Each morning seems to provide new and interesting sounds I have not heard before. Time is endlessly malleable as I make my way onto the shoreline. This morning there is not another soul on the beach. I deeply inhale it all in, allowing my breathing to find its cadence with the incoming tide of the ocean.
This is meditation.
There is no time. I effortlessly find my way to a shaded patch of sand underneath a banana tree. Moving into my breathing and morning meditative exercises, everything seems to flow naturally. My movements continue in sync with the incoming tide.
I decided to forego my usual walk this morning. As much as I crave it and it sets something right within me, my feet over the last few days have developed huge open blisters from the heels to both big and little toes. The rubber garden shoes I bought are fantastic for getting around daily life here, but they were definitely not made for 5 mile walks in the sand with no socks. It seems to be my way to always go about learning life’s lessons in the hardest way possible.
Instead, I decided on a morning swim in the ocean. Delving into the water, I could feel the healing power and rejuvenation in my body, my skin, and my spirit.
It seems we have made life so complicated in the modern world. I feel like all is in perfect balance here. When I returned from my morning ritual it was time for me to pack up my life into my bag and relocate to Apartment 5, just three doors down. New guests are arriving to the studio I have been staying since my arrival. Casa 2.
Moving to Apartment 5 is like a luxury upgrade from my studio next to my entrepreneurial Aussie neighbor, who I can always hear through the wall. We are beginning to work off the rough edges from our first meeting and seem to be warming up a bit. This morning, amidst our conversation, he told me about his leadership role in Scientology. This is going to be fun. We both greed that Tom Cruise is a lunatic, and yet he gets more entertaining all the time.
I was eager to move into my new place, made my last cup of 1820 coffee in Casa 2 before moving over. The new tiny apartment is simple and much to my liking. It has everything I need…small kitchen, a very few basic items, nice King sized bed, living and sitting area for workspace, fantastic porch with hammock. good wifi, spartan existence for sure. I am all set.
I celebrated my new home by cutting open a new fresh mango. It was the pure deliciousness of heaven on earth, the simplest of life’s pleasures. It is no wonder I Iove mango juice so much. Once settled in I had my first call with the Chinese Medicine clinic I am doing some freelance remote work for back in the U.S. All went seamlessly. I am so grateful to have the opportunity for this remote work which will I hope will sustain me easily during my time in Costa Rica.
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
- Day 5 – Last night I drifted off to sleep while reading The Old Man and the Sea by Ernest Hemingway.
- Day 6 – I heard the morning songs of exotic birds I had never heard before
- Day 7 – I have been quickly reminded once again that one can starve in Costa Rica if one does not know the local routine
- Day 8 – I was abruptly awakened before 5:30 am to the sounds of what I can only imagine to be monkeys in the trees just above my house.
- Day 9 – I began my walk toward the mountain, noticing the blisters on my feet
- Day 10 – I was reading back through some of my old journals I packed with me from the last few years
- Day 11 – I have been fortunate to have glimpsed life and the world through a myriad of cultural perspectives.
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/
