I want to tell you a story about my spiritual journey to Costa Rica for 10 days. I’m currently sitting at Hostel Urbano after a seven hour bus ride from the southern point of this beautiful country. I took the bus everywhere and stayed in hostels throughout my entire adventure. As a struggling artist and entrepreneur, finances are often tight yet I flatly refuse to let this unfortunate situation prevent me from following my passion for travel! This trip has allowed me to see differently in a myriad of ways. As a photographer I believe this to be very important to success. Experiencing different cultures opens your eyes to unique qualities of individuals and appreciation of a privileged lifestyle. Although many people in Costa Rica are at or below the poverty level, they rain joyful, peaceful and hopeful. The country is rich in other forms of green. My adventures through nature were incredibly life-enhancing. First a few statistics about Costa Rica before getting into the story proper. The region is bordered by Panama and Nicaragua. It is the safest country of the Latin American nations with no military forces. Cited as the greenest country in 2009 and on track to be carbon neutral by 2012 with over 72% of every production coming from renewable sources. There’s plenty we Americans can learn from Costa Rica. With that being said, your humble narrator will now delve into the spiritual journey as witness through my own eyes. A grand vision has been drawing me to visit Costa Rica for over a year now. It wasn’t until taking a leadership class at Keller Williams that I decided to set my plan in stone and book a flight. It’s somewhat intimidating to travel alone in a foreign country, especially when you don’t speak the language. Many of the people speak decent English and it’s usually possible to get by on a smile and nod. Everyone smiles in the same language. It’s universal.
July 13th
My friend Nick Brooks dropped me off at the airport. Turns out I had a 15 hour layover in Atlanta. This was quite but nothing I couldn’t handle. After calling multiple hotels upon arrival, I opted to set up camp in the brightly-lit food court. Traveling on a budget comes with certain sacrifices. Life begins at the end of your comfort zone. The flight from Atlanta to San Jose is approximately five hours. There’s turbulence on the way down. My phone has switched over to the Movistar network, the equivalent of Spring in Central America. I’m certainly no Tom Cruise although I did pass him jogging along the beach in Santa Monica a few months prior. The airport is surprisingly modern. It doesn’t take long to get through customs. I exchange a few words with a couple from my flight whom I later cross paths with again in La Fortuna. The coincidences don’t end there however. A taxi driver approaches me outside the airport, I jump into his small Geo Tracker and we’re off to Hostel Urbano. I’m taking in the foreign sights, recording video while my driver speeds along the highway listening to classic Americana rock. This guy has style and he speaks decent English to boot. Once we reach the hostel I’m immediately greeted by this beautiful woman. She generously exchanges my $100 bill for Colones (540 per dollar) so I can pay for the taxi. It occurs to me shortly thereafter that I left my camera bag behind. To my great satisfaction, he returns within a few minutes clutching my precious bag. The camera is one of my few prized possessions in life. What a huge relief! This serves a great first impression of this Costa Rica people. My karma ran over your dogma. I book a room for the night and make polite conversation with my roommates. After only a few hours I already feel at home amongst friendly guests. My adventurous spirit compels me to explore San Jose, so i venture outside and start walking to an unknown destination, camera in hand. It doesn’t take long before I’m lost wandering around the city. Getting lost is never a waste of time. There are fewer homeless people here than in Los Angeles. My experience getting lost in downtown LA was scarier than here. But that’s another story altogether. I inevitably find my way back home.
July 14th
A primary reason for my trip to Costa Rica is so I can document my travels and put together a killer aerial video upon my eventual return to Austin. I pack a few essentials into my hiking bag, grab the drone and catch a taxi waiting outside the hostel. He gets me safely to the nearest bus station where I buy a ticket for $1.50 to La Fortuna. The bus thunders through beautiful countryside, picking up passengers along the way. Sleep does not will itself. I’d much rather remain awake and observe all the unfamiliar surroundings. It’s humbling to witness the radical difference in living conditions compared to the States. I would go stark-raving mad confined to these small dead-end towns. I often find myself wondering what the inhabitants do to survive. It may be true that familiarity breeds content and this is likely the only life these people have ever known, yet it still boggles the mind how they can be happy. After roughly three hours we arrive at La Fortuna, a small town north of San Jose. I’m able to find a hostel after asking for advice from a woman at Red Lava tour agency. She also schedules an intense 10 hour hike up Arenal Volcano in the morning. It’s tempting to visit Monteverde and Rio Celeste as well but I’d rather conserve time and money for other destinations. At the hostel, I meet Mike from Michigan and Anna from Amsterdam. We chat over drinks at the famous Arenal Hostel across the street. I decide to get a good night’s sleep for the summit tomorrow.
