That’s not why I went to Costa Rica.

I have no problem with press trips and sponsored experiences; in fact I’m pleased that the travel blog industry has evolved to being a recognized and legitimate form of media, and most travel bloggers are rising to the call ethically (which also makes me happy).

But this post isn’t about press trips, and (as per the title) it has very little to do with Costa Rica, despite my just having spent three weeks there.

This post was originally published in 2015. It has since been updated for accuracy of links and content. 

Why do I Have Nothing to Write about Costa Rica?

It’s not because I didn’t like the place; I loved it. After the hectic pace of Bogota Colombia and the active chill of Boulder Colorado, it was a perfect place to both defrost and decompress. During said defrosting and decompression, I also took a bit of a holiday from my regular routine of cracking the cultural code of my chosen destination.

I write about local experiences

One of my favourite things to do is to stay with locals or tap into a local community and engage in local cultural activities. In Costa Rica, however, I was staying with a different brand of local: the expat brand. Although these friends have lived in Costa Rica for over 20 years, it’s wasn’t the culturally insightful experience one might expect. Then again, Costa Rica is a haven for expats, so to an extent that is the culture of Costa Rica.

I wasn’t in a touristy area

I stayed at the very tip of the sparsely populated Osa Peninsula; a rustic and quiet place, nestled in the jungle. There were no stores, no markets, and the closest town was 20kms away. There was one restaurant within walking distance. The most touristy thing I did was a nature walk and tree climb with Everyday Adventures (which was pretty awesome).

The rest of the time, I was relaxing, walking along the beach or through the jungles, discovering waterfalls, reading books, spotting the rampant wildlife, and sleeping.

I surfed the waves, not the net

I tried a new form of surfing whilst in Costa Rica; surfing the waves. I still surf the net much more gracefully than the waves, but it was fun playing in the ocean and learning a new skill.

I didn’t take my camera

When I left the house for my walks and surfing adventures, I left the camera behind. Instead, I chose to see my new world through my eyes, instead of the lens of my camera. In so doing, it relieved me of a perceived obligation to “discover” something worth taking a photo of. The few times I did have my camera, my inner National Geographic photographer was disappointed at my inability to capture the wildlife as I would have liked. (Note to self: telescopic lens required).

All in all, I was on vacation

A couple of years ago I reflected on what a holiday looks like for digital nomads and full-time travelers (whose lifestyles smack of a holiday to begin with), musing on aspects like traveling without recording everything about it, and not feeling compelled to see and do everything possible.

That was my experience in Costa Rica. I was on my computer very little, I celebrated the relatively atrocious speed of the internet as an excuse to remain offline, and I relieved myself of the obligation to “conquer” Costa Rica for my readers.

Sorry, dear reader, if you were hoping I’d give you the inside scoop of Costa Rica. I’m sure you understand that sometimes, we all need a vacation of sorts. Costa Rica is a vacation destination for many intrepid travelers, and it was for me too.

This post Why I Have Nothing to Write About Costa Rica appeared first on The Professional Hobo. Please click through to read it in full!

And so, I’m currently in the throes of what I’ve dubbed The “C” Trip.

Granted, I didn’t leave until towards the end of January, and although this year the rains are reputed to have come late, they were far from intolerable before I left. The heaviest rains generally fall at night, and even the daytime rain is periodic, and the thunderstorms are dramatically entertaining.

But after five months in Peru my visa was almost up, and the traveler in me was happy to make an excursion of it.

Introducing: The “C” Trip:

This post was originally published in 2015. It has since been updated for accuracy of links and content. 

Colombia

Colombia has long been on my list of places to visit, with a family friend who spends half the year in and around Bogota having issued a standing invitation for years now. I’m currently wrapping up my two-week stint in Colombia (spent in and around Bogota), and will post news of my related adventures and discoveries shortly. It has been a very insightful couple of weeks.

See also: Letters From Colombia: The Safety, The Food, The Life

Colorado

From Colombia, I’m headed to Colorado for a few weeks, via a few days in Florida. Florida seems to be one of the most consistent places I’ve visited in the last few years, due in large part to my having friends in various parts of the state, and also because it is a bit of an airline hub, with cheap flights to Florida easily getting me to/from Canada, the Caribbean, and Central/South America.

