Saying Yes to the Dream
February 2026
A few Sundays ago, I was loading the dishwasher when I realized the week marked a year of living in Costa Rica. I rested my hand on the counter to steady myself as my heart flooded with gratitude and grief. Tears poured down my face as I noticed those two feelings living inside me equally.
I thought back to the woman I was before I got here. I remembered what it took to make this move. How we wrapped up our life in three months, packing only what we could carry, choosing where we would land sight unseen. The vulnerability of wondering if we would feel welcome.
How we chose to surrender and trust in what would reveal itself and unfold, and how hard that was.
I thought of the life I had craved for so long and wondered, often, if what I longed for even existed.
A life where mornings were filled with jungle sounds and exotic birds rather than honking horns and racing cars on a busy street. A place where nature was a welcome companion not something to erase. A place that moved more softly and gently.
A place where the heart matters.
A place that felt less dense and angry.
A life that felt like an endless summer.
A place of magic.
I held my face in my hands. We did it.
In this little town, I’ve experienced generosity and help from complete strangers, given without expectation or exchange. Connection feels easier. Hearts are less guarded, less armored.
Sighs of contentment wash along the beach as the sun sets. A nightly ritual celebrating the beauty of the moment, the evening's entertainment.
In this place, kindness is a currency. Here, community is essential.
Presence is encouraged. It is the lifeline of the country. Pura Vida-pure life. Angels everywhere remind me, “tranquilo”, there is no rush.
A few hours later, the boys were playing a punk version of Taylor Swift’s Shake It Off during their band practice. A friend who is visiting walked by the kitchen and caught me dancing as I mopped the floor. When she saw me, I didn’t stop. My smile got bigger. I sang a bit louder. I didn’t laugh at myself or apologize for being silly. I kept moving, allowing joy to swim through me.
Because here, joy is welcome.
Every day, I’m being shown that what I hoped was possible, and more, actually exists. There is another way of living together on and with this planet.
And when I think my heart can’t open anymore, it does.