July 15th
Early in the morning, a shuttle takes me, Anna and about twelve others up to the base of Arenal Volcano. We check in to a place called Green Lagoon Resort where I randomly bump into an acquaintance from Austin. We attended the same BOLD Leadership Training class at Keller Williams. It truly is a small world after all. We begin hiking up the steep face of Arenal as the eccentric tour guide comments of species of plant and provides historical facts of Costa Rica. To say it’s a steep climb into the cloud forest above would be putting it mildly. The weather conditions are humid and rainy. After two hours of intense hiking we finally reach the summit. Everyone eagerly jumps into the water. The clouds are breaking over the crater surface. Conditions are ideal and my sole focus is on capturing aerial photos and video over this beautiful swimming hole inside a dormant volcano. I fly the drone high into the sky as my fellow hikers gaze over my shoulder in curiosity. The main reason I find aerial photography so fascinating is because it gives a completely different perspective of the world. We come in peace. At one point I’m able to see Lake Arenal, the largest lake in Costa Rica, on the other side as the clouds wisp by. Eventually, I join the others for a refreshing dip in the giant crater and it immediately becomes clear what all the effort was for. We continue hiking upward for a magnificent view of the crater from above. Inevitably, what goes up most come down. During the steep decline we eventually cross paths with a young French girl in a state of shock. My friends are anxiously helping her stay awake and present. The tour guide calls an ambulance. Apparently she was diabetic and crashed due to low glucose levels. The hike continues over iconic hanging bridges, a majestic waterfall and concludes with a magnificent scenic overlook of Lake Arenal at sunset. All of these locations are captured by Lucy the Flying Camera in the Sky! We board the bus and listen to Creedence Clearwater Revival while driving down potholed dirt roads as the ambulance follows behind us. We swing by a hot spring on the way back to town. As we soak in its purifying waters, the tour guide serves everyone liquor in plastic cups. Such a perfect way to conclude the most intense hike of my life! The only missing element is Audrey. She was traveling Europe alone for three months. In this moment, I would love to be lying beside her in this romantic atmosphere. To quote The Rolling Stones, “You Can’t Always Get What You Want”. It’s always better to be satisfied with what you have in life. Wherever you go, there you are. Be present. Upon arriving back in La Fortuna, Anna and I grab dinner at a sushi restaurant, chatting over wine and candlelight before retiring to bed in exhausted relief, proud to have accomplished a magnificent feat today. I have a place to say in Amsterdam!
July 16th
I exchange goodbyes with new friends and board a bus to San Ramon. My original plan was to make the voyage to Tortuguero on the Caribbean until determining this would simply be too time-consuming. So I made a change of plans at the drop of a hat. Besides, my travel itinerary isn’t set in stone and I’d rather explore the Pacific Coast anyway. One of the best parts about traveling alone is you can wherever and whenever you please without waiting on anyone else. Public transportation is dirt cheap in Costa Rica. A bus ticket typically costs 1000 colones which roughly translates to $2. I highly recommend the bus system, especially if traveling on a budget! Now I’m off to San Ramon which takes about 2 hours. I prefer sitting in the back since there’s more privacy and leg room. I feel like a stranger in a strange land in San Ramon. It’s quite a commercialized city and sort of reminds me of a smaller ghetto version of Los Angeles. Turns out I accidentally left my sentimental hat from Zion National Park on the bus. Oh well, nothing can be done about it now. The next bus is to the coastal town of Punta Arenas. Little kids are screaming most of the way there. Where are my headphones when I need them? In Punta Arenas, I’m immediately greeted by a friendly guy who sells me a pair of cheap earbuds and secures a bus ticket to Jaco. I fly the drone along the beach while waiting for my bus. Little kids approach me asking questions in Spanish. No habla Espanol as I demonstrate the drone to their amazement. Speaking the language isn’t always necessary to inspire others. This place leaves much to be desired and I’m eager to keep moving down the coast. I miss the first bus to Jaco and catch the next one just as it starts raining. Safe in a metallic cocoon, the driver thunders through the storm for over five hours. My goal is to reach Manuel Antonio by midnight. As we near the destination, a guitarist boards the bus and sits down next to me in the back. We chat for the next half hour. His name is Emanuel. We make plans to explore Manuel Antonio in the morning, connect on Facebook and go separate ways. Now I find myself in the dimly-lit coastal town of Quepos. Walking down the streets at night is an eerie feeling. It isn’t long before I ask a young hippie couple to point me in the direction of the nearest hostel. I book a room for the night at Wide Mouth Frog and explore the dark streets taking photos before turning in for the night. I’m struck by the fact that my dorm is full of women and the people aren’t particularly friendly.
