to be successful we need to have the flagship stores and restaurants of all the "American" brands that have taken over the mainstream international cities?

Do big cities have a requirement to host the flagship companies of all brands, and as a business or corporation, have we only "made it" if we are worldwide?

San Jose was lovely. The hotel Barceló San José was classy and well maintained. The nachos I definitely recommend. We spent a couple of hours enjoying the hotel, and then we took an Uber to the "Cassidy Soda" (which I learned later, a soda is kind of like a diner; they only serve breakfast and lunch). To be honest, when we were walking around the crowded market (raining outside), it did really feel like we were immersed in the culture of a large city. Lots of people visiting, eating, and inviting you in to see their shops. I remember when we were younger travelling together (our first trip was to Varadero, Cuba). Even when we travelled with children, I didn't quite get it. Maybe it comes with age, perhaps wisdom, but I really feel like now I get so much more out of the interactions with the people and every opportunity to soak in a new culture. I believe a part of my soul is activated every place I visit. We love how easy it is to travel now with Uber. Just choose where you want to go. We walked long enough that we found a cool place to have a taco; the guacamole was phenomenal. I think we ate nachos at least once a day on this trip. Joe met a man from California who let us know he was now living in San Jose, and was wondering if we would go with him to buy food. He said he was currently "dirty" and he was hungry, referring to a time when he was clean, but now he is dirty. Of course Joe provided him with some money and said "I trust you." I hope he appreciated what a huge gift that trust was

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Arenal: Volcano, Hot Springs & Waterfalls

Next, we were on our way to Arenal, the beautiful town in the mountains with views of the most beautiful volcano. Traditional breakfast at our hotel in San Jose, then transfer to our next hotel. The van pulled into a restaurant called Mary's, famous for their slow smoked meat. Again the guacamole was phenomenal. Why do I not eat naughty at home? I am changing that. We stayed at the most quaint villas on a river in Arenal. It was like you were staying at a lady's house. She gave us all the local tips and we were on our way to our first adventure.

Myron was our first guide, and he took us to the national park to hike to the top to see the volcano. Arenal Volcano is a near-perfect cone rising 1,633 metres. It sat dormant for about 400 years until it erupted without warning in 1968, then stayed active for four decades before entering its resting phase in 2010. Today Arenal Volcano National Park's trails wind through old lava fields and rainforest. This was where Pura Vida really started making its impact on me. Myron shared with us about his life: a guide who enjoyed nature, hiking for fun and for work, jujitsu for fun. What a beautiful life. No status, just enjoyment. Healthy and passionate, excited about the thought of catching a bird or a sloth in a tree. The hike was fun. It was cool to see ants working, some cleaning, some carrying leaves, thousands all in a row, a team supporting each other, all with a purpose. I love this concept. I often talk about how we are all meant to explore, ultimately getting to a place where we find our passion and our true authentic selves. This is the way God designed this beautiful world, all 8 billion of us, one giant puzzle, and when we are operating from love and authenticity, we fit together perfectly, creating the most beautiful world. As we reached the peak, we looked out over the beautiful mountains, lush hills and volcano view. Fresh scent and wonderful serenity. I keep thinking about what Myron shared about his life. No status to chase. Just the things he loves, right in front of him.

Next up we visited Paradise Hot Springs and enjoyed a beautiful dinner. Every warm pool around La Fortuna traces back to the same source: Arenal's volcanic system still heats groundwater even in the volcano's resting phase. Rainwater filters through volcanic rock, circulates deep underground, gains heat, and rises back up mineral-rich. A nice relaxing time after a busy hike. I am not much for extreme heat, but it felt good to float in the warm baths. I tried a few hot ones and then settled into the warm baths. It was a great set up, with the hotel and the option for tourists to experience. Floating in those warm baths after the hike, I felt everything in me slow down. This is what doing less actually feels like.

Day two in Arenal brought a fun rafting trip down the river. Rolo was our guide and he was such an amazing human. He grew up on the river and made being a guide his life's work. He had a genuine love for this landscape and excitement to show us the birds, wildlife, sloths, monkeys and lizards. He was truly a salt of the earth person. At one point he talked to a spider and let it crawl along his legs all the way up to his hat, where it stayed while we navigated the river current. After our rafting trip they took us for a traditional lunch and it was delicious! Such a cool experience to live Pura Vida just like the locals. When we were there we even saw our guide from the day before. He was practicing jujitsu, just like he said he loved to do. That night we navigated our way to see the beautiful La Fortuna Waterfall and boy was it beautiful. The 70-metre cascade drops into an emerald pool, and reaching it means descending roughly 500 steps through rainforest. We worked hard going up and down, but so worth it. Then we headed to town to explore, grab some nachos of course, and a fun tiki drink. Life is good, Pura Vida. Day 2 in Arenal complete.

