Pura Vida

When Plans Fail, Life Begins

Claire had spent three weeks in Costa Rica, and like most people who go there expecting a vacation, she left…

9 hours ago

The Art of Not Feeding the Outrage

Negativity has become something of a national sport online. Actually, make that an international one. Scroll through social media for…

3 weeks ago

Is Costa Rica Safe?

Knowing that I live in this beautiful country, I have had a few people ask me online lately, “Is Costa…

1 month ago

Lessons From a Sunday Sloth

The rainforest trail near Manuel Antonio was already alive before the first tourists even tied their shoelaces. Birds chirped like…

1 month ago

Full Circle: Coming Home

In the spring of 1992, I did what a lot of young men do when the ground under their feet…

2 months ago

WiFi Off, Presence On

We used to arrive places with our whole body. Now we arrive physically, while the rest of us is still…

2 months ago

Permission to Slow Down

We were raised on urgency. Not the healthy kind, like running toward something meaningful, but the twitchy, stress-fuelled kind that…

2 months ago

Tropical Heat and Poor Judgement

Suspicion does not age well in the tropics. It ferments. Add heat, humidity, and too much time on your hands,…

3 months ago

Caffeinated and Barely Civil

Coffee is the only addiction where, instead of an intervention, people buy you mugs with slogans. “But first, coffee.” “Coffee…

3 months ago

Beyond the Postcards: Learning Costa Rica

Here’s the thing about Costa Rica. Most people think they understand it after a beach chair, a zip line, and…

3 months ago