Here I am, back in Costa Rica, 5 years later.
It is always a funny feeling, coming back to a place where you’ve been before. Memories come back to mind. You think of who you were with, and how things were at that moment. It allows you to measure your growth. To see how you have evolved. To take a look at how life has unfolded since.
I remember that first time, on our flight to San José, I had noticed a chick across the aisle who was flicking through really nice surf pics on her computer. I was digging her style. She looked adventurous & confident, mid-twenties, and I remember that I was curious about who she was, what she was doing in life.
A few days later, my friend and I arrived to Tamarindo. We were sitting at this little beach bar, and the girl I had noticed on the plane came sitting next to me. Quite a funny coincidence!
We started chatting. She told me that she was recently in Sri Lanka shooting for a surf magazine (the pics from the plane!). She had then gone back home to the USA, and a chain of events lead her to get hired by Roxy to manage their surf school here, in Tamarindo.
“Everything went really fast, they needed someone pretty much now,” she told me.
“So I managed to rent out my appartement, packed my stuff, drop a few boxes at my parents house, and basically hopped on a plane within a week. And here I am!”
(This meant that when I saw her on the plane a few days before, looking all confident and super badass, she was actually that chick who had just taken a massive leap of faith and was just jumping right into a new adventure, with her life packed into a 75-litre bag.)
I remember also that I felt so jealous and captivated by her story ! Like waooohh, working for Roxy Costa Rica ? She was so damn lucky !! I wish that was me !
She asked me a bit about myself, so I told her that I was just on a short trip, about to start my university semester, and that I had just came back from a year studying graphic design in Italy. And then she was like : “Oh, we will actually need a graphic designer. You should stop by the Roxy surf school tomorrow !” and left me her info.
I was like: REALLY ?!!!?! :O
The next morning, I was walking down the beach with my friend, and she asked me if I wanted to stop by the Roxy office…
I was unsure, and I shared my thoughts with her; Was this really doable ? Could I get rid of the apartment lease I had just taken ? Was Tamarindo a place I would actually like to live ? And mostly, was I a skilled enough designer to even think that I could work for Roxy ? This whole thing was way too awesome to be true, and so unexpected…
At that time, I definitely didn’t have the guts or the self-confidence needed for such opportunity… And I think that I mostly didn’t even believe that she was serious!
I didn’t go see her that day. And we left Tamarindo…
But this planted a seed. It made me see for the first time that it was possible for a young adventurous chick like her to move to another country, not to backpack around, but rather to live and work and surf and run on the beach and watch the sunset everyday. And something shifted right there. I made a vow to pursue the life I was truly desiring.
And I guess that seed sprouted somewhere along the way… ‘Cuz here I am today, 5 years later, 1 hour south of Tamarindo, in Playa Guiones, and it suddenly hit me:
That girl… I am THAT girl now ! I’m living that life I believed back then was too damn cool to be real ! But it doesn’t get more real than this; it is my everyday. I teach yoga, surf, write, work online and somehow try to empower other girls to go after their dreams as well.
From Bali to El Salvador, and all the way down to Costa Rica. It is pretty damn incredible to see how this dream has unfolded…
And maybe, that’s why I needed come back to Costa Rica. To remember that chick. To see how much has happened in 5 years. To pinch myself and go like: woah, this was actually doable !!! SHE was not the only one who could live like this !
And that SHE, could be YOU.
What is that secret dream that you cherish ? That desire ?
Write it down. Now.
You are the queen of your life.
You create your reality.
… And what you believe, you become !
***
If ever you want to connect with me to discuss / brainstorm on ideas, get some coaching on how you could design or redesign your lifestyle, get in touch ⇢ droleterika@gmail.com