July 17th
Awake early in the morning, shower, grab breakfast and check out of the hostel. I never stay in one place more than a night. Like a rolling stone. It’s difficult to sleep past 6:30am due to equatorial sunrise and birds chirping. My next stop is Manuel Antonio and time is of the essence. This is my most anticipated destination of the trip so far. It’s a short ride up the mountain from Quepos. Within 15 minutes I’m walking along a white sandy beach surrounded by green rocky cliffs. Against my better judgement, I decide to fly the drone along the beach from a discreet spot. Within a few hundred feet the signal is lost and the bird attempts to return home. No such luck. As I walk onto the beach looking into the sky, the drone is nowhere to be seen. A guy approaches me on the beach holding the drone with arms outstretched. It’s damaged beyond repair, the camera broke clean off. It wouldn’t be the first time this has happened and likely won’t be the last until I’m able to afford the Phantom 4 with obstacle avoidance. I handle the unfortunate situation with great optimism. Accidents happen and it’s more important to be grateful in life than focus on the negative. I’m sanding on a beautiful beach in Costa Rica surrounded by nature! What reason is there to be discouraged? None whatsoever. Acquire experiences, not material possessions. Don’t worry, be happy! Besides, this drone includes a coverage plan to safeguard against damages. Hiking up the hill that leads to Manuel Antonio, I book a hostel for the night, buy a ticket to the park and enter with camera in hand. This natural wonderland is marvelous! I lose all track of the time exploring rainforest trails and taking in the beautiful sights and sounds that surprise me at every turn. Waterfalls, wildlife, beaches, towering trees; words cannot do it justice. A photo is worth a thousand, yet only with your own eyes does it make sense. Walking along the beach is like paradise. If only Audrey were here to experience this beauty with me… I meditate on the beach, strip down to my boxers and run into the purifying salty waters of the Pacific Ocean. It feels heavenly after hiking for hours. After exploring all the trails, it’s back to normal society. I’d rather stay in the national park until nightfall but my stomach is rumbling since I’ve not eaten all day. Life is all about priorities. Oftentimes my passionate lust for life overrules the more primal instincts such as food, sex and sleep. Especially during travel, my main focus is on the road ahead while simultaneously appreciating the present moment. That’s not to suggest I don’t treat everyone with respect along the way. No matter how successful, I will always remain the same genuine pure soulful being. I can truly sympathize from a very personal with the country’s motto “Pura Vida” because this is precisely the code of conduct I live by. At night the rain falls in buckets onto the thatched tin roof. I lay alone in my dorm trying to sleep through all the commotion. After what seems like hours, the storm passes and I’m able to meditate myself to sleep.
July 18th
It’s still raining in the morning. The weather patterns are quite bipolar in Costa Rica. One moment it’s a beautiful sunny sky, the next storm clouds are rolling in and it’s raining non-stop for hours. I definitely prefer the consistently clear sunny skies in Austin. Even if it’s scorching hot. You may call me a Sun-worshipping hippie, I don’t care. After checking out of the hostel and retrieving my clean clothes, I walk through the torrential downpour to the bus station. It is in this moment that I feel epic and capable of conquering any goal. Nothing is going to keep me down, no hill is insurmountable with confidence and persistence. Perhaps I’ve been brainwashed by the doctrines laid out in the 10X Rule audiobook but this is truly how I feel. Never apologize for believing in your dreams! You deserve great things in life; in fact everyone does. Don’t allow anyone to tell you otherwise. I’m soaking wet when the bus arrives and feeling ready for the next adventure. I have a conversation with this surfer dude while waiting for the bus to Dominical. It may be interesting to note that my plans are never solid during this whole trip. I’m just following an invisible guiding vision and taking advice from people I meet along the way. I don’t know where to stay at each destination. My spontaneous nature and resourcefulness always get me where I need to be. This adventure has taught me so far that I’m a natural leader. Traveling alone is not intimidating because I forge the path of my own destiny. This is true for everyone. Half the battle is having the confidence to follow your unique vision. After a few hours we arrive safe and sound in the hippie surf village of Dominical. There’s quaint little shops on both sides of a dirt road leading up to the beach. This time I follow two guys from Canada to a hostel a few clicks up the road. The rain is finally letting up at this point. Looking to my right, I see massive waves rushing into