The next day was a free day and we packed it full of lots of fun. Joe and I got up bright and early and headed to the Mistico hanging bridges. This 600-acre rainforest reserve has 16 bridges along a 3.2 km trail, six of them hanging suspension bridges, the longest stretching 97 metres. We saw the coolest frog before we even entered the park. Such a fun time spotting toucans and other beautiful birds. The bridges were stunning. Fun to feel your heart skip a beat when someone else walked on, but also so exhilarating to be atop such a beautiful lush landscape. Once we finished the walking bridges, it was time for us to find some more hot springs. It was Sunday, so we joined the locals at a beautiful water park filled with hot springs and cavern-like saunas. We loved the experience and the relaxing environment, and of course our day would not be complete without some nachos. Next up on our free day we explored the town again, trying a few different local spots. Shared a burger, got caught in a rainstorm, and headed to Charlies to watch some good old American football. Not the outcome Joe wanted, but fun to experience the nightlife. Pura Vida. We really did get to experience the Costa Rican life.

Last night in Arenal, and ready to travel through the mountains to the beach. A stop at a butterfly conservatory and a viewing spot for crocodiles (well, I think they call them caimans in Costa Rica). We saw a macaw, a bright coloured bird, and loved our conversations with our local driver, who also lived on the river, and I am pretty sure that being a salt of the earth person is a requirement in Costa Rica. We learned about all the vegetation on the way, and even had a chat about power. Costa Rica generates roughly 99% of its electricity from renewable sources, mostly hydropower.

I asked one of our guides what he thought the influence was on Costa Rica: why so many move there, why it truly seems like they are so happy with a simple life full of following your passion and just enjoying the natural beauty. He said that their country's mentors (politicians and leaders) have been well educated and had good heads on their shoulders. It really does show. When your mentors do not push you towards greed, or force you to believe that everything is about wealth and achieving more, you learn to love who you are, and that living your best life doesn't come from money, fame or luxury. It comes from your heart, searching within versus looking for more or better. Pura Vida is a way of life where you don't have to go looking for something more or better; you can feel it in your heart.

Beach Days in Jacó

We arrived at the beach and headed straight to the pool. It was time to relax and enjoy the beautiful view. For the first time we felt the heat of the sun. Nothing too exciting to say for tonight, we just chilled. We did take a walk in the rain and enjoy a traditional dinner, but today was about resting and reflecting. Day 2 at the beach: we had a little fun taking pictures in the water and walking the beach. It looked like rainforest on either side of the beach landscape. The sand is unlike anything I have ever seen, and we have seen a lot of beaches. Jacó's sand is dark grey volcanic sand, crushed volcanic rock rather than coral. No one was really around; I think it is their rainy season, but we didn't mind. It was quiet. We enjoyed the day at the beach and had a little siesta in the room. Back for a sunset swim in the infinity pool. Such a beautiful view. Dinner to celebrate 20 years of marriage, and a fun visit to the casino. Of course I loved the slot machines that made lots of noise and kept me happy, playing on my free $10 coupon! Then we called it a night and headed to bed, because we were off to San Jose for our last day of adventures before heading back home to Canada.

No agenda that day. Just rest, sun, and salt water. My dad would have approved.

The Takeaway

In San Jose, back at the same hotel, we headed right to the hammocks for a little downtime. We then decided to go for a ride to their modern mall, and oh my goodness it was massive. And this is where everything came together for me. I love to people watch and observe. The mall, as soon as we were inside, just felt like every other mall in a big city we had visited before. The stores all start to look the same and the American brands all start to show up. The people frequenting each store start to look like the brand models, and we start to group together stereotypes. We walk to the food court and immediately we see all the American chains like Burger King, Subway, KFC. The locals eating those brands didn't have that same joy on their face; their skin wasn't glowing like the people in the mountains, excited to share their native dishes with you. They were numb. Eating, consuming, watching their phones, doom scrolling endlessly. Coincidence? I don't think so. Most of them wearing American brand clothing. And really, the Costa Rica I had experienced and loved and felt deeply in my heart didn't exist in this mall. No kindness or gestures, or even noticing our smiles and excitement to learn about them and their culture. They had been captured by the allure of the American dream (brand), and really those clothes with a common brand were less comfortable and likely wouldn't last as long.

What if every single person got to feel and experience the joy we felt and saw when we visited Arenal and talked with the passionate guides? Pura Vida. They really did have it figured out. It wasn't a thing, it was a feeling, and that feeling only came from finding your true heart's passion. Authentic joy and love radiated through their entire being and energy, and they had it all figured out. Not saving up for the next vacation, or buying the brand name, or eating the marketed food that really didn't feed our soul.

It made me think about the influence of power. How industry leaders, politicians, and business shape what a whole country believes is possible, and what happens when they point people toward greed instead of toward their hearts.

That's the thing: high vibe living and living Pura Vida is really the same thing. Creating space, doing less not more, and decluttering your energy by feeling and removing what no longer serves us. Feeding our mind, body and soul, and listening to our body and of course our heart. Because when we can find our heart's true passion and create space to listen and connect to nature and experience the beauty all around us, we truly do have the ability to gain insight and be guided for our highest good. I'm so grateful for this adventure with Joe, the ability to grow closer together and dream together. When we create space, we always fill it with excitement for the future. And my biggest takeaway from this trip is to not only create space and dream for the future, but to listen and follow the joy in every single present moment. PURA VIDA.

If this trip taught me anything, it's that high vibe living and Pura Vida are the same thing. Creating space, doing less, and decluttering your energy so you can actually hear your heart. If you're ready to start, my Declutter Your Energy guide is where I'd begin. And if you'd like to work together or just say hello, you can reach me here.