Last night I drifted off to sleep while reading The Old Man and the Sea by Ernest Hemingway. It seems to be the perfect book to have brought along on my season along the coast of Costa Rica.
The story takes place in Cuba. I enjoyed getting lost in the passage about the old man preparing for bed. He was so poor and living so simply as a humble fisherman with only a tiny, one room shack with a dirt floor.
The tiny shack I am living in is so much nicer….tile floor, running water, a shower with lukewarm water, an AC unit and a fridge, even a hammock out front. With a few books, wifi and the ocean just a walking path away, fresh fish on Tuesday and Thursday, local vegetables, who could want for anything more?
This is the simple life I have always dreamed of. If only I had my painting supplies, perhaps a female companion. That would be nice.
I fell asleep again to the soft sound of rain. It was my first night not to sleep like a baby. I woke a number of times in the night. With my phone still nearby and the conditioned response from decades in the modern world to check in, my addiction has not been broken yet. I will break it. I am determined. Maybe I will take certain days with no access at all and check email only once or twice a week.
This morning, the light coming through the window pulled me out of my dream. The trees, flowers and unique birds of the area all began to arise. I wanted to be a part of it. I threw off the sheets, pulled on my trunks and headed out for the truest form of meditation, a four mile walk along the empty beach.
Follow Kirk’s Adventure from the start:
The Start – Five years ago I was quietly living in a small 1100 square-foot home just outside my native hometown of Austin, Texas.
Day 1 – My journey to Costa Rica, the Rich Coast, began at 4 AM on a crisp Sunday morning.
Day 2 – Arrival into Costa Rica was quite smooth and seamless compared to my recent experiences in Japan where things are done to another level of precision and detail
Day 3 – This morning I woke naturally at 5am as the light was already beginning to make its way through my window.
Day 4 – There is a stretch of beach to the estuary across from Tamarindo where I picked up two native branches that washed onto shore that will make great writing or painting brushes.
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/