the coast. Cool Vibes Hostel is a sight for sore eyes. The name is fitting since this is the coolest hostel of my travels so far. They even have surfboards for rent and training lessons. I’ve never been surfing and figure this will be a good time to ride the wave. For now, I decide to explore the small town of Dominical. I walk halfway down the main road and discover a souvenir shop. This is the perfect place to buy jewelry for Audrey. It doesn’t take long to find a beautiful turquoise necklace and purple stone earrings. Of course, I would be remiss to not get a little something for myself and pick up a turtle necklace. Slow and steady wins the race. I interpret this as a sign to visit Tortuguero, unfortunately it is not in the cards this time around. The next place of interest is Danyasa Yoga. I’m tempted to keep walking but fortunately go in anyway. It is here that I meet the most authentic, enlightened, spiritual lady of my travels. We talk effortlessly for awhile. I feel so comfortable around her and show her the jewelry. I tell her it’s for a special lady back home and she remarks on the metal from which it’s made. It apparently repels negative energy. As a skeptical, scientific type I immediately reject this claim in my mind but would rather believe that this necklace has magical powers than the alternative. She gives me advice for the trip to Nauyaca Falls tomorrow. I register for a yoga class knowing full well that I probably won’t make it. Her positive nature is contagious. I grab nachos to go from Tortilla Flats and head back to the hostel, lying in a hammock listening to my audiobook until sleepytime.
July 19th
I’m up bright and early in the morning to catch a bus to the entrance of Nauyaca Falls. My friends Bryan and Kara in Austin recently visited this majestic waterfall. I’ve been determined to follow suit ever since I saw the beautiful photos. The bus drops me off and I begin the steep decline, camera in hand, mile markers guiding the way. Only 6km, or roughly 3 miles left to go. This should be easy, I reassure myself. Wrong! Sometimes you must trudge miles through the mud to reach paradise. As a conscious being, you should always strive to focus on the beauty all around you on this journey called life. As a photographer I’m always training my eye to see differently. Whenever a particular scene catches my eyes, I pause to reflect, get into position, get the framing right, adjust settings if necessary, look through the viewfinder and preserve a specific moment in time in a digital photograph. As an artist, do I then immediately think about how I can achieve wealth and fame with that likely mediocre photograph? Of course not! That’s not a motivating force in the moment. This whole adventure is a prime example of my growth as an artist. I’m not getting paid on assignment to travel Costa Rica. Rather, I recognize my unique talents and do it for the love and passion of the quest. People regularly ask me along the way, “Are you a professional?”. I’m never quite sure how to answer this question. Is anyone a professional as their chosen craft, and what does that even mean? The commonly cited statistic is that it takes 10,000 dedicated hours of practice to master something. Sure, it may seem like an arbitrary number but if this is indeed true, I’m certainly not a master by any stretch of the imagination. That being said, I’m still only 29 years old with plenty of time to grow as a human being. Now it’s a matter of surviving long enough to reach the ripe old age of 90 or whatever. In the words of Abraham Lincoln, it’s not the years in your life that matters but rather the life in your years. I have ambitions to travel doing what I love with the woman I love for many years into the future. The only limiting factor is money. I firmly believe that if you do what you love, the money will inevitably follow! These are a few of my visionary realizations as I continue hiking along this spiritual trail of life. No mind-altering drugs necessary. Nature is my drug of choice. At the halfway mark I happen upon the ticket office and just keep right on walking. Man doesn’t own nature! Although starving, I don’t need to stop for food or water. I’m running on a different kind of fuel. Pure curiosity for what lies ahead! I refuse to pay for the privilege to satisfy my own curiosity! Venturing forward through the gate warning “Private Property” leads to Nauyaca Falls. Words cannot begin to describe the powerful force of nature streaming from this gargantuan waterfall! You can almost feel in your bones the pressure coming from this enormous jet stream. After a few moments of jubilation and wishing everyone could witness this magnificence with their own eyes, I do the next best thing and start snapping photos from different angles like a man obsessed. The upper falls is absolutely incredible! There’s more to see down below. Slippery steps lead the way to Lower Falls. This is possibly even more magnificent. The water rushes in a mad torrent from above to crash with elegant fury into the large