Costa Rica is Calling
Intentional living in a Blue Zone
Childhood is fleeting. I’m grateful my children are outside being kids, shrieking and laughing in delight. Those reverberating sounds of joy fill my heart. These days my daughters bounce back and forth between two homes and I remind myself to be fully present with my girls, their words, and their feelings. I treasure each moment with them. Even the hard ones. Especially the hard ones. They are my whole world and I want them to feel they are the most important people in my life. I smile because I know they feel my love and always will. With this in mind, my thoughts drift back to the days when we lived in Costa Rica. The simpler days. The barefoot days.
In 2018, I moved my family to a small beach village in the Blue Zone of Costa Rica (more Blue Zone information is below). The rationale behind the move was to simply live for a year abroad, give the children a new experience, and expose them to a new culture. It was a time to slow down and just be. We landed in a beautiful place where the jungle crept forward until it met the ocean. Howler monkeys would wake us before dawn. Iguanas lurked by the pool during the hottest hours of the day. Groups of sea turtles gathered to nest at a nearby beach. The infinite amount of insects were observed with wide-eyes and amazement. Everything was so alive. Life felt expansive.
I miss that way of living and being. The children were in no hurry to grow up. Their toys were things found in nature. A stick became a magic wand. Watching the tadpoles with the neighbors was their version of television. Flowers or dead insects were collected and used for art.
Our all time favorite place to just be was at the beach. The girls learned how to read the waves and feel the pull of when it was safe to swim and when it was best to remain on shore. The tide pools were full of hidden treasures. Searching for the blue pufferfish became one of my favorite activities. Once the tide came in and the rocky pools disappeared for the day we’d sit on the sand and build. I’ve never built so many sand castles in my life. There was endless digging with our bare hands which is a great sensory activity for all children, but especially those who benefit from OT (occupational therapy). Nature tends to have a solution when we send our kids outdoors.
I think that’s one of the greatest things I miss about Costa Rica — being outside. We were outside from dawn to dusk everyday. Our circadian rhythms were in perfect harmony with nature. Sleep came easily after a long day in the sun. Mornings were filled with excitement because school felt like something from a fairytale picture book.
We’d walk to school listening to the variety of jungle sounds. We’d try to match the sound we hear with the creature we imagined it to be. Not an easy game, but we honestly didn’t have an answer key. It was just a way to tune into a walking mindful meditation. On occasion, the school principal would pass by on his horse. Yes, the principal rode a horse to school. Once the horse was parked in the pasture, the girls would feed it a carrot, walk into class, and I’d walk away knowing this year long experience was sinking into their subconscious. They were absorbing a different way of living and being.
Living Intentionally
The school population was a mix of local students and expats. The parent community lived passionately and with purpose. I met people from all around the world living in so many different ways. Families were worldschooling. People were running companies from the jungle before remote working was widely acceptable. Others were living a very simple life rooted in their passions. It felt like the wild west, but the jungle version. Everyone wore yoga outfits or surf shorts. And walking into the store barefoot was acceptable. People embodied the pura vida life. It was hard not to.
Pura Vida translates to pure life. It’s a Costa Rican philosophy that values life’s simple treasures; to live a peaceful, uncluttered life with deep appreciation and connection to nature, friends, and family.
Jungle living wasn’t always easy. The people who held the perspective that obstacles are opportunities tended to remain in town. People who missed the modern luxuries left within months. The jungle had its own version of natural selection. It worked. Scorpions were commonly seen and they were known to hide in shoes. My kids would pound our shoes before slipping them on, waiting to see a creature crawl out. People kept their small pets indoors because the boa constrictors could snatch them. On occasion, tarantulas were seen crawling around our home. I even saw one walking along the beach after a big storm. The storms were powerful and suggested change. Flooding would occur. After a heavy rain, the crocodiles would become displaced. One ended up in my friend’s pool. They had to ask the Bombaros (the fire department) to assist with a catch and release. Power outages were common and paying the power bill was similar to sitting at the DMV. Oddly enough, the power bill couldn’t be paid online, but rather in person with cash. All of this may feel like too much, but to me it was part of the adventure. Even driving around town was an adventure. I drove a manual 4WD and dodging potholes became a game. I loved all of it. People in this community were not checked out, glued to their phones, or vaping endlessly to escape reality. People were present and aware of the beautiful reality we shared.
Mainstream culture, especially in America, programs humans to become educated, find a career, get married, birth children, take limited vacation time, turn on auto-pilot until retirement, and then travel if you have been smart enough and fortunate enough to save money for that. I don’t mean to sound judgemental, but that cookie cutter life does not fit the lifestyle I want. The person I have grown to be wants something different, especially after living abroad and witnessing all the ways we can choose to live. I respect the people who thrive in a programmed and predictable life. Sometimes I wish I could be satisfied living that way. It’d be easier. I’ve always been a seeker and my adventurous spirit can not be tamed. I want to experience all that life has to offer. Travel induces a tendency to seek beauty and it’s so easy to find once you establish that objective.
