It’s early in the morning. The air is fresh with last night’s rain. A soft breeze rustles my hair as I settle into my favorite chair with a mug of rich Costa Rican coffee and start my day. My morning routine varies little since I arrived almost three years ago with two suitcases and a dog carrier in hand.
I treasure these moments. Just me and the ever-present chorus of birds chirping good morning as they flit from tree to tree. And it’s not just the birds. Life is absolutely everywhere. It makes itself known in the myriad sounds that I’m constantly trying to identify. I am both curious and fascinated by the sheer number of different ones. I find myself standing on my lawn, head cocked, listening, and wondering. I record little sound bites and pester my Tico (a term Costa Ricans use to describe themselves) neighbors to tell me what it is.
There is a strange energy to mornings here. A soft buzz of expectancy as the world comes alive. Even the trees themselves add to the music of Costa Rica, rustling and swaying as the breeze moves their branches. It brings with it the smell of the Pacific Ocean mixed with earth and mossy growth. Off in the distance, the Gulf of Nicoya twinkles in the morning sunlight.
One of the most magical things about the Costa Rican landscape is its variety. Soaring mountains capped with green, valleys so deep and dark you can’t see their base. Beautiful vistas appear unexpectedly allowing views of rolling hills spread out far below. The first year I must have taken thousands of photos. Everywhere I looked was like a picture postcard and I had to immortalize it.
If you had told me four years ago that I would spend every morning on a porch in Costa Rica, I would have called you crazy. Back then it wasn’t even on my radar. Life is funny sometimes. The smallest things can change your whole life... and here I am ... LOVING it.
I love the peace and tranquility that a life immersed in nature brings. So, how did it happen you ask? Pure serendipity. It all boils down to a few seemingly unrelated events.
To get the full story I have to take you back a few years. My husband, an avid sailor, had always told me that he planned to retire somewhere warm where he could sail. Having an intense dislike for Canadian winters, I heartily agreed with this idea. I began methodically researching warm weather places for us to settle. Most of these places were in the Caribbean. My husband Chris had been doing bareboat charters in the BVI for years before we met and he loved it there.
Every winter we escaped the cold and spent a few weeks doing “research” for the future. We spent a week wandering around Hawaii (gorgeous but WAY too far away).
We hopped on The Royal Clipper (the largest sailing vessel afloat) and cruised the Leeward Caribbean Islands looking for inspiration. We sailed from Barbados to Antigua and Barbuda. We visited Guadeloupe, Dominica, and St Lucia. Wandered Martinique, St Kitts, and St Maarten. My own personal favorite was tiny Iles Des Saintes, but it wasn't very practical.
Belize was high on our list. Getting there involved going from plane to plane to plane to the water taxi. We had to admit that it was less than ideal, especially with pets.
The places we visited were often inspired by a TV show called CARIBBEAN LIFE on HGTV. We curled up on the couch and watched people like us exploring beautiful homes with ocean views. We planned and dreamed of the day when we could do the same.
Then one fateful episode turned our plans upside down - or right way up, depending on how you look at it. The episode was about a couple exploring (I think) Antigua. They had purchased a small business on the island and were going to use the profits from the business to finance the house.
I could SEE the lightbulb go off over my husband’s head.
Before I knew it, we were looking for businesses for sale in the Caribbean, and our timeline was moving up. We looked at 3 businesses in Antigua, but they weren’t quite the right fit for us, and the prices were too high.
Saint Maarten caught our eye and we went back again. And again. We bought a timeshare, and then another. We thought maybe we had found our home-away-from-home and kept our eyes on the BUSINESS FOR SALE websites, but again … too expensive.
In 2017 my husband saw an ad that set his little heart aflutter. Not a business ad as you might have suspected, but a chance to fulfill another lifelong dream. It was the year of Canada’s Bicentennial and the Queen had sent a fleet of tall ships to Canada for the celebration. The fleet was now heading back across the Atlantic to England and they needed crew. His eyes lit up like a schoolboy and he fairly danced around the house. Within a few days, he had signed his name on the dotted line, bought a ticket to Nova Scotia, and packed his ditty bag.
A few days later, an announcement was made that would change EVERYTHING. Hurricane Irma had formed and was heading straight up the Atlantic Coast, along the very same path that the Lord Nelson would be sailing. The Fleet, run by the Jubilee Sailing Trust headed east across the Atlantic to escape the worst of the storm. Chris sent pictures of 40-foot swells and told stories of crew members lashed to the railing for days, too sick to go below.
