Dear garden, you and me worked hard this year, and it was our first year : I’m proud of us! Here is a recollection of my discoveries and experimentations with permaculture, and also a little love letter to remember what we did together and share with you readers what the garden taught me. Thank you ❤
I am writing this article to remind you that it’s very important to dream and to wish for certain things. Advice: write down your dreams very precisely. Only when you can know exactly what you want, can you manifest it.
This year for the first time (in my life ?), I spent my summer holidays in the mountains. And I discovered the joys of it! I am usually a beach person, summer doesn’t mean summer if I’m not at the beach. Now that I live near the ocean, it was a good reason to go explore the famous « Eastern Sierra ».
When I arrived in Costa Rica, my dreams were insane and wild. Very detailed, mixing very random bunch of people and moments of my life. It is true that I was sleeping a lot more than usual… which helps! It felt like my brain was going through a major cleaning / sorting process. The tectonic plates of my brain were very active.
We all have a different relationship to work. This relationship evolves all along our life and is shaped by many different things: ethics, habits, social norms, family history… After my stay in Costa Rica, I completely changed my lifestyle and my work style. Today I try to build my career around a lifestyle I have chosen. Whereas before, my lifestyle was dictated by the job I had. In an ideal world, I wish we can all design our own job around a lifestyle that benefits both us and the environment.
If you’re planning on taking a trip to Costa Rica, you’ve arrived at the right place: here are all my best spots ! I spent 6 months travelling there by myself and absolutely loved every second of my stay. I knew almost nothing about this country and hadn’t planned anything, I just followed my heart and intuition and stumbled upon amazing places to volunteer, go to the beach, hike or chill in cheap hostels.
Max Ernst« What do you do in life? » It’s a very simple and casual question. But also one that tells about our identity and our role in society. We usually answer with our job. It makes sense. Well… we used to answer that. Was that making any sense?
I started writing this article several months BC (Before Coronavirus), and I’m surprised to acknowledge how quick the mechanisms I was trying to demonstrate here have been revealed by this virus that forces us to drastically slow down and stop all of our permanent restlessness.
In our community farm « The Lavra », we don’t host volunteers (or wwoofers) all year long. We prefer to set up a volunteers’ week and gather a group of people to help us boost the farm’s projects. At the top left of the picture are Steve and Kayou who created this place in 2012.
If you are a permaculture lover, or if you’re looking for an eco-friendly place to visit in Costa Rica, the Rancho Margot should interest you!
I’m more convinced than ever that living in a community is made for me. And also for other people who might not know it yet…
For those who have been to Costa Rica, « pura vida » sounds like music to the ears. It is impossible to not come across this expression when you travel there. Everybody says it all the time, all day long. It basically means « life is beautiful man, it’s all good, pure life, don’t worry be happy. »
PUERTO JIMENEZ. I wake up dancing to bachata and smile while brushing my teeth. The pastry where i am meeting my guide is open at dawn.
Sea turtles belong to the reptile group. They have lived in the ocean for 150 million years. They survived all the past climate crises. When early European explorers discovered the Pacific Islands, there were millions of turtles in the sea. Today, the 7 different species are all in danger.
Hi Allison,
I wanted to thank you deeply for welcoming me in your jungle sanctuary called Intercambiamos near Puerto Jimenez during my stay in Costa Rica. I am so thrilled about your projects and ideas, I can’t wait for more people to learn here about your path, your vision and your philosophy.
On t’écoute 🙂
I hadn’t planned anything before leaving for Costa Rica. Nothing. The voice inside me was telling me : « you’ll see when you get there. » The excitement of planning nothing was a big part of the thrill. I was open to all trajectories and intuitions.
After spending 1 month near the Volcano Arenal, I decided to explore the Nicoya Peninsula, situated on the Pacific coast of Costa Rica. The south tip of the peninsula is known for being very remote: jungle beaches and dirty roads. I have 10 days ahead of me and no plans. I am going to let my intuition guide me.
When I was in Costa Rica, I volunteered in two different sea turtle camps. The first one (see this article) is situated on the Pacific coast in Playa Cabuyal. This camp is operated by an American non-profit (The Leatherback Trust). It doesn’t welcome people outside of the biologists and volunteers working on site. The second camp I went is situated on the Atlantic coast, near Tortuguero National Park. This one, called Estacion Las Tortugas, is open to the public, it is an environmental educational center raising awareness about this endangered species.
Have you ever heard about Alexander Von Humboldt ? If his name doesn’t ring a bell, you might have come across one of his beautiful landscape diagrams. They usually picture a whole ecosystem along with its scientific data with a great sense of visual synthesis.
From Neolithic to Native Americans, tribes around the world were organized into communities in order to get food, shelter, childcare, education and entertainment. The invention of agriculture transformed the nomadic lifestyle of the hunter-gatherers. The tribes started to settle down. They began domesticating plants ; saving the best seeds for the next season ; improving their techniques to pass them on to future generations.
Working, cooking, tidying, eating & living together.
I experienced community living for 6 months in Costa Rica. Helping on fields, I was sharing the everyday life with project coordinators and volunteers on site. Communal living is the cement that holds these places together and the key to their success.
Learning from landscapes 