It's time to reflect on a recent trip to Costa Rica. 

Besides surfing everyday for two weeks straight, in some of the best surf spots on earth, I also got a taste of Costa Rican culture.  I was certainly inspired.  They seem to live very simple lives.  Their commute to work is a stroll down the beach and they didn’t seem to need all the gadgets, technology, and information that we have become accustomed to in the states.  Most importantly they seemed happy.

I traveled with my friend Beth who has two friends, Brad and Katie that recently bought a restaurant/cabana in Playa Negra.  We spent about a week with them.  Brad and Katie inspired me more then anything.  They have been together for 10+ years and have traveled all over the world.  A couple of years ago while traveling, they got married on a beautiful beach in San Juan Del Sur, Nicaragua and had a big party back home in Ventura for there family and friends.  Brad was a beach lifeguard for the state and Katie was a nurse.  Last year they decided it was time to make a change so they got out of their expensive lease and bought a cheap trailer to live out of and save money.  They spent the whole year moving the trailer to different state beaches and saving every penny they earned.  I’m not exactly sure how they ended up buying there place in Playa Negra but I do know the owner wanted out and sold it for less then half of what he was originally asking.  Brad and Katie jumped on the opportunity.

The good ol' Pablo Picasso is the old name of the place.  It has a huge restaurant space, two separate cabanas and a big upstairs living space.  Let me tell you this, the place needs a ton of work.  Katie and Brad have been working long hours and hope to have it up and running in a couple months.  It’s walking distance from a great surf break that you may recognize from The Endless Summer 2 and there are some great places to eat in the area as well.  They are still looking for a new name for the place.  They are thinking of maybe something to do with the porcupine they found in the restaurant or maybe something to do with the iguanas that live on the roof.  I’m sure something will surface, you don’t want to rush that kind of thing.

 Why do Katie and Brad inspire me so much?  They roughed it and lived out of a trailer for a year, they both left there great jobs in the US, they risked there savings on a place in a foreign country that needs a ton of work, and they are basically just going for it, living life and seeing what happens.  You can tell they have a strong love for each other and they seem genuinely happy.  They were awesome hosts as well, with a fridge stocked full of Imperials and Pilsens. (Costa Rican beers)

I now ask myself, why can’t I do something like this?  I think we get so stuck in our jobs and lives that sometimes we need to take a step back, reevaluate, drop everything and buy a place in Costa Rica… or whatever gets you fired up.  Basically, just like Brad and Katie, we need to make it happen one way or another.  So in closing, I want to say thanks to Brad and Kate for the hospitality and inspiration and I will continue my pursuit of happiness or as the Costa Ricans would say Pura Vida. (Pure life)

 IE

(Katy and Brad with there new puppy)