My journey to Costa Rica, the Rich Coast, began at 4 AM on a crisp Sunday morning. Like so many of my travels in the past, I was filled with an overload of adrenaline, nerves, lists running through my head of all the things that had to be done, loose ends to tie up, calls and emails to complete.
After all of my attempted due diligence and boxes checked off my list, of course I overlooked packing something as simple as my razor.
As one discovers, often the hard way, it is the simple things that really matter in Costa Rica, like a razor. Such basic necessities can be hard to come by in such a remote area like Playa Grande, where I will stay for the upcoming three months.
I have been asked to manage eight Airbnb rentals for some longtime friends while they travel. As my compensation, I will live on site at the beach during the low season.
As I have discovered over many years, in both in travel and life, less is more. Simplicity is the truest wealth, as Leonardo Da Vinci said, “simplicity is the ultimate sophistication.” We so often make life painfully complicated with many things that in the long run just do not matter. When in Costa Rica, I am always reminded once again of how simple and rich life can be with almost nothing.
Following a very early wake up and a drive into Austin by my beautiful mother, along with some deeply felt tears and words of goodbye, I was relayed to my good friend Steve, who then drove me on to the airport where we arrived to a very busy scene full of early morning travelers.
Already 6am on a Sunday morning, it looked like the end of a Thanksgiving weekend with people and traffic everywhere. I arrived with three suitcases packed to 50 pounds of capacity, two of them full of gear for my friends… drills, grinders, etc.
My early arrival did not prepare me for the check in fiasco that was about to ensue. A medical form was needed to enter Costa Rica which I had to fill out on the fly by logging into the website for Southwest Airlines. Three of the attendants at Southwest were helping me frantically in order to make my flight on time.
One of the attendants with Southwest was extremely kind and was very helpful to me and allowed me to check my third bag for free amidst all of the pandemonium.
As it turned out, one of my bags was over by 3 pounds and so I was asked to then transfer 3 pounds of luggage into one bag from the other which only added more hilarity in the moment as travelers looked on to the opening of my luggage.
About the Author
Kirk Lee is a Writer, Meditation teacher and nomad currently living in Costa Rica. Kirk has been an explorer on the journey for over 25 years having traveled to 14 countries culminating in a year living in Kyoto, Japan. Kirk writes about travel through the lens of simplicity and kindness to be found in people and places of every culture. Explore Kirk’s travel journals at https://zenandink.substack.com/.
