Stateside

News

2008-05-29T13:53:00.001-07:00

I don't know how many people still log onto this antiquated blog...However if there are still curious eyes out there here is an update.

In February of this year the restaurant in Durango that I worked at burned to the ground. It was quite the shock. One minute you are serving kabobs and the next you are on the sidewalk wondering when they are going to get rid of the smoke so you can finish your shift. Then your patience turns to worry as the smoke becomes an inferno and then you realize...you are out of a job! They are rebuilding it but it will still be quite some time before it reopens.

Fortunately some leads I been following turned into an editing position soon after the fire. I now work for an Environmental Consultant firm and I'm learning a ton every day.

I have now made Durango my home...I miss Portland but have come to love the mountain air and sunshine. I'm planning a trip to POrtland next month so it will be nice to catch up with family and old friends. Cheers!

Horseback Ride to Missionary Ridge

2007-11-27T10:55:00.000-08:00

I have been more than lax in my blogging since March (thanks for reminding me Dad). I have done some really cool things and haven't shared them so now I will try to catch up a little. On Labor Day weekend Sept. 1st Ben and I went on a two day overnight horseback trip with Ben's long time friend Robert. Robert has been friends with Ben's Dad since they were teenagers and was there when Ben was born so we were in good hands. Robert is a professional bass fisherman as well as an avid bow and arrow hunter so he was looking for elk.

Five years ago this Ridge had a devastating fire and of course much of the burned terrain still shows evidence of the fire. You can see the defoliated trees that survived in the background.

To get to the saddle up point we drive about 15 minutes north of our house to missionary ridge road. Then we drive about thirty minutes up the road to the trailhead. After our horses were saddled we headed up the trail.

Here is the interesting thing about the horses Ben and I were on. They were older than we are! My horse was thirty five years old. That means he was giving trail rides a good five years before I was born. He refused to take the bit and Robert said, oh well good old smoky doesn't really need the bit, he'll just follow the others anyway. So I carried a rope to stear him and it was true, he just followed the others. This is Smoky, I think his grey and his wrinkles make him look distinguished:

Ben's horse, Chico, is 33 and is Smoky's little brother. Smoky and Chico like to stick close to each other.

We took our time getting to camp, Robert was looking for Elk and stopping now and then to call for them on his bugle. We didn't see any however. Just some tracks. The trailride was beautiful.

After about five hours of riding and stopping we got to the top of the ridge and made camp near a watering hole.

Come to find out, horses sleep standing up all night. It was early to bed and early to rise and the next morning we rode out almost the same way we came in. Ben's horse stumbled at one point, he wasn't very sure footed, and Ben took a tumble but was all right, just a little bruised. It was a great way to see the ridge and enjoy the ride. Thanks Robert!

Little House on the Mountain

2007-03-29T15:20:00.000-07:00

Finally I have taken some postable pics of the new casa. This is the view of the little neighborhood from the road. Our house is the green roof at about one o'clock. Ben's dad's house sits on the hill above center.

The snow has just melted so we haven't landscaped yet.

It is a large greatroom, this is the view just coming in from the garage. The front door is out of frame to the right.

That's my little desk in the corner, and the door leading to the garage.

Master Bed with attached bath off to the left. The other bedroom is empty right now but will be ready for visitors!

Guest Bath

We have yet to hang the microwave but eventually it will be above the stove. The kitchen window faces south so there is always alot of light there.

So that's the casa, it is very homey and the hydronic in-floor heating is very nice, the tile is always warm. Hope you liked the tour!

Mal Pais One Year Later

2007-03-08T15:34:00.000-08:00

We were very happy to arrive back in the tropical climate we love so much and we quickly re-acclimated to the paradisaic lifestyle. Many of our friends who are permanent residents were around to welcome us as well as some of Ben's family already staying at the house. Ben has been living there off and on for more than ten years so he really considers the town his second home. Although there are lots of things one could do on the peninsula, each day pretty much resembles the next once we settle in for our stay.

A typical day starts out with a light breakfast and some coffee. Then its off to the beach to read or float on the inflatables or take a long walk. As the house sits just off the beach there is a shady garden area to recreate in between the heat of the beach and the house. Here we may play croquette or mini-golf in the afternoons.

Of course the afternoon is not complete without a little hammock time. Here is Kate, Ben's mom, and his niece in one of the hammocks over the porch.

Around four we have a cocktail hour, often sitting on the beach watching Eliza (Ben's 2.5 year old neice) trap and free the hermitcrabs with her trusty sand shovel.

"Hey Eliza, look at me!"

The sun sets around 5:45 everyday. It is the gathering and socializing hour.

After sunset its dinner time. We cook often in the outdoor kitchen. This pic not taken after sunset obviously.

So that is the typical day. In the evening we would often visit friends or go to a party. Next post I will include more family and friend pics as well as photos from our trip to the Osa Peninsula. Ciao!

Rocky Mountain Winter

2006-12-12T11:41:00.000-08:00

The slopes in this area have had a late start to the season. However after two storms in the last couple weeks the snow at Wolf Creek resort was spectacular.

On our way back from the slopes the snow dusted valley was breathtaking.

The house is almost done and we are heading back east on Monday. Cheers!

Small Town Life

2006-11-16T13:01:00.000-08:00

Durango is a town of about 15,000 people, more if you count the outskirts. I am really enjoying the differences of small town life versus the big modern city I'm from. The parking meters only take coins, and a quarter gets you an entire half hour on main street and 45 minutes on the parallel streets. I work in a restaurant and most of the people that come in are regulars and they all know each other. Not only that when you are new they immediately know that and ask you your life story. I went to the used book store. The lady said "I haven't seen you before, are you a student?" This is a common question as Durango is home to Fort Lewis College. "No," I always answer, "I moved here from Portland." That is never enough though, people want to know why I moved here. So I have started to head them off at the pass. "No, not a student," I answer the book store lady, "I moved here for love." Her face lights up like the trees on mainstreet the day after thanksgiving. "Really!" she exclaims, "That's why I moved here..." And she launches into the story of how she and her husband were having marital problems early in their marriage, they lived in some big city, "and then we decided to move here, this town is a wonderful place for a romance, after we moved here we had our two girls and now we've been married for 17 years!"

She gave me the locals discount and with a big smile wished me good luck, if I was dating a 'Durango Boy' I was already a lucky girl she said. The folks around these parts are very proud of their town and feel they were somehow 'chosen' to inhabit this much elevated state. Many are from surrounding areas but they come here and make it there own. I like how many people go into business for themselves and then pass on that business to their children. If you want to make a good living you have to start a business because high salaried jobs are scarce. There aren't large firms here but that doesn't mean there aren't opportunities. I have decided to start a free lance editing business. Apparently there are only a few editors in town and they are very busy. My first project is Kayak Reef by Brad Stewart (Ben's Uncle) It is a story of prowling on the arctic (the practice of sabotaging poaching boats.) It is fanciful and geared for the 8-12 year old set. Due to be published by a subsidiary of Random House. Brad calls himself a plumber that ran into a book. Before he wrote this book he didn't know there were three ways to spell there, their and they're.