He loves telling stories of his trip across the Atlantic, chased by a hurricane like the sailors of old, and I’m sure I will be hearing it for the rest of my life. He rarely talks about the devastation Irma left behind. St Maarten was hit hard. Both of our timeshares were, for all intents and purposes, wiped off the map, and dreams of a life in the Caribbean faded and disappeared forever.
Sometimes things just fall into place in the strangest of ways. That is precisely what happened next. One day I was sitting on the couch doing some research and an advertisement popped up that caught my eye (Thank you Google!).
The ad was quite simple. Sailing Charter Business For Sale. It was in our price range and listed an income that would provide everything we needed. The sellers even offered training.
I’m the broad strokes researcher in our family, hubby is the details guy - so, I copied the link and sent it off to Chris.
I heard the kablink of his laptop and his quiet “hmph” when he saw the link. He clicked it, read for a moment, and then said. “It’s in Costa Rica. We don’t speak Spanish.”
We looked at each other, shrugged, and went about our day. A little while later, he clicked the link again. This time there was a long pause while he read the advertisement. Then he turned slowly to look at me. “Did you read this?”
“You’re the details guy, I just saw it and sent it ...why?” He smiled and said, “It’s called Joy Ride Sailing.”
We stared at each other across the living room and I could feel the smile spreading across my face. His eyes were twinkling back at me. For context, I should mention that Joy is my nickname - and the only name he’s ever called me.
Serendipity. “I guess we better go look.”
He exchanged a few emails with the seller, made up his mind, and booked us a flight to San Jose. I started researching all things, Costa Rica. I learned about its reputation for sustainable, eco-friendly tourism. The incredible biodiversity of its many microclimates, the wonder of Monteverde’s Cloud Forest. I saw a wide array of Adventure Tourism Sites with waterfalls and ziplines. The more I learned, the more excited I became.
There is something utterly magical about this country. We felt it as soon as we arrived. It’s in the very air, and it seeps into you with every soft breeze. Every new smell. Every breathtaking view.
We knew, long before the week was over. Before Chris made a handshake deal over fish tacos.
Before we flew home, quit our jobs, sold everything we owned. We KNEW that Costa Rica was home.
It was both terrifying and exhilarating, leaving everything you know and love behind, stepping into a world that’s unknown. Different. In many ways the polar opposite of our life in Canada.
It’s been a roller coaster ride. A learning curve. An adventure. Would I do it again?
IN A HEARTBEAT.
Why? In a word ... okay, two words ... PURA VIDA.
It’s the unofficial motto of Costa Rica. It’s used for everything from “Hello” to “How are you?” to “I’m fine thanks.” much like Aloha in Hawaii.
Unlike aloha, Pura Vida is a lifestyle. The literal translation, as you may have guessed, is “Pure Life”. That doesn’t give you the full scope of what it MEANS.
It’s a simple life, a slow-moving, relaxed, throw your watch away life. (literally - you might as well throw it away - no one cares what time it is)
But beyond the beauty, the variety of climates and adventures, the freshness of the air there are the sounds of LIFE ... everywhere. It is impossible to ignore.
Perhaps that’s why Costa Ricans live the way they do, as part of the world around them, protecting it and nurturing it.
The Pura Vida vibe extends to all living things. It is inclusive and welcoming, and yes, nurturing. That was the difference. If I had to choose one thing that called to me about my new home it would be the people.
The warm smiles and shared laughter over my really bad Spanish. The willingness to lend a hand without question.
The woman on the street who waves you over to point out the macaw in the tree. The man who walks out into the street to stop traffic so you can cross safely.
I am home because I am welcome and accepted. We all live together in peace and community. It's an amazing feeling, belonging. Warmth and sharing are part of Costa Rican culture and you can feel it as soon as you arrive.
Tourism is still a new industry. Businesses tend to be small. Commercialism doesn’t really exist yet. Back home in Canada, a tourism-based business is flashy and geared towards separating you from your money. Here, it’s not uncommon to find family-run multi-generational businesses. Walking in the door is like stepping into their home and they welcome you like they would an old friend.
The Ocotea Hotel is such a business. Created from an intense desire to share the beauty of Monteverde with others, and run by a mother and daughter team who are experts in all things Monteverde. It is people like Karen and Valeria who make this area special.
There are so many things I could tell you about the beauty of this country. I could spend hours describing natural vistas that will astound you. I could list off the many amazing experiences that you can have. I will do all those things, but I’ll save that for another time.
It’s going to take a while ... believe me.
I hope you will come to visit me and let me be your guide to this phenomenal place. In the meantime, my coffee cup is empty, and my hammock is calling. Next week I will tell you more about Monteverde itself, and about the amazing people who call it home.
Toodles for now, and Pura Vida