I met someone at a retreat recently and he said, “the best way to learn to live is to leave this country.” I agree with him. Travel to Europe and you’ll notice people have leisurely lunches during the work week. Go to Japan and you’ll see generational gatherings in the sauna. Visit the Nordic countries and you’ll see motherhood valued in a variety of ways. I find it fascinating to see how humans all over the planet create meaningful and thriving lives.
Intentional living is very different from programmed living. It's all about the mindset. Programmed living holds the idea that humans must enter into the rat race. There is no choice. Intentional living believes we get to create our own reality. People from this vantage point ask, how can I create a life of joy and expansive living? It does not need to be luxurious. It’s simply honoring what you value.
If there is an aspect of life that causes internal disturbance, then change it. We are that powerful and we can shift what we don’t like about our lives. It’s not easy though. In fact, it may be the hardest thing you’ll ever do. The only limitations we have are the ones we place on ourselves. I’m still wrestling with that hard truth.
Big changes can be scary. I was terrified when I left my marriage while dealing with a chronic illness and no job. It was a giant trust fall. I had nothing figured out. No exit strategy. I just knew I could not remain in that marriage any longer. Step one was to jump. Step two was to trust. I’m still falling, but I trust where I’m headed because I’m the director of my life now. I’ve left the rat race, mostly. I said good-bye to the programmed life. Challenges are certainly present, but life will always have rocky patches.
The beauty is that once you make the change you know you need to make, there is a limitless feeling on the other side. Possibilities are endless. Roadblocks become obstacles you figure out how to climb over. You’ll gain momentum. Forward motion is the way to live because you are in control, rather than being controlled. Being stuck, stagnant, or living in the past spins your mind on an endless loop with no solutions. Again, it’s all about mindset.
Forward Motion
I’m currently teaching my daughters the power of goal setting. Goals enable us to control the direction of change in our lives. We just started this new year with writing out our goals in all areas of life. Goal setting is part of intentional living. Together, we talked about our shared goal of returning to Costa Rica. To the beach where endless castles can be built. To visit the man selling pipas (fresh coconuts). To our favorite yoga studio. To our favorite surf break.
Part of seeking a return to the jungle is to remember why it is so important to slow down. It’s my attempt to freeze time. I know I will capture a few frozen moments and store them away. My daughters will soon be eleven and thirteen. I’m weaving a new life with them and the intricate design will include the colors of Costa Rica with the feminine pura vida spirit. I want my girls to embrace the surprise elements of life. When we learn to embrace the mystery of life as it unfolds, the lessons appear, and change and growth follows.
My girls and I have grown a lot through a big family transformation. It was hard. What eased the challenging times was togetherness. They are able to witness their mother in a new way as a fierce strength emerged. Our children are keen observers. Always watching and listening. Taking note of what they want to mimic and mirror. As parents, we are constantly guiding with our choices, our words, and belief systems. It makes sense to take some time to reflect and slow down to ensure our output is aligned with our values. Is living a programmed life fulfilling or is there a curiosity to unsubscribe from some of the mainstream culture? Kids can feel value systems and as they age they get to decide what to embody.
While we love our mountain town it is missing the one thing we all love. The beach. It is time to meet our dream. I’m thrilled to share that we will return to Costa Rica this summer. Our return visit will take on a new shape. My soul sister, Shanan, and I are hosting a Mother Daughter Retreat. We’ve curated 6 days and 5 nights of blissful magic for those who can join us. There will be a unique invitation to experience connection in paradise. Activities will include surfing, aerial yoga, hiking to a waterfall, sound healing, archery, lessons from local artists, and more. I can’t wait to share the magic of Costa Rica with my daughters as we welcome other moms and daughters to the jungle. It’s amazing what happens when we disconnect from devices and mainstream culture. The connection to self, each other, and nature becomes a renewed value. An untapped resource emerges. For any readers curious about this retreat, leave me a comment. The website link will be on my Substack bio. Come join us in Costa Rica. We’ll let nature teach!
Much Love ~ Grace
The Blue Zone
The term, Blue Zone, refers to geographic areas in which people have low rates of chronic disease and contain extremely high rates of centenarians, which are people who live 100 years old or more. Dan Buettner, a National Geographic explorer and journalist, set out to study Blue Zones. He published his research and most recently created a new Netflix series worth watching called, Live to 100, Secrets of the Blue Zones. His team spent significant time in the five Blue Zones: Nicoya Peninsula, Costa Rica; Loma Linda, California; Ogliastra Region, Sardinia; Okinawa, Japan; and Ikaria, Greece. Buettner’s research found genetics only account for 20–30% of longevity. Environmental influences play a huge role in determining lifespan. Factors include diet and lifestyle. Buettner coined the phrase, The Power 9, which specifically outlines how to reverse engineer longevity.
Congrats on returning to the barefoot days!
Your time in Costa Rica sounds amazing! What an adventure!!