Yes its fun to live in a small town. On Sunday we threw the football back and forth across main street. They love their football here and all the passers by got involved..."Go Long!"

There isn't much crime here, unless unruly teenagers decide to go on a drunken spree through town. The newspaper the Durango Herald prints all the calls to the police the morning after:

Animal Control
11:15 a.m. A gray Suburban had two dogs inside with the windows rolled up in the Centennial Center in the 300 block of South Camino Del Rio.
1:43 p.m. A llama was stuck in the fence in the 31500 block of US Highway 550, near Hermosa.
4:38 p.m. A brown pit bull was running loose in the 3700 block of West Second Avenue.
6:44 p.m. A woman wanted to talk to an Animal Control officer about cats in the 1000 block of Airport Road that possibly had rabies. They were biting people.

Durango Police Blotter
8:24 a.m. Four or five signs were blocking the sidewalk near the Volunteers of Foreign Wars Post No. 4031 in the 1400 block of Main Avenue.
9:44 a.m. Someone found a cell phone in a backyard in the 600 block of East Third Avenue. It was possibly left by a prowler a few nights earlier.
10:12 a.m. Someone spotted a Hilltop escapee Tuesday evening near the Durango Community Recreation Center. (I have no idea what Hilltop is, the insane asylum maybe?)
12:12 p.m. A student was causing a disturbance with teachers and other students at Needham Elementary School.
2:36 p.m. A man wanted to talk to an officer about a cut on his hand in the 900 block of Camino Del Rio.
6:04 p.m. A drunken man was arguing with a trolley driver in the 100 block of East College Drive.

As you can see it is a relatively safe place to walk the streets at night ;)
Cheers from the rocky mountains!

Fall Colors

2006-10-12T13:46:00.000-07:00

To get the most of the changing Aspens in SW Colorado it is best to take a drive. So one Sunday morning Ben and I took off in his Dad's Audi for a long drive. Our route was from Durango through Telluride and stop for a night in Ouray. Here are some of the pics from our trip. Please excuse the ones obviously taken from a moving vehicle.

And majestic mountain backgrounds...

Outside Telluride...

The Town of Ouray from above...

Now we are both busy working for the next several weeks. And the leaves are pretty much gone. Next I will post more on the house.

Mountain Life

2006-10-10T11:12:00.000-07:00

I have been in Durango for about three weeks now. The drive was fairly uneventful. I left Portland at about three in the afternoon and drove for 12 hours. At that point I was somewhere in northern Utah at 3 in the morning and needed to rest my eyes. So I slept for about 30 minutes at a rest stop. Then I continued on and rolled into Durango at about 10 am. It was a beautiful drive when the sun came up winding through the red cliffs north of Moab. The whole way I was listening to books on CD which is a great way to stay awake. The first was "The Last Days of Dogtown" by Anita Diamant. It was pretty good for nine hours. And then I also had some murder mystery.

I arrived on a Sunday and took a long nap while Ben watched the Broncos game. The next day we went to Pagosa Springs, a small town near Durango where there are...You guessed it, Hot Springs.

Needless to say the great artistic shots I took with my designer Kodak disposable were damaged in the processing, however since they are all I have I'm going to put them up anyway. If a picture is worth 1000 words these are worth at least 250.

It is a very idyllic setting, river running past, big mountains around, rotten egg smell from all the sulfur. To get rid of the rotten egg smell it is necessary to drink dark rum, vodka doesn't quite do the trick, FYI.

Also FYI, if you are ever in sulfur hot springs remove all silver jewelry, it will tarnish.

So that was a very nice little rest after my long drive. We came back to Durango and I commenced to job search at local restaurants. This consisted of walking through town till I found the one I liked and turning in an application. I also turned in an additional application at another restaurant that I didn't want just for good measure. Fortunately Seasons of Durango called me in for an interview (actually I just showed up and demanded to see the boss) and after checking my references I was hired, thanks Farhad.

This is the restaurant:

It is very small, 18 tables and privately owned which is a nice change after corporate America. They make a shift meal every shift, the food is really world class and you can have a drink when you get off if you want. The chefs are very good at what they do and I am learning a lot about food. What's the difference between a demi-glaze and reduction??? What does confit mean in Duck confit??? What is Grano Padano cheese or Manchego Cheese??? These are the questions of my working life now.

At first I thought the owner and GM, Karen, was a major bitch. She is a small red-headed woman. I thought she was picking on me a little. Why would she do that when I am such a nice person? ;) Then I realized she just has her pet peeves, once I learned what they were (You do not serve straws in iced tea, you do not throw away bread butts..Those can be turned into croutons you know)it was much better and I also realized she is like that with everyone not just me. Also I have to respect the fact that she works very hard, she is there all the time and she does run a very good business. She smoozes with all the Durango locals that come in all the time even though sometimes I can tell she is thinking, "what the hell do you want you rich ass hole? No I am not going to import that ridiculous sour cabernet from Australia."

Anyway, I'm cool there for now, making decent money and I have the schedule I want.

Other than that we are building a house. I handle all the money. Here is where it will be, I will be taking better photos of course as it goes along.

The weather has been spectacular until a couple days ago. I have been driving around town exploring in Ben's little barbie Suzuki, we call it the Zuk. If you saw my Azul in Costa Rica you will understand how much I enjoy this.

Stay tuned...Last weekend we went on a color tour. This term refers to all of the Aspen trees that grow freely in these mountains and change color in the fall. I have much better pictures for the next post. Cheers!

Decided to Drive

2006-08-28T01:26:00.000-07:00

I have decided to drive to Colorado as opposed to flying. This is motivated by a few different reasons. I want to have my car while there, I'm probably not coming back in December but will stay the whole winter, and I really want to snowboard as much as possible with the season just kicking off in December. Here is downtown Durango in the Spring.

Link to more lovely Durango pics if you are interested.

http://www.godurango.com/multimedia/photogallery.asp#downtown

My elderly grandma is having some health problems so I might be taking a trip to the OC if she doesn't get better soon. She is 85 so it is not unexpected but I'd like to see her and support my mom who just flew there tonight. I'll know more by tomorrow.

Just in case any of my friends/family are curious, roundtrip flights from Portland to Durango are around $420. It is very expensive but this is mostly due to the fact that the airport is small and not international. The nearest international airport is Albuquerque which is still 3.5 hours away by car. However the prospect of a remote mountain experience is exciting to me so I don't think I will miss the city too much. And digging my car out of the snow semi-frequently will be exciting for a while. Now I just need a job when I get there...

