Day 5

There is a certain type of personal satisfaction to be gained when you find yourself in Central America, discussing American culture with a very sophisticated and well-traveled Italian man, and being informed that "your English is very good for an American."

One of the most appreciated activities at Vista del Valle is horseback riding. The tour goes up to the highest point in Rosario, through a coffee plantation of vast proportions. The views from along the tour are exceptional.

Day 4 - CARNIVAL!

There is a fourteen day celebration in Palmares known as the celebration of Carnival. The inspiration for this celebration is Carnival in Brazil, and the celebration in Palmares is one of the best and largest in Costa Rica. People from all over the country come to witness the parade. I don't think it is any secret that the people of Central America know how to party and enjoy themselves. And when beer is plentiful, other things follow.......

But what I enjoy is the vivacity and the excitement. I traveled into Palmares with a family with three children and a mother and daughter traveling together, all of whom I met at Vista del Valle. In keeping with the popular policy of Central America, which is to cram as many people as possible into a single vehicle, we had to persuade our driver to allow all of us to fit in his small SUV. With some effort and ingenuity we managed to fit nine people into a vehicle with five seats, under the condition that some of us would hit the floor if we encountered a policeman. This made for a slightly tense and hilarious ride, with people ducking their heads in panic whenever a policeman was thought to be near.

By all reports the parade was supposed to begin at 6 pm. But after an hour of waiting we decided to abandon our post and go in search of food. Walking along the street, savoring chicken skewers grilled street-side, I was completely immersed in observing the people and the activity. The scene was much like that of a state fair in the US. Vendors along the street selling food, the typical "Pirate Ship" ride and bumper cars. Loud music blaring and announcers shouting into microphones held too close to their mouths, making everything they said incomprehensible. The spirit was infectious.

The parade included floats advertising Coca-Cola ridden by women in short red skirts and knee-high black boots; traditional dancers and drummers in sequined and feathered costumes; fire trucks and sports cars (including a Porsche and a Jaguar); and children in costume with giant paper-mache masks.

Day 3

There is incredible beauty to be witnessed here. The type of beauty that suddenly makes you feel closer to knowing what "living" is supposed to be. This morning I hiked around the property and explored extensively. I found the path to a breathtaking waterfall buried in the valley. Then I circled back and discovered the path to the top of the waterfall.

(Top of the falls looking over the edge)

I've realized what an incredibly disconcerting event it is to suddenly recognize the vastness of your own ignorance. It's like looking in a mirror that suddenly shows you only your imperfections. I found myself at dinner the only woman among several men, all of whom are involved in some grand mission to save the world. All of whom are very well educated and passionate about their work. A minister from South Africa with a church of 3000. A former minister who manages a trust fund that supports ministries in countries around the world. An Italian life coach that is famous for his training of leaders and personnel. Never have I experienced a feeling of being so alone and out of my element. I felt like an uneducated child, without even a firm plan for the future. When asked what I do I produced vague answers such as "I'd like to be a writer," or "I've studied energy medicine and kinesiology." And then I prayed no one would ask me further questions and would just allow me to listen to the conversation and ask questions of my own.

Perhaps that is part of the challenge of a major transition, acknowledging ignorance and allowing oneself to be without a particular identity as defined by social standards. By learning to have grace for yourself in that situation, you can persist in discovering what type of identity you would like to create for yourself.

Day 2

One of the head cooks in the restaurant of Vista del Valle approached me today and invited me to join her in the kitchen. I immediately accepted and ended up spending the entire afternoon chopping onions and peppers and chicken and talking and laughing with all the women working. Something I admire about the people of Central America is their ability to have a good time, no matter what they happen to be doing. It was also an excellent opportunity to practice my Spanish and I discovered with delight that I can understand a great deal of what was being said. In fact it became a joke in the kitchen that "Raquel puede entender mucho espanol, cuidado." And the chef (the only man in the kitchen) began joking that even the American in his kitchen is a woman and pretended to be disgruntled by his lack of male allies.

