Costa Rica Wrap-Up & Plans For March!

February was so short!!!! Well....since I gave up coffee for the month, the mornings of February did tend to ddrrrrraaaaaagggggggg, but overall, it went by so fast!

I enjoyed my pleasant day-dream vacation in Costa Rica this month. I can honestly say I've thought about living in a treehouse every day since my blog about Finca Bellevista, and even the crazy bright colored bugs have grown on me as I've looked at more and more pictures. Costa Rica's "pura vida" lifestyle is pretty enticing and I very much hope to visit one day.  I definitely want to take a zip-line tour over the canopy of one of the cloud forests, and I'd love to see how my attempt at gallo pinto stacks up...and maybe to take a cooking class:)

Studying Costa Rica was definitely a departure from my time with the Congo, and I must admit I had a form of culture shock switching out of thinking about some of the heavier subject matters discussed in my January blogs.  Life in the Congo is so different from my lifestyle, which made studying their customs and way of life fascinating. At the same time, I felt a lot of sadness for the unfortunate and, at times, unconscionable situations that many Congolese people face. To switch from reading current news stories about rape being used as a weapon of war in the Congo to seeing headlines about Costa Rica as a leader in environmental policy and being a top tourist destination was about as drastic a change as possible.

It was really heartening to learn about the "Switzerland of Central America" (they abolished their military in 1949!) and to marvel at the beauty of their well-preserved ecosystems.  I felt inspired to take a second look at the land on which I live - I've tried to more appreciate the plants and creatures around me (even the darn green parrots that hang out in a tree on my street and squawk up a storm).  I also really really loved the gallo pinto I made on feast night and the Lizano sauce I bought - I will absolutely continue enjoying Costa Rican food!!!!

All in all - I had a great month immersing myself in Costa Rica!

Soooooo, are you ready to hear where I'm armchair traveling to this month????.........Korea!!!!!!!

Costa Rican Treehouse Community!!!!

So, I am a huge disney fan, and I often daydream about where I would live in Disneyland if ever given the option, and I've always thought it would be ideal to live in the Swiss Family Treehouse (yah, I know it's Tarzan themed now, but I like to think if I had the power to live in Disneyland I could also have the power to time travel to back before disney defiled the treehouse with the Tarzan theme). But anyways.........getting back to the main point of this blog...I discovered a treehouse community developing in Costa Rica!

Inspired by the Ewok village in Star Wars, a young couple have begun creating what is being billed as the first planned, modern, sustainable treehouse community called Finca Bellevista. The location is unbelievable- close to beaches, national parks, hiking trails and whitewater rivers.  They began construction about three years ago, but are still in the early stages of development with about 5 houses completed, as well as a community center and other support structures.  Although most owners are using their treehouses as rentals, the developers of the community are hoping that more full time residents will move in - they even point out that one resident telecommutes from his bungalow by using 3G cell and internet service.

It seems like an expat's paradise at the moment - ownership at the moment is 60% american, 35% Canadian, and 5% European. Hmmmm, I always thought I was in San Diego to stay, but I might have to start thinking about a treehouse retirement plan:)