State Hopper

2006-08-20T13:44:00.000-07:00

I have decided to go and spend a couple months in Durango, CO. I have never been there before but it is recommended highly by my boyfriend who lives there. Of course it will be much easier to continue dating if we don't live five states apart. This move also feeds my ravenous appetite for all places new. In case you don't know where it is...

Durango is nestled into the Rocky Mountains and the town itself sits at 6500 feet with higher peaks all around. The nearest ski slopes are at Purgatory resort; 20 minutes away. Durango is also a big rafting town with several nearby rivers. With over 300 days of sun a year it will be a nice place to spend the fall. I have heard that Autumn in Durango is famously beautiful, particularly because of the Aspen trees and their changing colors...

I'm looking forward to experiencing the Rocky Mountains in all their grandeur. Now, how am I going to get there?...

Great People

2006-06-09T17:23:00.000-07:00

Here are some of the fantastic travelers I met in Costa Rica. Tessa on the right is one of the funniest people in the entire world. I met her and Krista (left) in the waves on one of my first days in Mal Pais. They are both from Washington State. We were all planning on staying in Mal Pais for a few days, Krista stayed two weeks, Tessa stayed three months and I stayed four months. Mal Pais is the kind of place where no one wants to leave. The guy in the middle is one of their friends, Paul. He drove down from Cali with his dog, a black lab named Chopper. Chopper had his own passport and it was stamped at every border on the way down.

Here's Chopper, Paul would even take him out to the bars.

This is Brett on the left from Jersey and Ben from Colorado. Taken at Tabu, the beach bar where I occasionally worked as bartender or DJ.

Some of the people staying at Tranquilo, the hostel in Mal Pais where I stayed for about two weeks. From left to right the nationalities represented are USA (me) Germany, UK, Canada, France, USA, Israel and the kneeling girl is from Holland.

In Mal Pais you have the tourists (those that stay for about two weeks or less) then you have the long term tourists (like me, those that stay for a few months) then you have the foreign residents (like Ben and Brett, they have jobs or own property and stay indefinatley or come back every year) then you have the actual locals, the Ticos. In this picture there is a mix. The two girls to the left of me are Yeleelay and Hazel, the Ticas I became closest to in my time there. They are both adorable and helped me speak spanish much better, mostly because they wouldn't let me speak English to them although they understand english just fine.

The people who make great travelers are those that can adapt, be uncomfortable, enjoy the simple things and have a great desire to see other modes of life. I have been fortunate enough to meet many on my travels and I look forward to meeting more the next time I venture to another country.

Great Memories...The time really flew by

2006-06-09T16:13:00.000-07:00

I have been back for almost two weeks. I have loved seeing friends and family again and getting back to work but I don't really feel that I'm here yet. My mind is still back in Costa half the time. Here are some more pics...

Above: This is my favorite sunset picture, Ben took it so I can't take credit for being a great photographer. It is taken from the soccer field next to his house.

Second: The fishing boat "Rosita" I caught a mahi-mahi and a yellowfin Ahi, so much fun.

This is my car "Azul" on safari. There is this really gnarly road called the road to Cabuya. It's four wheel drive only, it was one of my favorite roads, beautiful rainforest scenery and fun four-bying.

This is the hostel "Tranquilo Backpackers." I found my way here the first day in Mal Pais and it became my home for two weeks before I moved into Ocean Travelers. I met some great people that I'm still in contact with.

Going Home...

2006-05-27T08:05:00.000-07:00

I am sitting at the San Jose, Costa Rica Airport (fortunatley they have free wi-fi here because my flight was put back three hours without notification). My flight home is now an hour away. I'm looking forward to seeing my family and friends and I'm actually also looking forward to working.

There are many things I will miss, some are: sunsets every night, speaking spanish every day, living within a four kilometer radius for most of the time where there isn't any traffic and only one long road, my friends here most notably Ben, Jeleelay, Brett, Alberto, Hazel, Shawna and Jason and their brilliant daughter Chandra, the dog Skippy, Tomas, Aja and Tess. I will also miss falling asleep and waking up to loud crashing waves, sand on my feet, the salt water air, rice and beans, mojitos, not having a cell phone, using colones (the currency here) being unreachable most of the time and swapping travel stories with people from all over. And much more.

I will have more time to reflect about what this experience has done for me in the coming weeks as well as how I might have changed. I can certainly attest to the fact that I would do it all again in a heartbeat and wouldn't change it in the least. Everything I might have hoped to experience I have. Thanks for all the support, I have a chance to upload some pics finally...I'll put more up with stories soon.

Mantarays and Dorados

2006-04-28T15:21:00.000-07:00

I went fishing yesterday! I have been wanting to go for quite some time and finally the opportunity arrose. Some tourists invited us to go on their charter boat. We headed out of the harbor and out to the huge white rock which makes up a little island. All around this rock there is tons of sealife. Mantarays with a 15 to 20 foot span from tip to tip were swimming around and under our boat. One of the guys on the boat had a fancy underwater camera so a couple of the guys got in and swam with them. Then there was a huge tutle just swimming along.

The first catch of the day was a rainbow trout. Then I got the pole and within five minutes I caught a dorado (mahi mahi). It was pretty big, about two and a half feet long. This was the catch of the day so I won the ten dollar bet. Everyone else caught mackeral :) Seeing the coast from a boat reminded me how beautiful this country really is. Since I´m on the Nicoya Peninsula it feels like I´m on an island. In fact, since you have to take a ferry to get here many people refer to it as an island. THe palm trees and pristine beaches never get old to look at. THe ocean was pretty calm too. Our captian, Emiliano, has been fishing these waters his whole life. He´s missing a front tooth and has a sunbeaten leathery face but he smiles huge and its contagious.

Back on shore Emiliano fileted our fish for us and we took it to the restaurant nearby (Sunset Reef) and had the kitchen prepare it for us. It was awesome, particularly the mahi mahi of course. There were ten of us at dinner all together, we almost were able to eat it all.

I quit the two jobs I was working. I only have a month left and want to spend more time on my writing. My friend Amber is coming on monday so I´ll be going to San Jose to meet her and then bring her back here. Then I will put my car up for sale and start thinking about my return to Portland.

I can´t imagine how this experience could be improved in any way but it will be interesting to see how this last month is different if at all. It has been raining more, about three hours each day for the last three days. Everything is really green. Salud and Hasta Luego mis amigos.

It Rains!

2006-04-03T20:06:00.000-07:00

We finally had our first rain of the season. It was a hot sunny day like anyother and then these huge clouds rolled in with a crash of thunder and lightning in the middle of the afternoon. It was so beautiful. We walked out onto the beach from the garden and just stood in the lapping surf getting soaked by this torrential warm downpour. It was the kind of rain that soaks you within seconds. Fortunately I already had my bathing suit on! We just let it run down our faces and soak our hair. The ocean was still really green and it just churned.