I spent the evening at a barbeque with a group of men from around the world who are involved in environmental conservation. It was fascinating to learn about the background of each person. One gentleman was from northern California and has begun purchasing property to reforest with redwood trees. Another from California owns several vineyards and is interested in beginning sustainable tourism projects. And yet another is a native Costa Rican, who graduated from Harvard and returned to Costa Rica as the head of distribution for Coca-Cola. After retiring from this position he began leading tours through Costa Rica and is growing and distributing a type of bamboo that once treated can be used as a building material because it has strength equivalent to steel.

Day 1

Today was the first day of my new life. I arrived in Costa Rica yesterday afternoon, and have now settled in El Rosario at Vista del Valle Resort to learn what is involved in the creation of a grand dream. Since the owners of Vista del Valle are part of the small group of people I know who dream on a scale almost beyond what I can comprehend, it seemed like the perfect place to begin.
The first lesson I've learned is about courage. Mike and Johanna created Vista del Valle from nothing. Moved to Costa Rica from the United States, purchased the land and hired local workers to build. They began with a single building that became their home and the reception area for the hotel.....eventually expanding to include several cottages, a swimming pool and a restaraunt all overlooking a valley that takes your breath away. This grew into the thriving business it is today; run by a staff that continuously impress with their friendliness, warm welcome and impeccable service. But that has only been the beginning. They have begun work to create a medical clinic, a school and a volunteer center. Because of their passion to protect Costa Rica's natural resources they now have a network with people around the world who are involved in creating sustainable communities that replenish the environment.
The extent of their dream is remarkable and inspiring, but what I find even more remarkable is how they accomplish all this with an attitude of faith and peace. Mike and Johanna seem to approach every new situation with the belief that they can create and that it will be simple if you make it so. It may take time, but eventually it will come to pass. It is a courage that comes from a deeper belief in compassion, in beauty and the goodness of the earth and everything on it. But it also comes from opening and accepting their own power. The power of the universe acting through them.
I learned of another type of courage today from an ordinary man who grows lettuce. This was the type of courage that stems from recognizing your own personal value. Using a method that involves growing the plants in raised beds lined with plastic and filled with small pebbles of volcanic rock that he waters daily, he produces heads of lettuce that are so pristine and beautiful that I gazed at them in awe. He has filled the entire front and back lawn of his small home with these beds, and recently expanded to include cleared areas on the other side of the road. It was delightful to witness his pride in showing us what he produces, making an income far above that of his neighbors. And he does this simply because he knows he can, and because he believes enough in himself to know that he can create a good life for himself and his family.

Dreaming

In the last year I have met many amazing people. People who believe in living with a purpose, in living a life of larger scope than the standard college-job-retirement plan that so many Americans have swallowed without question. It is encouraging to me to have friends and family that support me and cheer me on to expanding my horizons, to satisfying a thirst for adventure. At the same time, these people remind me that there is adventure all around me, that there is just as much excitement to be found in building a meaningful relationship as there is in a trip around the world.
But the most wonderful gift the people in my life have given to me is a belief that I am capable of living my wildest dreams. That there is no reason for me to pursue something just because it is easy or safe if it doesn't make me happy.....but that I am worthy of living those big dreams. Many people I have met speak of what they really want as though it "may happen, someday." But what I think most of them believe is that they are not worthy of living out that beautiful, perfect life they imagine. And it is easy to settle into a lifestyle of work that brings no fulfillment because then dissatisfaction can be blamed on circumstances. How many people do you meet in a day who want to complain about their job, and at the same time tell you how impossible it is for them to make any change?
When we chase dreams that are truly our own, there is no one to blame for the results but ourselves. And in a society of people who find security and acceptance in being a victim of circumstances, that can be a frightening and lonely position. The purpose of this blog is for me to record my experiments with building a life entirely of my own dreams. Entirely of my own creation. I have already experimented with a lifestyle of duty and security. And in the midst of that experiment, I always felt as though an integral part of me was being suppressed. Passion. Excitement. I suppose at the bottom of my heart I truly believe that I deserve to wake up every day and feel a surge of excitement over what the day holds for me. To feel as though there is nothing else on earth as exciting as living my life.