My choice of Colorado is a bit odd for me, given that I’ve been on a permanent mission to avoid winter for the last eight years – and a largely successful one at that. So why would I throw myself into the depths of winter in Colorado with such a track record, you ask?

Two reasons.

First of all, there’s a boy involved, and a very special one at that, who I met while he was visiting Peru and have been quietly involved with for a few months now. I’m not going to say any more on that topic as it’s still new, and my track record in the romance department hasn’t been stellar (with a few breakups in my repertoire). So I’m until I have something noteworthy to say, I’m keeping this relationship to myself. (Aside from just having spilled the beans, which you can now forget about).

Secondly, although I know I’m horribly underprepared for the cold, I’m actually keen to play in some snowy mountains. When I lived in Canada, I used to say “snow is great…until you have to go somewhere and run errands in it. Then it sucks.” Well, I don’t have any errands to run or an office to commute to, so I’m going to see if I can muster up some pure childlike enjoyment of the snow.

That, and the boy I’m staying with has a hot tub, so if the cold is unbearable, I’ll just spend three weeks in the hot tub. Totally manageable.

See also: A Curious Bubble in Boulder, Colorado

Costa Rica

Costa Rica is the third “C” place I’m visiting in this two-month excursion, and is not only a great place to defrost after Colorado, but I also figured it was about time; when I started traveling full-time eight years ago, Costa Rica was the first place I was going to visit before I got distracted with other destinations and opportunities.

(The boy and) I have friends who live on the Osa peninsula, so we’ll be staying with them for about three weeks, and enjoying the sunshine, beaches, creatures and critters, flora and fauna, and more.

See also: Why I Have Nothing to Write About Costa Rica

Packing for Three Seasons

I’ve stood proud for the last few years that everything I own fits into a carry-on bag. But since Peru’s high-altitude climate is a bit chillier than the tropical climates I’ve generally traveled and lived in, and since it’s now a place I’m calling home, I’ve gone and done this whole “nesting” thing and accumulated more stuff. As much as this stuff is largely practical, it has also meant that a carry-on bag can no longer handle everything I own.

Thus, packing for a two-month trip taking me through three distinct climates (high altitude Colombia, winter in Colorado, and tropical Costa Rica) was not the easiest task. I still managed to fit everything I needed into my carry-on bag, but let’s just say it was a tight fit.

(I brought a scaled-down version of my former full-time packing list which could handle most seasons and scenarios, but required a checked bag).

Changing the Way I Travel: Same Same But Different

I’m changing the way I travel; something I’ve alluded to in the last few months, and something that won’t surprise long-time readers of this site, who will have sensed that I’ve tired of living completely nomadically after so many years.

But the biggest thing that has changed is simply that I have a place to return to in Peru; my motivations for travel remain the same; I let my destinations choose me based on opportunities (like having a place to stay or a house-sitting/volunteer gig to enjoy), I prefer local experiences, and I like to travel slowly.

Also, I like trips with themes. For example, here are a few themes I’ve explored in the past:

• I rode 11,000kms of trains in Australia in 11 days straight (as part of a longer 16,000km journey), all to see if it was possible to become bored on a train
• The following year, I did the Ultimate Train Challenge, traveling 25,000kms from Lisbon to Saigon in 30 days, all by train (both of these experiences were fodder for my book Tales of Trains: Where the Journey is the Destination)
• I attempted to conquer my fear of the ocean by spending three months living on boats (not a night on land), spanning five boats and three countries
• I visited eight countries in three weeks, in an effort to “embrace my inner tourist”

…and now, I’m on “The C Trip”. This theme is less premeditated and more coincidental in nature than some of my previous themes, but it strikes me as a fun coincidence that every place I’m visiting starts with a “C”. Who knows…maybe I’ll carry on with the trend through the year. Where to next, I wonder? Calcutta? Corsica? Croatia? Let’s see what further destinations choose me in the months to come.

This post Colombia, Colorado, Costa Rica: The “C” Trip appeared first on The Professional Hobo. Please click through to read it in full!