The bar I work at had to shut down because it's mostly outdoors, and the electrical outlets had some problems. However by the following day it was all up and running again.

After the first rain of the season all the little crabs that have been living in the mountains head to the ocean to mate or lay their eggs, not sure which. Millions of them stream across the roads and across kitchen floors and into bathrooms and bedrooms and over pets and they just get everywhere. Tessa and I were relaxing at home not realizing what was going on and I went into the kitchen and there were about 50 of them scurrying around on the floor. At first we were screetching because the clickety clack of their little claws is kinda gross but after awhile we got used to it. They run away from you anyway so its not so bad. By the next day they were mostly all gone. Have of them flattened on the road seems like. They have purple bodies with little beady black eyes and pink legs. The largest are about three inches wide and long. What a trip!

My roomie has left, Tessa is off to Pavones to visit some friends for a while. I'll miss her but I'm looking forward to more alone time. The town is beginning to empty out. Easter Sunday will be the last hurrah of the season and then this place will be like a ghost town compared to February when I arrived. The quiet is a little eerie but calming.

Take care everyone at home and abroad who is reading this.

Sorry to cause worry...

2006-03-29T15:34:00.000-08:00

The last time I went to post a week or so ago I wrote a nice long missile only to have the computer crash three seconds before I clicked on the post icon. That was very frustrating as I had spent a good twenty minutes writing about my life and my mom´s visit. So here is another try.

My mom and I had a great time. She had a full seven days just in Mal Pais and Montezuma and so she really got to see a peice of my life here. She met my roomates and other friends and we had great food and plenty of tropical cocktails. We also saw the Arenal Volcano, Hot Springs and Monteverde.

My apologies for making everyone worry due to the infrequency of my emails lately. I was on the road with friends. We traveled up to Samara and Nosara and hung out up there for a few days. It was a really fun windy dirt road all the way with several river crossings. Those are really fun but my poor car broke a brake line so I took it to the mecanic in Nosara to get it fixed. He´s this chunky Tico named Budda. He worked on it for an hour and a half and only charged me ten dollars including the part. I felt so bad I bought him a six pack. It was nice to get away for a few days and see some new scenery but I´m glad to be back ¨home.¨

I am now living at a friends place. It is spacious, comfortable and right on the beach. The waves are so loud that you constantly are aware of the roar.

I also got another job. I´m working the day shift at Tabu Bar three days a week. It is also right on the beach and has a great sunset view. It´s pretty slow during the day but I have met some really cool people through there. I still have my surf shop job too. Fortunately I have sundays off. The bar is the Hotspot at night around here so I might work a night here or there but only if they need an extra hand. Hopefully I will make enough this month to make a difference.

Hope everyone is well and thanks for all your emails. Saturday is my half-way day. Half of my trip is past. I have to make arrangement to go to Nicaragua or Panama for my passport stamp. You are only allowed to stay here for three months before you must leave for 72 hours. Ciao!

Waterfalls and Volcanoes...

2006-03-06T15:09:00.000-08:00

Friday I went to Montezuma and hiked up the falls. Very beautiful and good excercise. I had to scout it out before I brought my mom. Saturday I took the bus into San Jose to pick her up at the airport (techinically I was there to meet her and we grabbed a cab to the hotel). We then early the next morning headed to the Volcano Arenal. We took a sketchy hike in but were rewarded with an impressive vista and fiery lava rock tumbling down the hill. Then off to the Baldi hot springs. There we had a cocktail in the water and the swim up bar then dried off and had an awesome sea bass dinner. Today we came to MOnteverde where I am now posting from. We bought some internet time so the bartender would open our wine bottle, my opener was taken at the airport (not my favorite domain drouhin one :). Tomorrow at 6 am we head home to Mal Pais, I cant wait to get back there. This packing up everymorning is so overrated. More soon....

Life is Beautiful

2006-03-02T13:20:00.000-08:00

Mal Pais- Sorry I haven´t blogged in a little while, you can all stop sending me emails pitching me shit :) Life has settled in to something of a routine now. I wake up, make breakfast ( or Tessa makes breakfast), usually scrambled eggs with avocado on them or cereal. I go to the beach or the pool, usually the beach as the water is cooler than the pool, although still really warm. I read a book and work on my tan and then midafternoon I go home and write. Sunset time comes and I have been driving up the hill to Vista de Olas where there is a beautiful infinity pool and panoramic views and Oliver works there and he makes great pina coladas. Usually people come with me because I have a car and so you don´t have to hike up the hill. Azul loves going up that dirt road (actually I just get a kick out of driving it up there as it is so steep and bumpy). Then dinner plans are made, we usually cook but sometimes go out, its pretty cheap, our favorite restaurant is Mary´s where they have this awesome Ahi dish, it´s only $8 which is actually a little expensive for these parts. But it is totally worth it and its huge so you can split. They also have great nachos.

Depending on the night there is always a party going on. Wednesday nights its always at Surf Camp where they have a mechanical bull, they go easy on the girls so I usually don´t get bucked off. I´m actually pretty good on that bull! Which reminds me I haven´t described the rodeo I went to.

The rodeo was one of the highlights of my trip thus far. It was very Costa Rica. There is this large round structure with wood bleachers for spectators who sit about twenty feet off the gound floor of the open air arena, I had a front row seat. The bull comes charging out of the gate with the rider. There are a ton of people standing around inside the arena and after the bull bucks the rider all these people standing aroun the inside of the arena taunt the bull and when the bull starts running around the arena all the people clambor up the side walls of the arena and kick the bull as it charges past below. It is hilarious. And, I have video. And all the people in the arena are drinking while this is going on. Of course it can be a little perilous, one Canadian guy in the arena got a little too close and was kicked in the face by the bull. He had to go to the hospital and get stitches. (There are more Canadians here than American´s) After the bullriding the arena closes and everyone goes out on the road where all these little gambling games are set up. Darts in the balloons, ring around the bottle, a simplified roulette wheel, and many more, carnival style. There´s little rides for all the kids. There´s also an area for merengue dancing and a pavilion for a live band. We had a blast and we all danced all night. On the way home on the bus (I didn´t have my car yet) this crazy drunk gay Tico guy was harrassing some of my guy friends. He was saying all kinds of lewd stuff to them and laughing uproariously, we didn´t know what he was saying (we don´t speak enough spanish to understand) but we were all cracking up anyway. One of my friends has closely shaven hair and the gay Tico guy kept trying to rub his head. It was hilarious. In the states these guys would never have allowed it but here it was just really funny.

I tried to get a ¨I was at the Cobano Rodeo in 2006¨ T-shirt but they were all sold out.

