Setting Sail

I only have a few hours left before I catch my shuttle into San Jose and make my way back to the states. While I've fallen in love with Dominical and the beach here I miss my family and friends back home. I don't feel I can accurately portray what's happened here but I've done my best to capture what I could with my photography. I'd like to think I'll return to Dominical, but I know there are many more adventures to be had in the other parts of the world. A full trip to Peru in the future, if not, perhaps somewhere in Southeast Asia. Only time will tell.

Now, since I'm still running on tico time I feel it's best to make a substantial post to this blog to correctly represent my frame of mind. I want to look back at this blog after I've been reaclimated to the "real" world, to remind myself of this remarkable time in my life. My time capsule in cyberspace, if you will.  

When I first arrived in Dominical I was greeted with two words, "Pura Vida", and as I continued my stay it was heard again and again. I was familiar with the term via the Envision website and had my own preconceptions about the meaning, but only after being emersed in the lifestyle here did I begin to see into the definition of the phrase.

One might think such a phrase suggests a pure and clean lifestyle, but that's not necessarily the case. Not everyone here is a yogi or eats vegan. Not everyone here is an ascended master (not yet anyway!). Most of the locals, while accustomed to visitors, don't dress in any way resembling the festival crowd. What I came to understand is that people here live life fully, being honest with their true nature and accepting others while maintaining a strong sense of community.

I was reminded of a discourse from "Zen and The Art Of Motorcycle Maintenance" regarding rural life, where family, friends and overal quality of life all meld together to form a qualitive atmosphere one experiences in a place such as this.

I came here thinking I'd listen to some good music and have some time to relax. And I did, but I found so much more. All the people I met during the festival and my stay in Dominical are what made this trip worthwhile. I still find it hard to believe I've met so many intelligent, sincere, creative and genuine people. Thanks everyone, you know who you are!

Well, time to go home.
  

Another Saturday Morning

Well, my days here are coming to an end. What once felt like an eternity now seems like a fleeting dream. My stay at the festival as well as Dominical has been rich with opportunities to grow and meet new people, each day offering something new and unique. Now, time for some photographs!


I noticed this guy while I was resting in one of the hammocks. I've seen at least 5 iguanas just chilling in this hostel. One was under my bed, the others crawling around in the rafters.

One of my neighbors forgot all of her bedding so since I had an extra blanket I let her borrow one. In return she painted my face. I was so impressed that I decided to drop by her booth and snap a few pictures of her in action. The final image in the series is the artist herself, Lunara.

More soon to come.

Pura Vida

It hasn't even been a week since I embarked on my trip to Costa Rica, yet so much has happened in this short amount of time. I don't know what I really expected from the Envision festival, but the experience certainly surpassed my expectations. I plan to write a detailed commentary later on, but for now I'll upload some photographs for those keeping up with the blog.

Check back soon, there's more to come!

Hasta Luego!

Well, the day has finally arrived! In less than 24 hours I'll be south bound and enjoying a long overdue vacation. If everything goes well I'll return with all my organs still inside my body, assuming I want to come back...

Location Location Location!

Here are a few shots of the festival grounds. In a few days the area will be full of festifarians, art installations and the air will be filled with music! The mountains remind me of the Blue Ridge Mountains here in Virginia, with the added bonus of the coastline.

Introduction

Greetings everyone! If you're reading this then it's because you've stumbled across my blog during a random Google excursion or you're one of my close friends I invited along for the journey. I hope you like what you find here!

On February 26th I'll be flying to Costa Rica to attend Envision 2013, a music and arts festival in Uvita, Bahia Ballena, Costa Rica. After the festival I'll be moving up the coast to Dominical, a small beach town renowned for surfing and chill atmosphere. A friend thought a blog would be a great way to share the experience with everyone, so here you have it! During my 2 week stay in Costa Rica I'll do my best to provide all of you with photographs, videos and commentary.