swimming hole below. And “swimming” is to be taken lightly since the water is so choppy that such a task proves to be quite difficult. After taking photo from many perspectives I strip down and jump in with careful attention not to be pulled down the rushing river into the rocks below. I want to stay here for hours but I recognize that the memory, photos and video will remain. And I can always come back with more people next time. I would love to organize a retreat to Costa Rica in the next few years! My experience traveling to Peru at the leadership of Jenna Jasso was life-changing in so many ways. She’s a huge inspiration to my growth as a spiritual human being. I give gratitude for having so many great friends in Austin. I’ve only been gone for a week and already missing home. I sincerely desire to get to know Audrey on a more deeper, intimate level. The first step in that direction is when she picks me up from the airport. Also, I already have a few important meetings scheduled moving into next month. Ready to get back to work growing my business and ranking on the first page of Google. My top priority upon returning, aside from Audrey, is writing this blog post, editing photos/video and sending in the drone for repairs. Then I need to figure out how to pay rent this month. I only spend $500 during my whole trip, which translates in $50/day, most of which comes from dining out! My meeting with Silverton Partners should prove to be quite lucrative. They’re a venture capital firm in Austin who want to license a few aerial photos and use my headshot services. This newfound business relationship could lead to a hefty investment further down the road as my business continues to grow! But enough talk about money, I’m getting sidetracked. So, at this point, I’m literally running down the trail, inspiring people along the way to keep pushing forward. You’re almost there, keep going, it’s totally worth it! Hiking uphill the last quarter mile is a bitch but perseverance pays off and I reach the top. Mission accomplished! Now for the next challenge… How to get back to Dominical? Rather than wait for the next bus I start walking in the direction of town. After conquering the 6 miles roundtrip hike to Nauyaca Falls, this should be walk in the park. A car up ahead pulls off the road at a fruit stand. They’re headed my way but the car is already full, so I continue walking down the metaphorical road of dreams. I’m determined to reach Dominical on my own two feet until a truck pulls to the side of the road. The driver motions me to get in and I happily oblige. These two nice gentlemen give me a ride to Dominical. It would have taken another hour to reach on foot. To demonstrate my appreciation I offer to pay but they won’t accept so instead shake the driver’s hand and we part ways, never to see each other again. I will remember this kind act of generosity for many years to come. I’m dying of thirst and stop in for the best smoothie I’ve ever had. It’s so delicious! I feel strangely famous walking through town and decide to say Hi to the woman at Danyasa Yoga. I tell her of my adventure to Nauyaca Falls, show off photos, direct her to my website, apologize for missing the class and depart with “Namaste”. I arrive at the hostel just in time for check out. The owner arranges for a taxi to pick me up and I’m off to Uvita. This is the location where Envision Fest takes place, of which a few friends from Austin participated in last year. The taxi driver takes me down a bumpy dirt road off the beaten path to a hostel called Flutterby House right near the beach. This place is just way cool! It’s a fully sustainable treehouse community. I’m staying in Howler House marked by a pirate flag. I can’t resist recording a Facebook Live video real quick. This hostel is essentially a playground for adults. As always, this one is also cheap at $15/night. My roommate from Switzerland invites me to join her and another lady from New York for a bike ride to a nearby waterfall. I haven’t eaten all day but I’m totally up for yet another adventure. After all, you can never see too many waterfalls in one day. Our mountain bikes take us over rocky roads and up steep hills until we reach the promised land. The waterfall pales in comparison to Nauyaca Falls. It’s still quite refreshing after the sweaty bike ride to get here. Little kids jump from rocks and a Tarzan-like character courageously uses the waterfall as a slide. I meditate on a rock while waiting for the ladies to get ready. We make the downhill ride homeward. I finally decide to attempt surfing and opt for a boogie board instead. I quickly get bored and return to the hostel for Happy Hour. I have a conversation with an elderly hippie photographer guy at the bar. He’s been living in Uvita for 8 years in a house overlooking the notable whale tail. This would be a great opportunity to get a photo of the whale tail from a proper vantage point since my drone is broken. However, it’s already been a marvelous day and I must keep moving onward in the morning.