My madre arrives on Saturday. It will be great. We are going to the Volcano Arenal and Monteverde rainforest first, it will be chilly and rainy. Then we´ll come back here where it is 90-100 degrees every day. Mom, can´t wait to see you! In case any of you are trying to come down here My bro and sis decided not to come so I have time open in April for visitors (Beth that means you! :) I hope all of you are well and I love getting your emails so keep sending. I have an interview at a restaurant tonight. I might work a few nights a week, not only will it be extra cash but I won´t be able to spend while I work. Hope you are all well and thanks for all the encouraging emails. Ciao!

Buying a car while wearing a bikini...

2006-02-21T11:30:00.000-08:00

Yes, I am back at the yoga center. It is a really good vibe there and I wont have to clean out Oxygen tubes. No joke, the old lady is really sweet but had the idea that I would be a caretaker, which wasn´t our original deal so I bailed. Took some photos of the yurt, packed up and was back at the yoga center in 15 minutes flat :)

I have a car! Azul is great, everyone wants rides. I met with the lawyer yesterday to sign it into my name. Its the only time I´ve ever bought a car in a bikini and shorts. The odometer doesn´t work, the speedometer doesn´t work, not that you can even go fast on these bumpy dirt roads. The most important thing is the gas gauge does work. And the four wheel drive also works.
My roomie, Tessa is great. Since we are sharing expenses it is costing me less than $5 per day to stay at the Yoga center. Technically I´m living next door to the Yoga Center at a place called Ocean Travelers. The people there are great. An artist and a masseuse live upstairs. Tessa is also a masseuse, the yoga center is called Manos Que Sanan, meaning hands that heal and doubles as a massage place so Tessa will be able to work there. They book massages for three different hotels also. They are also putting in a vegan and fish restaurant. I might be able to help in reception to make a little money.

Some things about this country are slow and laid back, but some things happen really fast and you feel like you are in a time warp. I never seem to know the date and time is relative. I´ve been in country less than three weeks and I know everyone in town, I have a home and a car and am looking around for a job. My spanish is improving little by little.

We have also been cooking every day. Better go I have to arrange a bank transfer for the car. Pura Vida!

Disregard Most of the Last Post

2006-02-17T13:40:00.000-08:00

Mal Pais - In the last two days I ended up not buying the quad for $3800 and instead I´m buying a little Suzuki Samurai for $2000. It has working four wheel drive and it rattles really loud on these bad roads but it runs great. I´m buying it from two Canadian guys who have owned it for the last three months, they are headed home and wanted to sell it. It´s cheaper than the quad and I´ll be able to move around these remote towns much easier. And I won´t have to eat dust on the roads.

Also, I ran into this sweet deal for housing. I managed to find a beachside Yurt to rent for one month. The owners live on the property as well. It is an old couple who need help sometimes, so in exchange for my help I get the Yurt pretty cheap. If all goes well with that trade I´ll rent for an additional month or I will head up to Nosara, Playa Giuones area.

I have not made too much progress in the last couple days on my writing due to having to move and trying to buy the quad. I was unable to complete the purchase after trying to three different ways. It was not meant to be. So I came back to town feeling slight dejection due to not having my wheels and ran into these two Canadians selling the Suzuki. It´s name is Azul.

I should be able to post some pics really soon as the old couple has broadband.

I did make it to Montezuma a couple days ago, it´s really nice there as well all though much more cramped than this place. Now that I have transportation I can go there for day trips, it only takes about twenty minutes by car.

I actually have time so I can describe where I am a little better. There is basically one long dirt road that runs parallel to the beach. Between the beach and the road is a strip of land about 150 yards wide. Alot of it has private beachfront homes and alot of it is for sale. It is all dry forest (as opposed to rain forest). Tall leafy trees and palms with a mix of fruit trees like bananas and plantains. There are some residences here that are incredibly luxurious and some are just shacks. On the other side of the road are additional cabinas, restaurants and hotels. A cabina is basically private rooms with shared kitchen and bathrooms.

To the south on this long road is MalPais. About 500 people live in Malpais year round with another 300 or 400 visitors like me. There is a surf camp, lots of little restaurants and hotels, a fishing boat area called the marina that has about five small boats in it and many private residences. The mix is about half Ticos and half ex-pats.

To the north is Santa Teresa. Here is where the beach and waves are best so all the activity is centered around there and Playa Carmen. The place is litterally crawling with surfers from all over the world. There are parties every night on the beach. This is where the hostel is where I have been staying until yesterday. It is called Traquilo Backpackers and it is full every night. It´s a really fun place but too much activity for a writer to get anything done. I have met some great friends there.

My main companions down here so far are Tessa and Christa, two great girls from Washington State, along with their entourage and Ben, from Colorado, he owns a house not too far from me in MalPais. There´s also Jamie from the UK, a small statured blond surfer who speaks the Queen´s English and cracks all of us up, Andy a great guy who is lives in Portland, my home town, and is in school to be a chiropractor. Also there´s Yaron, a hilarious guy from Isreal who has literally been all around the world. He is about to start his law practice back home near Tel Aviv.

There are so many others but those are the major players. They are all here various lengths of time so it is a scene in constant change. People coming and going.

Overall my favorite thing about this trip so far is my sense that my individuality and energy is being entirely cultivated by this place. I have an incredible sense of center here, aided by meeting great people and working on my book. I also have a meticulous journal which is as long as my novel so far.

Today is two weeks in country, I have a home, almost have a car and tomorrow I might look for a job. Just so I don´t go into debt here. There is a really nice restaurant in Santa Teresa called Flor Blanco. It might be a high enough ticket price that I could make some cash. I will post more next week sometime. Tonight I´m going to a rodeo in Cobano. Should be a good time.

Housing found...

2006-02-13T17:03:00.000-08:00

I only have five minutes so here is the quick update, I will try to post more tomorrow. I am still in Santa Teresa although technically I'm in PLaya Carmen, Santa Teresa start thirty yards from my hostel. I have found a place to rent for the next month and a half. It is a small cabina in the yoga center here. Great energy and it's my own room for $275 per month. It is two minutes to walk to the beach and the people that run it are english speaking. My friends that I have here now, one of them teaches there. WHen I was hitchiking to there house for dinner I got picked up by Sheryl who owns the place and she gave me a great deal. THe room usually rents for $325. It share a kitchen and bathroom with two other rooms.

Now for the really exciting parts, I went Quad shopping today in Cobano. I'm buying a really cute yellow Quad which I'm either naming Dolly or Squire. It will cost $3800 including license and notarized registration but it includes s three month warranty and I already have a potential buyer for it (Sheryl) for when I need to leave. I get to pick it up on wednesday. Than I will have all the freedom I need.

