Tag: Costa Rica

Central America

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The adventure continues…..

Spontaneity at its best, unexpected twists and turns with connections being formed. Life moves, shifting us into a flow that at times is indescribable.

Riding on wavelengths that are redefining my existence.

As I sit here writing and learning spanish from a three year old, I will to the best of my ability describe the incredible exchanges that have taken place over the past few days.

Monkey?
Mono!

Feeling that it was time to move onto our next destination, we traveled by bus from the lush Caribbean jungle back to San Jose, a city of bustling energy, a place that has become a home away from home, away from home.

To find a new place to explore.
Remembering
Wherever I go, my home is within.

We arrived in San Jose and within the night decided to meet up with a man who DN had met on the bus.
Rod, a gregarious, warm hearted American from Idaho.
He was in Costa Rica for his project, a patent on blue prints of homes, to be built as part of Haiti’s new infrastructure.
The homes are brilliantly designed as part of a build-able, recycled structure, with solar panels and a central system including filtered plumbing.
On so many levels, this set up is in line with the wave of the future, efficiency and sustainability at the core of helping thousands of people have new homes.
We would like to help implement these systems when it gets going, giving our efforts to support rebuilding. Creating a new standard of what can be re-created from such a horrific storm.

A cataclysmic cyclical existence
at times horrendous and heartbreaking.

After hearing Rod play us some perfect Johnny Cash on his guitar, our night ended with a delicious dinner. All of us happy to have made this connection, knowing it will grow into greatness.

Thank you Rod, you are an inspiration….

The next morning, the fiery volcano was calling to us. With numerous active ones nearby, our options were abundant.
At breakfast we ran into a fellow Charly’s place tenant, the outgoing member of our crew striking up a conversation with him.

Dennis, who turned out to be staying there after the night’s prior football (soccer) game of the Costa Rican teams.
He is one of the national referee.
We all connected instantly.

Discussing our plans with him, he was telling us about the different volcanos.
We asked him if he’d like to go with us.
“I have to be back for training at 3:30, but I can get you an extremely cheap rental car and take you up and show you the rainforest and largest volcano crater.”
His other profession?
a Tour Guide.

It became evident that we were supposed to meet him as well.
Dennis has a huge heart, going above and beyond, facilitating inexplicable experiences and showing us what local Costa Rican life is like.
Becoming an instant hermano del alma
(he just typed for me “soul brother” ;).

Pure Costa rican salsa serenaded our quad while meandering through the mountains into the rainforest. Coffee bean plantations and strawberry fields were dappling the view.
We stopped to pick fresh, succulent goodness, the sweetness and sunlight filled us up.

We went to see the infamous crater.
Steam and sulfur rose up through the living rainforest, breathing life into our beings with the mist encircling us.
The laguna, with the yellow stones encircling the clear blue of the sulfuric acid.
A magical, ethereal feeling.
I felt the intensity and life of our surroundings, mother earth herself invigorating us with her consciousness. She spoke of transcendence and owning the goddess within.
A natural rhythm within this mystical place, coming before, during, and within human nature.
Billions of years beyond our creation.
So it will be, life will keep going, yet again within the cyclical existence.

I could stay here forever,
yet time to be moving.
Growing, expanding, evolving.

On our way back down the mountains, Dennis stopped at a locally produced coffee, wine and cheese store.
Before we stepped out of the car, employees ran up to us with samples.
Drinks?
Yes, please.
Coffee liquors, cream and roasted beans.

Bueno, Bueno.
Cheeses, and ample amounts of samples.
Incredibly delicioso.

Driving back down we all are grinning cheek to cheek, laughing and exclaiming.
Gracias, Gracias!!!!!!!!

Afterwards, Dennis invited us to come watch him train with the fellow national refs.

In the valley of the lush mountains, we were interacting with the Costa Rican national football team in front and the Chinese national football in back. Strolling by us with a confidence and ease of any high profile team, we nod to them, national news present.
we were posing as american “scouts and reporters”

Out of place a bit, but there for a purpose: to experience the extraordinary.

Sheena and I drinking the locally made wine we picked up,

as we watch mi amore get to practice with the national referees. (He was pretty good being a rookie)

Gringo, gringo!!!
They are lovingly shouting to him

Bonita guapa(?)
to us ladies.

I think to myself.

Amo la vida!

xo,
Nicole

So much more to post since this has transpired, I will get back to you in a few with where we are, and what is next.

Costa Rica

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Yes,

We made it to Costa Rica!

Where I had been having dreams and visions of traveling to.
It was an adventerous 15 hour flight, and I was exhausted when we arrived.
We had plans to come to a Hotel California that is up in a town near San Jose.

