The Costa Rican Adventure - Volume 19 - New Beginnings
(Pictured: Arenal Volcano, La Fortuna, Costa Rica) Well, a new adventure begins and this time it's Costa Rica, only 5,228 miles away from my last home in Mountain Village, Alaska. I spent two months here this summer doing a lot of writing and decompressing, trying to figure out what my future would look like. Halfway through the summer I made a very difficult decision. I decided to retire from my teaching job in Mountain village and move to Thailand to pursue a freelance writing career. There are other reasons and incentives why I chose Thailand, but that life-share and blog is for another day. Regardless, it was a very difficult decision and at its heart was bittersweet.
I really loved living in Mountain Village. It was a simple life, predictable, I had a good job that I really enjoyed, I loved the families, friends and kids, and it was a beautiful part of the world that had so many of the outdoor activities that I really enjoyed doing. But, there was a thread of restlessness that was calling me to do something I had been wanting to do for a long time. I have always had a passion for writing and creating; books, stories, screenplays, and photography. Life is short and I just felt I didn't want any more time to pass me by without giving it a fair chance. Why Costa Rica, many have asked, you could write from anywhere? Good point. But as events and life played itself out, Costa Rica became my first choice.
The story behind the story is that in January of 2021 I met someone online from Costa Rica. Things progressed well. Well enough that I rented an Airbnb five minutes from her house in Santa Ana, Costa Rica, a suburb of their largest city, San Jose. About a month prior to my leaving, I never heard from her again and I had some new decisions to make. And I'm sure there is a screenplay in there somewhere, lol. I already had the Airbnb rented and wasn't going to waste that investment, and I thought it would be a great opportunity to get away and do some writing. So I said, screw that mess, I'm going to go and have a good time. So I planned some travel throughout the country and was going to make a summer of it. I left on May 18th and returned to Wisconsin to visit with my kids and grandkids on July 17th. Following my visit in Wisconsin, I returned to Alaska and over the course of seven days, packed and sold everything I owned, down to, two large suitcases. It was quite a freeing process getting rid of so many things that I thought I needed, but didn't really need.
I arrived back in Mountain Village knowing that I was against the clock, and needing to be out of my apartment immediately with a new teacher coming in. I have to say that despite the time crunch, I could not have asked for a better close or a better week of time than I was given in those seven days. The outpouring of kindness, love and support of the village was more than I could have ever asked for. Fortunately I thought ahead and began listing my things for sale while I as still in Wisconsin, before coming back to Mountain. The saying is funny, but couldn't be more true, "one man's junk is another man's treasure". Believe it or not, I sold everything I owned from a four-wheeler, to pots and pans, and even a toilet paper, holder-stand, to which I threw in three, soft, supple rolls of toilet paper. I had some wonderful goodbyes and conversations and the kindness of everyone was beyond words. I get choked up just reflecting on those relationships and friendships that I was truly fortunate to be a part of. I tried to stop and visit with as many people as I could, but needing to sell, pack up and clean took much of my time.
I will miss Mountain very much. I had a wonderful two years there and I can honestly say they were two of the best years of my life and two of the best years of teaching I have ever had. I will forever be grateful to the families for their kindness and welcoming me into their homes and doing so many nice things for me in the two years that I was there. I also made some wonderful friendships, I had some great experiences in the outdoors and it was definitely a place I felt good calling home. Ironically, I spent several months planning to build a fish camp down the Yukon River on a quiet slough called Patsy's. I designed, planned and budgeted with every intention of making that my summer home for years to come. A humble canvas tent, built on a platform, right next to the slough with one of the most beautiful views in the world. It wasn't to be.
If I had a regret about Costa Rica, it would be that I didn't write about the adventure and time there. There were so many interesting things and people I did and met along the way. I saved two lives, found mysterious oranges with hidden notes in the ocean, had a long car ride with a drug, dealing taxi driver who is now my protector and friend for life, had great talks with multiple people from around the world and so much more. But...I have spent way too much of my life worrying about what other people think and I let that influence me again. I was worried what my friends and families in Mountain would think if I was taking a trip to an exotic country for two months. It was because of that I decided not to write about my time here so I wasn't giving the appearance of flaunting my money or have anyone see me in a light that I humbly didn't want to project. I just felt some humility went a long way and it was better just to enjoy the experience and keep it to myself. The regret lies in the simple fact that I wish I had shared what was a wonderful and amazing two months that people might have enjoyed hearing and learning about. The upside is that I did journal the entire trip and those experiences can still be written about. But...they will have to wait for another day. Life has a funny way of calling us in different directions and I think I was born with a nomadic gene in my blood. It would be a different fork in the road that would lead me elsewhere.
So I decided that elsewhere would be to return to Costa Rica, which I am now calling home. I will be working hard to make La Fortuna, Costa Rica my new home and place of inspirational writing. It will be a fun ride and adventure, and I am excited to share it with you.
That's all for now. Until next time...stay tuned!
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