MY writing is going great too, Dad, I working on dialogue. THat is very tricky to write.
Mom, you can stay in my place, It has two bunks in it and it will be no extra charge.
Love you all, more tomorrow, promise ;)

Still in Santa Teresa...

2006-02-09T17:39:00.000-08:00

I keep finding that I have no reason to leave this place. I will head off to Montezuma eventually but I guess there is no sunset there so my people here think that I wont want to stay and I'll come back here. It is about an hour busride away so no big deal. I might have a lead on place to rent here for a month or two for pretty cheap and am considering buying a bicycle to get around on although walking is really easy. I'm on a timer here so if it is a little choppy just ignore.

I have enjoyed the most amazing sunsets here the last three nights. Everyone is as good as the last. It is hot and beautiful everyday like the one before. I got a little writing in today but I haven't been able to block out the distractions yet. I think by tomorrow I will be able to be a little less curious of my surroundings and get down to the business of writing. I went to a pool today with a couple ex-pats from Colorado. They own a beach front home here and know everyone in the town. Malpais is a calm area with no "town area." Santa Teresa is on the same road but has stores and stuff. Santa Teresa is the busy beach bumb area where everything is usually happening. Surfers from all over the world mill about the street (one dirt road) and there are tons of little restaurants and cabinas. It is so small that I recognize everyone I pass, we don't remember each others names, just where we are from. You call out "Hey seattle," "Hey Montreal" or "Hey Argentina" depending on where they said they were from. I'm "Portland" of course but there's a guy here from Portland so we actually know each others names:) Now we have all started cooking together at the hostel which is fun. There's always a new face from somewhere different. I'm starting to feel like a veteran as this new girl arrived today and she's paler than I. I actually am pretty tan already so I'm not "right off the bus" anymore :)

I wish I could post pics here but they are all on my laptop which doesn't connect to the internet. However my new friends who own the home here have a dail up connection which might make it possible for me to upload a few. I will try to keep posting regularly. I'm having a blast! Buenas!

Finally...Hot sun and sandy beaches

2006-02-07T09:39:00.000-08:00

My bag finally showed up late saturday night shortly after making that last post. The only problem is I packed way too much stuff in it, I'm going to have to ditch some clothes here or find permanent spot. Sunday I took the bus to the Nicoya Peninsula. It was three hours on the bus, one hour on the ferry and another hour and a half on the bus. I was intending to go straight to Montezuma but some people told me to check out Malpais/Santa Teresa first. IT is a huge surf spot. Only problem is I'm not a surfer...yet. It is about 90 degrees with a breeze here. Nights get cooler though so you can still sleep. I'm staying in a hostel where every language is being spoken at once. Internet is much harder to come by here so I will try to post every other day. I met a couple from Port Townsend last night. That's about the nearest to home I have met. before leaving San Jose I was able to catch the superbowl on the bigscreen at the hostel. Everyone there was rooting for the seahawks so we were all groaning together. Poor Hawks. I'm off to the beach now. I'm starting to dig the vibe here a little so I will stay one more day before heading to Montezuma.

Also funny, the prohibition was still in effect last night but nobody here stopped serving until the white polo shirts of the alcohol monitors showed up and shut them down for the night. Adios!

Don't know what happened to my Feb 3rd Entry

2006-02-04T21:48:00.000-08:00

I know I made a post to this blog last night when I first arrived but somehow it has completely disappeared so that last entry doesn't make sense. The airline lost my luggage. My big pack contains all of my clothing and toiletries and it never made it. So I made a baggage claim and they are supposed to deliver it to my hostel when the airline manages to track it down. I have only my electronics and the clothes on my back. Now the entry below makes more sense.

Roughin´ it

2006-02-04T21:27:00.000-08:00

So this is a really good excercise for me. No hair products and no makeup. I have to completely get over my appearance. My jeans are all stretched out. Actually a really nice Israeli girl gave me some panteen so I could wash my hair last night. And a surfer dude on break from Princeton donated some soap and my new friend Prateek (Indian by decent but a New York native) that I met in the Pheonix airport actually lent me some pajamas. He happened to be on my flight and then staying at the same hostel. Fellow travelers are really incredibly open and warm. I bought a toothbrush today and if my bag doesn´t show up by tomorrow night I will officially go shopping.

So Prateek and his travel buddy Paul (from D.C) and I had dinner at a really cute little restaurant tonight. Cafe Mundo. I recommend it. We walked about the city today taking in the various sights, even though it´s been raining.

This isn´t the rainy season according to LP (Lonely Planet) however there seems to be alot of it anyway, and not just light sprinkling, heavy downpours, I actually bought a $2 umbrella.

The other funny thing, I expected sun and pina coladas by the pool. Instead the entire country is on lockdown prohibition for four days due to the election. The whole country is basically dry (kinda ironic considering the rain :) At dinner I couldn´t order wine, the supermarkets have cardboard over the liquor and beer aisles and cops are monitoring the bars to make sure they aren´t serving, most of them are simply closed. Word on the street is this continues until Tuesday, two days after the election.

In any case I´m stuck here in San Jose until my bag arrives or I give up on it. I wonder what the chances really are that it might be lost forever. From what I have heard they do almost always eventually turn up. It´s just not telling when. I have a tag on it so it should at least make it to my parents´ address in Vancouver. This free internet is nice. Makes blogging easier. Ciao!

Four days to go and many more Goodbye's

2006-01-30T14:17:00.000-08:00

I have made my reservations for the first few nights and I will be staying at hostel pangea (http://hostelpangea.com) San Jose. I was going to only stay for two nights but then decided to stay a third night as I would like to hang out to watch the superbowl since the Seahawks are going to win! Then I will be off to Montezuma, I'm still deciding between a couple places to stay there however I know it will be on the beach.
Meanwhile I'm still here. And saying goodbye to everyone is a long process but also a really fun one. It's nice to leave for a short time like this (four months actually, I named my blog before I bought my plane ticket) because it's not goodbye permanently but people still like to take the opportunity to let you know they care and they will miss you. Since I'm going to Costa Rica with a firm objective (I'm working on a novel) It is really encouraging to have everyone rooting for me and my success. It is a driving force and when I start to feel doubts I have a huge pool of family and friends that come to mind like a back up generator sputtering to life to keep me going. I'm very fortunate and thank you all. I will be posting as regularly as possible and I welcome all comments.

Only One Month Left...

2006-01-03T17:34:00.000-08:00

I have one month until I leave "on a jet plane." I have plenty of time now to finish up my research and generate a more specific itinerary. "Anonymous" left a comment which made it to my email inbox but I can't find it in a comment box anywhere on my blog so I will print it and respond here.
Comment: "Paige, I hope u don't take this the wrong way, but how old are u? Your blogs seem to point that any investigation on your part is with rose colored glasses. I know lots of people that go to Costa Rica, very few of them go for a family vacation, it is a beautiful land but it's know for it's sex trade catered to fat middle aged american men, and the locals will be your best friend, until you turn your head and they steal anything of value. I would just caution you to be very careful and weary of people. Probably going with a fellow explorer would be a great idea."