Up on the mountain, from the front porch, I could view the volcano. It was lush, windy and surprisingly cool where we were.
With only screens in the house the strong wind was heard day and night, producing a melodic feel.
It became the perfect home base, to figure out where to go next.
After going to the local grocery (that was an adventure 😉 to buy food two nights ago, the owner of the hotel had gone and picked up other guests. As we were sitting there talking to them, we understood.

The four of us were supposed to meet.

A couple who both had left their lives and jobs to be in integrity with making new things happen for themselves.

Amazing, reminds me of what I did when I first left my life as I knew it at 26.

We had enlightening conversation, surrounding all that we were currently embracing and experiencing.

All of us could feel how right this felt, as though it was lined up for us to travel together.
Knowing that, the four of us took off from the more metropolitan, city dwellings of the San Jose area.

The bus ride here was quite the escapade, there were no seats and so we sat on the floor for 4 and half hours.

We arrived to a place I was envisioning.
Kristos’ 2 bedroom, wood cabin in the jungle on the Caribbean side, in a town called Puerto Viejo.
The ocean, the jungle, the beach.
In this warm, tropical paradise my heart is singing praise.
Life is about living here.

Letting go of the need to try to plan anything, I am perpetually fueled by the flow, and we are shown troves of treasures in the mundane in life.

I could hear the monkeys in the trees last night before falling asleep, their OOHHH’s and AHHHH’s were reminiscent of how I have been feeling.
If you would’ve asked me two days ago where I would be today, I would never have thought it would be writing in an outside cafe in the middle of the jungle, with the beach across the street.

Nevertheless, here I am.

I believe in my ability to create my dreams and that more than anything is what I continue to build upon.
With gratitude, love, joy and knowing, this continuation of the abundance of life is mind-blowing.

Thank you universe, yet again!

xo,
Nicole

Signs and Synchronicities

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I am en route right now, in the midwest, the heart of America and whatever stops may present themselves along the way. Headed to Vail, Colorado for a few weeks, to get my bearings and jet to where we are guided to from there.

Fun, lightness, adventure and communication is what is building and it almost feels too easy, but after all, it’s a dream manifestation.
Finally.
We have left everything behind, sorted this adventure out in under 5 days and we are off.
Everything has lined up in an almost magical way, abundance has come to us for this journey and I know will continue to be with us.

This, is undeniably what feels right.
As much resistance as I want to place on this experience, I have to give in and trust that all will work out, as it always does.

Trusting has not always been the easiest thing for me to do.

let go, let go.

I have had my signs, synchronicities that are too uncanny not to trust in.
Reminding me of one of my favorite books, that I first read when I was 13. The Celestine Prophecy.

 

First stop
I knew that I had to go to this candle store in downtown Detroit, and once I arrived there, the woman who ran the store said that someone had come in earlier with a message, a prayer. She felt it was meant to give it to me. She told me that I was the only person she could trust to get it out to the world, and that the woman who came in said it was important and knew I would come in for it. That she wanted for it to be published on the internet.
I received it with gratitude and a bit of bewilderment, the fact that she entrusted me with something of the sorts.
I am not religious by any means, rather taking in the tenets of what I feel is best for me within all religions, doctrines, philosophies and ways of life.
I am about discerning truth for self.
As I was walking out another woman handed me a sheet with a seperate prayer on it.

prayers repeatedly showing up on this journey.

I am taking them as a good sign.
And that’s my truth

they speak to me of

REVERENCE for the forces that are not in our control.

We had been questioning where to go from the states. I knew that I desired to volunteer, be in the jungle, ocean and sun and also learn a valuable lesson or two. I kept having visions of Costa Rica and/or Peru, and researching avenues and organizations in both places.

Our next stop was to get coffee.
While cashing out I looked down, in front of my eyes, loudly and colorful was a sign that said:

COSTA RICA

Marketing a new coffee, with a picture of the jungle and beaches.
Not really taking this too seriously I went into the bathroom to powder my nose. While in there I was smiling to myself, laughing for what already seemed like an auspicious beginning.
In gratitude.
Shockingly,
the lights flashed off, once ,
then again
and again.

alright.
Got it.
A sign where to go, a place I was already having visions of.

We then stopped at a gas station, and pulled up to the pump to another sign.
again staring us in the face

PERU
with coffee and beans surrounding it.

This is becoming a treasure hunt, and the treasure is in each of these magical moments. Prompting us on, giving us clues and ideas of where to head and what to do.

Peru,
I had already been wanting to visit your luscious lands, I will keep you in mind along these adventures. Coffee and Central/South America seem to be a running theme here and yet, even if these signs don’t work out, something just as amazing will.

With adventuring, I don’t know every destination, but will understand the signs when needed.

Trust

The intentions are to explore, help, learn and grow, while also bringing myself and gifts to wherever it is I land.

cheers to life, and being spontaneous.

xo,
Nicole

On a side note…….

Detroit,

I will be back from journeying to build the healing/arts/garden sanctuary I have been envisioning, bringing what I learn to you.