July 20th
Awake early in the morning to the annoying sound of shoveling dirt in the garden. I pack up my belongings, donate “Becoming Steve Jobs” to the hostel with my signature and website written inside. I get directions to the closest bus station and proceed to walk there. It’s already surprisingly hot at 7am. After waiting for an hour, the bus finally pulls up and it takes me to Palmar Norte. From here, a taxi takes me and a young popular girl to Sierpe. It is possible to then take a boat from here to Drake Bay which will be arriving directly. The most exhilarating boat ride of my life through crocodile-infested waters! When the canal opens up into the Pacific Ocean, the driver is forced to take strategic measures to skinny over waves without capsizing. The wind rushing past my body is truly invigorating. Waves rock the boat from side to side. Luckily no one suffers from seasickness. In less than an hour we reach Drake Bay. A woman named Martina is waiting for passengers on the shore. As usually, I don’t yet have a place to stay. The four of us take an uphill stroll the short distance to Martina’s Place. I check into another cheap hostel and reserve my tour to Corcovado National Park. It’s not allowed to explore this wild jungle land without a tour guide since people have gotten lost, never to be found again. At Martina’s suggestion, I walk along trails on the coast taking photos along the way. The storm clouds are quite foreboding yet I continue moving onward. I stop briefly to capture video of waves crashing into rocks along the coast and my prescription glasses fly out of my shirt pocket. I can only surmise they are floating is the Pacific Ocean at this very moment. Perhaps they are inside a Humpback whale, who knows exactly. This is quite disappointing. We had a good run for many years. I’ve been wanting to buy new glasses for quite some time; I guess now’s my chance. Or maybe I’ll just stop wearing them altogether. Perhaps this is a blessing in disguise and I got my wish to see different. I eat a tasty meal at a restaurant overlooking the bay, chat with my roommates from Switzerland, listen to my latest audiobook on Elon Musk and pass out in preparation for another epic adventure at the crack of dawn…
July 21st
Eat a light breakfast in the morning. We are greeted by the tour guides next door and board another boat, this time to Corcovado National Park. This boat ride is roughly an hour. Exploring Corcovado is unlike any other experience thus far. The jungle surrounds us, wild indigenous animals hoot and howl, all the while our guide leads us through this majestic jungle, carrying a scope to examine creatures from a distance. My nickname for this guy is “Eagle Eye” since he’s able to spot an exotic animals from seemingly impossible distances. It’s more difficult to see since I lost my glasses. However, I see best through the camera lens anyway. At one point he aims the scope into leaves of a tall tree and sets sight on a Scarlet McCaw, the exotic colorful bird native to Costa Rica. I can barely identify, much less find it, with my telephoto lens so he snaps a photo with my iPhone through the scope. Pretty awesome! After a few hours we reach the ocean and walk along the beach until arriving from whence we came. This adventure was very rewarding and life-affirming. We must practice conservation of natural rainforests in order to keep this planet and its inhabitants health. Corcovado is the most biodiverse jungle in all of Costa Rica! Let’s protect it from deforestation and hunting! Dolphins and a family of humpback whales are spotted on the way back. I’m able to capture video on the Sony A6000. It’s terrible quality yet I’m still glad to have experienced this marvel. I sleep through the night once back at the hostel. Multiple days of hiking takes a toll on your body energy levels after awhile.
July 22nd
I grab breakfast in the morning and run to catch the boat to Sierpe. I start chatting with another drone photographer from Paris. We hit off immediately and I give him my business card. The drone laws are apparently different in France. You’re not allowed to fly in the city under penalty of confiscation and fines. Regardless, I would very much enjoy the opportunity to visit Paris someday soon! To everyone’s surprise, the boat runs out of gasoline. Luckily, a passing boat driver tosses over an extra container and we’re off to the races! A collectivo driver is waiting for me courtesy of Martina’s reservation. The red Toyota truck speeds past palm trees to the bus station in Palmar Norte. I pay him in accumulated coins and he forks over the bus ticket to San Jose. The bus is an industrial-style, air-conditioned, mean driving machine. I relax to audiobooks as it hums through another torrential downpour. I give up my seat at the back of the bus to a mother and child. No regrets whatsoever for this humble decision. This proves to be the most precious moment during my trip. The little girl is fast asleep on her mother’s shoulder. Love is the answer, folks! Remember it always! Too many hateful people are in a position of power in the world. That needs to change for our society to truly flourish and being a shining example of humanity!
July 23rd
I’ve been writing this travel memoir ever since arriving in San Jose. My flight to Austin leaves in two hours and I really must begin packing. My friend Audrey is picking me up at the airport. It’s only been 10 days and I already can’t wait to see her face with fresh eyes. Ready to get back to work. There’s still so much to accomplish in the beautiful city of Austin, Texas!
**You may also be interested in my blog post: How To Survive Burning Man
**Don't hesitate to contact me if you need a professional photographer. I specialize in aerial photography, event photography, concert photography, real estate photography, and wedding photography. Currently accepting new clients in Austin, Dallas, Houston, San Antonio, and surrounding areas!