6 weeks in, and life is good

2/16/25

 Life is good-

The past two weeks I keep having these moments thinking is this is really my life right now- I am so grateful.  I feel the happiest I have in my adult life.  I think my whole nervous system has done a reset.  My adult life was spent studying in medical school, going through residency, infertility, parenthood and working my hardest in my career track. I never really stopped, and I feel as though i'm repleting all of what was depleted.  

The past two saturdays we spent at the beach about 1.5 hours from our home in south Jaco- Jaco is known for its night life and so i was never really that interested in checking it out, but a neighbor said they were going and we hopped along- it is one of the most beautiful beaches, the water is super calm, warm, black sand that your toes melt into and it is a perfect beach for beginner surfers- so both of the kids really got into the surf lessons! 

Jaco also has some decent restaurants, and a big super market that we stopped in.  Food has been challenging here- CR is not known as a culinary haven but I never before appreciated having things like real Vanilla to bake with- and how they have now become a real luxury that is impossible to find.  We eat more rice and beans than i ever thought we would, and the kids seem to live off of vegetables and grass fed meat burgers.  We definitely eat less processed foods, and our snacks are mostly nuts and dried fruit, and PBJ rice cakes :) Sometimes I really miss good food, and feel like I have really come to appreciate access to it. Our neighbor taught herself how to make sourdough bread, and even sells sourdough bagels that she delivers on sunday mornings.  So this week we tried it, and we gobbled up the whole half dozen in one sitting with our grass fed butter that was delivered friday. 

On valentines day Jacob and I went on our first date since leaving NY and hired a babsitter from our neighboring ecovillage who came recommended.  We went out to a salsa night, put on by the neighbors in Allegria- at 645pm with flashlights in tow- we walked from our community through a barbed wire fence with our eyes peeled for snakes and up a steep rocky road where we then went through a backyard and up some stairs until we reached the Allegria Yoga Shala.  For two hours we danced salsa, bachata, and met so many more neighbors.  The Yoga Shala overlooks the mountains and the stars were all shining down- it was truly magical.  The last time I danced salsa must have been a decade ago!  

I have been thinking a lot about community, and how here people all offer what they can to the community- whether that be teaching salsa, selling bagels, providing acupuncture, or offering exercise classes- it all is done from the heart and without the need to make a profit- which just feels so different.

 The kids actually started two more activities run by the community this week- Adira is taking swim classes (although her swimming is progressing so well we thought her form could use some help) and shiloh started a Silks class where he hangs upside down :) And I started a spanish class at my neighbors house! On saturday the kids also woke up at 6am to run down to the community garden and help hand out baskets of organic vegetables that each of the neighbors gets once a week.

                                                Swimming Lessons at Allegria

Today we took the kids on a river hike- its pretty epic to have this magical river just a walk from our home, and have no one else ever in it!  I'm not sure if we will ever be able to beat this combo of community and nature...

La Ecovilla -Weeks two and 3

 La Ecovilla Week 2

This weekend was our 3rd weekend here and we are starting to come into a rhythm- though Jacob reminds me that we should continue to expect our kids to act as their "September selves"- meaning a bit out of sorts, and I guess we should give ourselves grace to do the same.  I've been reflecting a lot on the months leading up to this trip- i read all of these travel memoirs about families doing a gap year, and they all seemed so different than what we were doing, i found myself questioning every decision.  But ultimately- just like our real estate broker said after we finally rented out our house "this all seemed to work out better than we hoped at the last possible minute- maybe your trip will be the same".  And it is- better than I hoped at the last possible minute :) This place is so awestrikingly beautiful, every day i'm reminded by nature that i am but a small being in this big beautiful world.  The people here are so friendly and kind- no one gives attitude and everyone says hello- so different than NYC!  

This past week was a week of firsts for Shiloh...he took his first bongo drums class- after years of me trying to convince him guitar was a more practical instrument and trying out eukelele lessons-- he has now prevailed :) He had his first sleepover with a friend- which started out great- we texted the parents that we got them to bed at 730 and it felt like a real parenting win! But at midnight our pats on the back turned into realization that actually Shiloh went to bed early because he was brewing something- as he woke up drenched in a sweaty night fever :( 

Over the weekend I started noticing some small changes in the kids that felt more mindful to me- maybe its the lack of screen time? maybe it is just being in a slower paced environment- but shiloh came up with a game at home of walking through the house skipping lines on the foor, and on our walk to the river asked everyone to stop and say what the log we were passing looked like to us! My smile couldn't have been bigger- something was trickling down.  

We hosted a few neighbors for impromptu dinners- a uruguayan couple with a 2 year old daughter, and a french canadian young lady- drank coconut milk made from a coconut we bought in the store- finally explored the river near our house- and went to the most magical concert venue I've ever been to- through the woods lit by fires, over a bamboo bridge and opening up into an ampitheatre venue overlooking the mountains where Cyrille Aimee- a grammy nominee who lives here- performed with her band.  And the same food was for sale as is available at the farmers market each week- grass fed burgers, gluten free pizza, and vegan wraps.

The small community in the area we live is filled with talent- this week Adira's tooth hurt so i called the dentist who lives down the street, and shiloh had a bad stomach ache so i called around to see who could see us- the medical doctor down the street, the herbalist in the community over from us, and the osteopath down our block! 

And I was yet again reminded that paradise doesn't come without woes- when i was woken up by a gecko at 5am squacking above my bed. 

Week 3

Today was our 4th saturday here- we still haven't traveled much, which is not what i anticipated! I thought we would be bored, want to go explore and need to leave- but quite the contrary- there are things to do every day, and we find ourselves enjoying any down time we have to swim in the pool, play bored games at home or snuggle up and read books. I know this is not a real representation of life as I'm working part time and jacob is not currently working, but this community is filled with people who are working very flexibly, so it feels normal and constantly pushes me to think about how we work in NY and how we might work differently in the future.

Today the kids joined a local soccer team to practice- and they seemed to integrate right in, and because there are so many expats around, even though not many played on the team, we didn't feel like outsiders.  But Ticos (as costa ricans are called) are so kind and friendly, we haven't gone anywhere where we felt like outsiders.  We went on a hike to a waterfall this week and the path was closed, forcing us to hike into steep terrain, and every Tico we passed along the way offered to help give adira a hand as we navigated. 

Every morning either Jacob or I go to the 745am work out class while the other one takes the kids to school- most are HIIT or crossfit style, but friday they had a dance class- which was so incredibly moving and freeing i found myself tearing up as I participated.  Everyone moved without a care, truly letting go.

J and I also went on two river dates this week, floating in the freezing water next to a waterfall is defintely a great way to get us to stop talking logistics and future planning  (as we normally might on our dates) and just be together. 

Before we came we each made a list of goals.  Both of us wanted to improve our Spanish- so i signed up for a class that i'll begin next week with some neighbors- but Jacob's Spanish is too good- so he did some research and this week was his first day as a volunteer at the local old age home- where he practices his spanish while keeping some folks company! 

Another goal I set out to accomplish was to take another meditation course. The last time I took one was when we were going through infertility and it did wonders for my anxiety- its been years and i'm out of practice and really wanted to get back into it- so I finally signed up this week :) I happen to start the day before I went to a neighbors house where adira was having a playdate and found out they are serious meditators and host international meditators at their home to teach people all of the time!! So i'll also join them in their weekly in person meditation!

Other weekend highlights included a new market in the neighboring ecovillage Alegria- with incredible views from the swimming pool, and wading in a different local river where families gathered and kids floated down the shallow waters surrounded by music and barbeques.  (we enjoyed this much more before we learned there was a crocodile spotted not so far away....)