The Life of a Digital Nomad: Balancing it all in Costa Rica
- Jess Nadeau
- Mar 5, 2023
- 4 min read
Costa Rica was my first "real" trip. The first country I visited as a backpacker when I was 19 years old. I loved it. Yet there are so many beautiful countries to see, it wasn't on my list of countries to return to...
But a few months ago, 5 girlfriends and I were looking for a place to meet up under the sun and well, Costa Rica was our pick!
It's accessible, easy to travel, has great beaches and surf, a lovely culture... it ticked all our boxes. We would bring our Squamish community to the Nicoya Peninsula for a week. But why would I go just for a week!? Going for a whole month just made more sense!
I established my priorities for the trip:
Spending quality time with the girls
Trying out a coworking/coliving space I had had my eyes on for a while
Visiting Nosara as it came highly recommended
And it would all happen in locations I hadn't visited my first time around. Perfect!
Coworking/Coliving in Santa Teresa
I landed in Liberia and made my way to Santa Teresa. Traveling by public transport required some adjustments as I had become way too comfortable driving around in my Jeep the last couple years in Canada.
My expectations for Santa Teresa were high and even though it wasn't a coup de coeur, I'm glad I got to check it out.
I had booked a room with Outsite. I had spotted them on social media a few months prior and had gotten it into my head to try their membership. It seemed fitting to do it then (they don't have any locations in Canada yet).
I was curious to find out if it was truly better than Airbnb's; if the community aspect really was great; if the value for money really was noteworthy; if I'd end up changing the way I nomad around.
The short answer to it all is: no.
More on that in a future post. But for now, all that matters is that I visited Santa Teresa for the first time and stayed at a coliving/coworking space for the first time. And I love firsts. I got my work done while exploring a new place and going to the beach every day.
After running into a good friend totally out of the blue (I absolutely love it when that happens), I met up with 2 of the girls who had already arrived in the country and we made our way up the coast.
A whole week in Sámara, with some of my favourite people 💜
Back in September 2022, I modified my work schedule to one week on - one week off. The dream! The goal is to enjoy this new (temporary) freedom to travel stress free and explore new initiatives/personal projects in my free time. More on that in another post too!
Therefore, after a productive work week in Santa Teresa, I was free to enjoy my time with the girls.
This particular group of friends is remarkably good at enjoying the little things, falling into deep and transformative conversations and practicing the art of just being.
We weren't there to be tourists, we were there to be together under the sun.
Our week was split between Playa Carrillo and Sámara, and filled with walks on the beach, getting lost in forest trails, and surfing or attempting to surf. We celebrated a birthday, had a mini bachelorette evening and cooked beautiful meals.
The whole week felt special and I knew very well this kind of opportunity doesn't happen often enough. For everyone to be free and able to travel together. No kids. Enough money. Health. Time. We had it all but I'm well aware that times can change fast. So our level of gratefulness was through the roof. 💜
It can be so refreshing to be in a new place with people I love. I spend so much time alone lately, this truly was a treat. And on top of creating memories with others, sharing stories and laughter, as a group, we could also afford a much different type of accommodation.
Let's just say that budget accommodation for 6 people is on quite a different level than budget accommodation for a solo traveler!
The week ended and our group downsized from 6 to 2.
I still had a few days before my work week started, so one of the girls stayed in Sámara with me, before heading North for her kiting adventure. Having time to reflect on our drama-free girls trip and to slow down again created a perfect transition to finding myself alone again.
After years of hearing about it, I finally made it to Nosara.
Besides getting work done, I wanted to enjoy the sun, do as much yoga as possible and get a feel for the community.
The yoga studios were abundant and some of the teachers world-class. I discovered what is now one of my all-time favourite brunch spot (Destiny's 💜) and reinforced my newfound love for smoothie bowls.
My days were slow and balanced. I worked mornings and evenings, keeping my afternoons open for wandering, beach time, window shopping, reading...
Whilst the Airbnb I had booked was great for my work days, once that was over, I craved the "boogie Nosara" experience.
This is how I had my first luxury dorm experience. The most expensive dorm I have ever booked. But in a beautiful boutique hotel with delicious breakfast, daily yoga, and a very grown-up vibe. I henceforth find myself comparing all dorms and hostels to this experience, setting the bar unfairly high!
I'd say I could have stayed there longer... but truth is it was mid-December and the wintery Christmas spirit was calling me to my hometown.
So I happily packed up and left Costa Rica.
Will I be returning a third time? I want to say no, there's too much to see!
But really, who knows :)
All I know is that
when the stars magically align to go on an adventure with friends, I should always say yes
luxury dorms are worth it and a good way to meet aligned travelers
what was once comfortable can quickly become outside my comfort zone when out of practice (like navigating a foreign public bus system!)
coworking/coliving spaces are cool in theory but not necessarily in practice... although I shall try again
and well, never say never!
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