I have no illusions, rose colored or otherwise, as to the realities of theft (my traveling partner and good friend was robbed in Rome) or the realities of the sex trade in a foreign country however, these are fairly simple things to protect yourself against. Don't go seeking the sex trade (I never ventured into the Red Light District in Amsterdam alone) and not carrying anything of value is a good start to avoiding these specific examples of why this person fears Costa Rica. I think the intention is good but the point is not that I need to "bring" a fellow explorer as I hope to meet fellow explorers there.

On that note, if any readers have friends living in Costa Rica let me know, I'd like to make some more contacts.

90 Days to Go!

2005-11-03T15:36:00.000-08:00

I haven't blogged in a while mostly because I'm devoting this blog to CR and I haven't done much about CR lately. However I have done some research and I'm recently very interested in Montezuma on the peninsula nicoya on the west side of CR. I think this might be the first area I go to check out when I get there. Today is the 3rd of November which means I have exactly three months to go. A quarter of a year. I know it will go by in a flash as I ardently save every dollar possible. I'm beginning to realize in my research exactly how many amazing things there are to see in CR. However since I intend to devote the bulk of my time to writing I'm not sure how much I should plan to see. Not planning is probably the key, I'll see whatever comes my way. Nat did you go to Montezuma when you were there? This blog will get better when I'm actually there...

I must be getting up there...

2005-09-23T10:41:00.000-07:00

In addition to the alarm in people's reaction to my going to CR alone (see Going Solo post) there have also been a number of responses along the lines of..."Ahh, you're going to Costa Rica by yourself? You're must be going to find a husband!" While I'll be the first to admit the idea of meeting a fellow adventurer on the travel circuit has crossed my mind I definitely don't have a "find a husband" agenda going. However the fact that many people (my good friends) seem to think I should have an agenda makes me realize I have crossed over into the very marriageable age bracket (I'm 26). Pretty much all of my closest friends are married, engaged or on the brink of engagement and apparently they mostly want the same for me. I guess this is a natural response however it makes me ponder the real difference between being in a relationship (for the purposes of this comparison we'll say a very happy, healthy passionate one) or being single but having an adventurous life. Granted there are physical and emotional highs that you can experience in a relationship that aren't there when you are single but there are also highs associated with freedom and independence that feed the spirit as well. I remember when I was studying in Holland and I took the train to Paris for a weeks visit alone. I stepped off the train in the Paris Nord station and there were all these couples embracing and kissing. I smiled indulgently at them but I felt this huge surge of adrenalin that made me feel as though I was walking on air because I was experiencing something I had dreamed about my whole life. Paris was a destination that was my dream and the elation I experienced upon arriving was intense. I have never felt so free in my life as I did walking into Paris on my own with my backpack on. In Paris that week I met other travelers and had a blast with them, two of whom I'm still in contact with. I'm sure traveling with your SO can be great too but I want to have that solitary spiritual adventure again and this is I think something that my friends may not have experienced before. This is what may lead them to think I must be going in search of a husband. Although I do intend to marry and procreate someday I hope it doesn't happen too soon (you can't really control timing if someone comes along you can't live without). I have a few more destinations in mind that I'd like to see and hopefully experience that intense level of freedom again.

The Truth

2005-09-03T02:12:00.000-07:00

So... The truth is I'm going to Costa Rica to feel inspired and write about the shit I know. Whatever it may be...I want to editorialize about.. so there. I have a volume of material, a volume of feelings, and a really good story (if I can put it together). That's what I beleive...

Sail Away

2005-08-29T12:34:00.000-07:00

I had my first real sailing experience on saturday. It was a beautiful clear sunny day, made even clearer than normal due to my having lasik surgery the day before. I have perfect vision now and am loving my eyesight. The surgery was painless and some of the best money I've ever spent. I highly reccomend my doctor, Dr. Mockavak.
Anyway, one of my goals in Costa Rica is to learn sailing basics and perhaps go on a three to seven day cruise to some of the islands down there. A friend of mine invited me out on his 30 foot sailboat out on the columbia in St Helens and gave me my first brief lesson. It is complicated at first but the hardware and process becomes much less mysterious with a few key explanations. I learned about tacking (going back and forth in order to sail into the wind) and I even got to steer for awhile although I steered a little too hard to the starboard (right) at one point and caused another boat heading toward us (in our lee) to have to veer to their starboard. This was really bad etiquette I guess and we had to wave sheepishly at them in apology. If you lose your wind then you come to a stop and then you are SOL. But fortunately our captain is more than able and got us going again. I can't wait to go again in CR, it does take a bit of work but there is something about sailing that is very therapeutic. Plus he has this fun chair/swing that attaches to the mast so you can sit in it and swing out to the side of the boat. It will also lift you out of the water if you want to jump in for a swim. We ended up getting extra food and drinks and five of us slept on the boat that night. (Or passed out depending on your definition) Good Times!

Solo Travel

2005-07-18T14:00:00.000-07:00

I have been encountering some fairly alarming responses from friends and others when I tell them I am going to Costa Rica alone for three and a half months (too late to change my blog name :). The responses range from "why would you want to go alone?" to "aren't you afraid of being raped?" to "what are you running away from?"

In answer to the first I usually respond by telling them that one of the main reasons I'm going in the first place is to be alone and not distracted. I tend to feel very inspired when I take myself away from my friends, family, culture, language, any romantic entanglement, job, tv, cell phone, various social obligations etc. Since I'm not just going for an extended vacation but to channel all of my energy into a couple of important writing projects I intend to use the alone time to be alone. Upon hearing this some are slightly hurt that they are grouped into something that I want to get away from and others are confused further that I don't want to just party the whole time I'm there and some are impressed at my "independence."

In answer to the rape question I remind them that I have gone to various foreign countries alone before and I am smart about it and take all the proper precautions that solo female travelers should take and I really feel quite safe about the whole thing. I will have contacts there to leave messages with not to mention Costa Rica is wired.

And in answer to the "running away" diagnosis I usually respond with a laugh but in truth why not run away? When we are children we don't dream of staying in one spot our whole lives, instead we dream of "lands far far away" or "galaxies far far away." At some point in the transition into adulthood it becomes necessary to "root" ourselves and to only dream of tropical vacation spots and inhabiting a hotel room for two weeks out of the year. Some would argue that if you work really hard during your younger years you can retire in style and do your more extensive traveling then. However I haven't seen any hard evidence to indicate that spending savings now (in your twenties) will give you less of a chance to enjoy your later years.

