Monkeys and Coconut Paradise-ish

Pura vida, mae! Okay, first a photo of tropical paradise. Next, I'll give you the real story. Hint: not so glamourous.In typical Aries fashion, I changed my travel plans last minute. Let's keep in mind I only had 30 days to plan a move out of the country. I landed in a beach town I saw on Instagram, well known for surfing.

Let me tell you, real life looks nothing like Instagram.I hitched a ride with a Northern Californian and it took us 8 hours, two taxis down winding, half paved mountain roads, getting stuck in a port, a ferry blasting reggaeton, all my money, and a whole lot of "fuck its" to get to our destination.I had wilder visions of where my American budget would get me in Central America. The plan was to book a digital nomad casita to myself (obviously with a pool and yoga cabana) where I could build my dreams in solitude from my laptop. I ended up in a concrete room with no windows or AC, and I've never been dirtier or sweatier in my life.No frills, Costa Rican experience! I'm 50 meters from the beach, and everything is rustic as hell. Travel mode is by ATV, dirt bike, and I already have raw feet from trekking for miles to find a decent grocery store.My first and only friend has been a Chilean gypsy that lives in a tent outside our hostel. He only speaks Spanish and it turns out, I do too! We picked mangos from trees and I saw my first monkey!Truth though, I cried my eyes out this morning. I came here as a blank slate. And that's fucking scary. I'm not a yogi or a friend or professional or a social media figure here. I'm raw, naked and starting totally fresh.I have no idea where the rest of the year will take me. I have no idea where this month will lead me. But I'm fucking doing it, and I'm all in, ready or not. Trusting the process. Letting go of the wheel and letting the divine take the lead."If you fully invoke God's highest will for you, you'll never fear the movement of the stars again." – Outrageous Openness, Tosha Silver