Now for a flashback. In early 2020, I applied for and was accepted into a certificate program in Ecopsychology. The institute that was offering this hybrid course, was located in California. Our cohort was to start the program together online, with some introductory offerings and eventually, we would all meet up at a beautiful retreat center in Mendocino County. The plan was to meet there throughout that summer on several different occasions and by the end of the summer, we would all be certified to share Ecotherapy with our clients. At this point, you may be asking yourself what this has to do with opening a boutique hotel in Costa Rica. I promise, it will make sense by the end of this story.
So, in our collective consciousness, we all remember what happened in 2020 and how disruptive it was for life in general, but for travel and living in close quarters with strangers, in particular. Needless to say, the in-person part of the retreat had to be postponed, until it was agreed that everyone felt comfortable with traveling (I was the only one not living on the west coast already) and sharing accommodations and space with others.
If you read the first entry into this blog post, you may remember that our first trip to Costa Rica took place in May of 2021. And, you can imagine how fresh that trip and the memory of the beauty of Costa Rica’s landscapes and its people were in my mind when I arrived in California in July to get down to the experiential piece of the training. That’s when the idea of returning to Costa Rica to practice Ecotherapy began to take hold of me. Coincidentally, one of the men in my cohort had spent a great deal of time in Costa Rica working and studying in his field and we happened to both be alumni of The University of Florida. This led to many conversations about both.
As frequently happens in life, the making of a dream into a reality often takes many twists and turns that are unforeseen at the time the dream takes hold. Particularly, when you are in partnership with someone who has a more practical mind than the dreamer’s mind that I am prone to embrace. The beauty of this joining of minds is the balance that comes from the yin and the yang of the relationship. The dream would eventually be realized, it would just look a little differently than the original picture in my mind.
One of my greatest strengths has always been being a good host. I have thrown countless parties and events over the years, from way back in my college years until now. I have taken leadership roles in clubs and organizations and the one theme that was central to all these roles was the planning and carrying out of social and philanthropic gatherings. I am not only good at it, but it brings me a great deal of satisfaction and joy.
My partner, aka my husband, Manny, knew this about me and not only supported, but encouraged me to put my talents to work. While I truly loved my work as a clinical social worker, there were many aspects of working within systems that just never sat well with me. Our solution to this discomfort was to leave the system and to become an entrepreneur, putting my strengths to work, here in Costa Rica. The Bungalows have a quality about them that must be experienced to be fully appreciated.
While I am not directly providing Ecotherapy as a practice, I promise you that the therapeutic effects of entering this property are palpable. There is an immediate sense of decompression when you enter our gate. I know this because I felt it for myself the first time I arrived and I have this feeling validated day after day by my guests who share with me their experience of staying here which confirms that the feeling is mutual.