The Gateway to La Pura Vida — When I first arrived in Costa Rica to become a permanent resident, I stayed for a while in a gringa friend’s cabina not far from town. …

A text conversation between two ancient, stoner friends — Adelia: It just occurred to me that we rely more and more on emoticons in texts than actual words. Who needs words when AI can do it? This is my new panic. Dan: I wrote a poem just now. I know you because I know me I know the despair of…

Reflections on a new life —

My female heroes — Having traveled here for many years, I had adopted Costa Rica as my home away from home. I’m especially fond of the valley in the southern zone, in the hills surrounding San Isidro de El General. Here, I find peace and tranquility and time to reset. However, it was not…

Central American Style — Living in Costa Rica is not the same as living anywhere else in the world, and is wildly different from the Pacific Northwest, from whence I came. In western Washington, particularly on the Olympic Peninsula, once the ground warms up after winter winds, a seed pressed into moist soil leaps…

Pura Vida Lifestyle —

Feeding my soul — Remembering visits with my late friend and art teacher, Jan Hart, a long-term Costa Rica resident, and honorary Tica. November 6, 2019, San Rafael Norte, Perez Zeledon, Costa Rica Virginia stopped by again today, her arrival once again perfectly timed to coincide with the onset of my afternoon nap. This…

Atole de Arroz con Leche, with Love — Remembering visits with my late friend and art teacher, Jan Hart, a long-term Costa Rica resident and honorary Tica. In the first week of my month-long Costa Rican writing sabbatical near the end of 2019, neighbor Virginia (pronounced Veer-HEEN-ia) came unannounced one afternoon, setting off the barking dogs and causing…

Food for thought? — Some years ago, on a visit to the beautiful island of Bali, Indonesia, I witnessed a “night of the flies” from the relative protection of my cliffside terrace in the town of Ubud. Suddenly the sky darkened with millions of tiny creatures madly flapping about in a sex-crazed aerial frenzy. …