The majority of people who hear of my trip are very suportive and even those who question only mean well and are concerned for my safety, I just want to encourage those people to dream a little too.

Lasik, Oregon Country Fair

2005-07-10T00:30:00.000-07:00

I have been a contact wearer for about three years now and am kind of tired of the itchy eyes and expensive solution. Going to Costa Rica makes me want to be free, of more than just the obvious, I also want to be free of contacts and glasses (even though I've been told glasses can be somewhat librarian sexy). So i am going to get lasik surgery. This technology has now been around for about eleven years I'm told. Everyone I've talked to who has had it done seems to be quite pleased. Plunking down 2K on the eve of a financially risky trip seems a little odd for my usual practical self but I've decided I want it enough and that's that. I go in for surgery on Aug 26th. Clear vision is something quite useful and the expense will actually save me money in the long run so I'm going for it. I will be able to see every palm frond and distant sailboat in crystal clear contact less vision.

On another note, I went to the Oregon country fair for the first time today. Quite a spectacle, at times surreal and at other times very real. It is amazing to immerse yourself in an environment that challenges what your society says is acceptable and "normal." Nudity is just one element, one that you overcome easily if you've ever been a history buff. Our societies abhorence of public nudity is a relatively new aversion. The greeks and romans had different holidays dedicated to the celebration of it. What little we know of pre-historic societies seem to indicate a celebration of nudity, in any case the real challenge is to try to take in the steady stream of unusual sights and smells of the fair with a completely open palate. My first reaction was to take something in and immediatly try to identify or place it within my experience. " hmm that smells like that herb shop nicole and i went into in amsterdam" " that guy looks like someone who would have been a phish groupie" the you start to take it in and apply it somewhat to yourself "that skirt is so cute, i'd never wear it but, damn that's hot" "that guy is so sweaty, ewe" "that woman's breats are enormous!!!" "wow, that chick is trippin!" "awe, that little girl playing the violin is so cute, are her parents making her or does she actually enjoy it?" "that digeri-doo guy can really blow" "where's the food I'm starving." I think you can only have a first impression once, and of course first experiences are what make one want to travel so much. Everytime you have them you grow a little taller and think a little longer, because you have so much more to apply that experience too. Your mind is like a great cross-referencer, and the more you have experienced the more you have to cross reference it to.

Just Bought My Ticket!

2005-07-01T13:45:00.000-07:00

So I decided to go online and see how much tickets to costa rica are goin for and low and behold its only $400. So I bought it! I leave on February 3, 2006. I bought a round trip incase I want to come home although I might just stay. Now that the ticket is bought my planning will really kick in. It is all very real now and I'm really counting the days.

More than 3 months?

2005-06-25T22:26:00.000-07:00

I may have found a way to make money through writing. An aquaintance of mine has hired me to edit some content dealing with real estate investment. This of course I do on my computer and send away. He has given me some great ideas for marketing myself further to others looking for editors and I am going to give it a shot. It wont make me rich but since you don't need alot to live on in costa rica it coule possibly the ticket to prolonging my stay. Of course that is provided I like it there and want to prolong it. I really can't see that as an issue. Sometimes I forget how some things come naturally and others you really have to work for. When something really valuable comes along that you didn't have to bust your ass looking for its like finding a twenty dollar bill on the side of the road, but better because nobody had to lose something for you to gain.
My departure is still scheduled for the first of february next year. My mom is making plans to visit in march and I'm encouraging any and all of my friends to come down as well. A mental snapshot of my life there looks a little like:
A seaside community of small houses and a harbor full of fishing boats and sail boats belonging to people from all over the world. The town will have a market full of fresh vegetables and fruits from the surrounding countryside. I will find a tiny but qaint abode on the outskirts of town and ride my bike in to pick up food and connect to the internet. If I can't be on the beach hopefully I can be close enough to have a view. The townspeople will be a mix of artistic ex-pats and locals. Old men with wide brimmed white straw hats sitting outside store fronts smoking something and little latin women selling homemade clothing in the market. Coffee shops with european and australians talking politics.
Sounds a little idilic but you never know. I'll let you know how close I came when I get there.

Have to make a change

2005-06-13T10:25:00.000-07:00

I'm really beginning to dread coming to the office in the morning. I work with some good people but I hate the stacks of papers and I dislike management, which is basically whet my role has become. Although this Costa Rica trip is somewhat dependent on my income from this day job I would rather be doing something I like. A friend of mine referred my name to someone looking for an editor. He needs someone to take all his content and make it cohesive and sensical. He is going to take a look at some of my writing samples and if he likes it I'll start work on his book. It would be the ideal transition and a source of income allowing me to leave accounts and management behind. Hopefully I can ease myself out of this position.

Many months away

2005-06-06T09:30:00.000-07:00

Now that I have made the hard and fast decision to move to Costa Rica the actual grind of the planning and saving is setting in. My January departure seems a little optimistic as I need to save $6000 and pay off $3000 in credit card debt (did I really need to invest in brand new snowboard gear and a season pass last fall? the season sucked so bad I went a total of six times, at least I looked really good while I was there right?)
So working at my day jobs pays my bills and theoretically working at the restaurant is my CR money. The amount of tables and people I will have to wait on to earn the $9000 that I need between now and January is a little daunting to think of all at once. Of course I have seven months to deliver $9000 worth of salmon, filet mignon and cosmopolitans. To earn $9000 I have to sell approximately $60,000 worth of food and drink. This is assuming everyone tips me at least 18% ( I have to tip out of course in turn.) It is do-able but my back and feet cringe just thinking about it.
I will probably end up leaving in February or March in order to do it right, but in my head I'm going to stick to the January schedule since january is my birthday and seems like a good goal. BTW is anyone stumbles accross Costa Rica blogs, please forward them to me. I have managed to find a few good ones but none from people actually living there. Back to my desk full of paper now, dreaming of sandy beaches and quiet conversation over chilean wine...

Where to begin?

2005-05-26T12:39:00.000-07:00

I wasn't sure at first what eactly the subject of this blog should focus on, then I realized that a blog is not supposed to be creativly cohesive, it is an excersice in expression. Expression by it's very nature should not be inhibited by editing. Therefore I intend to make this as much stream of consiousness as possible and vow to hit the post button before I re-read and start ctrl-Xing all over the place.
I am here in my office, writing contracts and im-ing my friend Natalie at her office up I-5 and across the river in her office. I am in the very early stages of planning an edventure trip to costa rica and she went there last summer for graduation. I'm hoping to create a video journal of my trip and stream in online or if I'm very lucky, edit it into a couple consecutive short documentaries and pitch them to one of the myriad cable channells looking for content. more soon, i have to write some business letters.

Decision made

2005-05-23T13:05:00.000-07:00

This weekend i finalized my decision to stay at my job, save money like a madwoman and go to costa rica for three months in 2006. More later