Nosara, Costa Rica is one of my favourite places on the planet - so I made it my second home. It have had so many first time experiences here - things I had never even considered wanting or needing, but have served to shape and awaken within me a fuller way of being than I had ever considered for myself. From walks in the jungle by the stars at night, contact with wild creatures in their natural habitat, introduction to beauty and colours and sounds I’d never known existed, witnessing landscapes that no photo can do justice - basically nature at it’s absolute finest. It was here that I finally understood the importance of being connected to nature and all creation - and the realization that the balance between ourselves and the planet is so delicate that it deserves our protection.

This may seem cliché, or obvious from a current events standpoint, but to actually experience and feel that connection is life changing. I’ve found knowledge in the shape of a tree, understanding in the movement of a snake, respect in the form of a wave, healing under the cascade of a waterfall, and God itself in a sunset. Here, I will try to share as much of these life changing moments, captured through the lens of my camera, compressed and wirelessly teleported into your device, and maybe your mind can fill in the blanks; the sensations that cannot be bottled or even truly recreated by man. Then I think we can begin to come to a mutual understanding of the truest luxury that exists - experiencing the beauty of our naked planet before we can experience it no more.

APRIL 16 2019

We are shaped by our childhood trauma. About 10 years ago I discovered that for myself about a decade ago when I partook in a transformational workshop where I learned for the first time about the things I was holding on to since childhood. Memories that were holding me back from the life I wanted, and blockages that I was still living with. On this most recent trip to the Caribbean side of Costa Rica, I was forced to witness one of those moments transpire firsthand. It’s hard to forget the image of my good friend Patrick running toward me with my son cradled in his arms, and drenched in his blood. It’s an image that changed me, but even moreso, an experience that altered my son. He had been playing by the pool of the property we were staying at, climbed onto the slippery ledge, lost his footing, and fell into the well of the infinity pool. The sharp tile left a huge gash in his head. We didn’t know how deep or serious it was, but he was losing a lot of blood and we needed to get him assistance asap. As I saw my friend approach with Xavi in his arms, I felt my voice deepen about 4 octaves. “What happened!!!?” was all I could muster as I ran towards them. Within minutes Xavier was in my wifes arms and I was on the phone with property management who recommended a private clinic in the nearby town of Puerto Viejo. We grabbed a few towels and were on our way - our friend driving, and Xavier on my wife’s lap with pressure being applied to the area. After arriving at the empty clinic (thank God there was no lineup), and getting X cleaned up, we discovered that he needed 7 stitches. 5 at the back of his head and 2 on his chin. The moments during the stitches changed him. A combination of the pain, the sight of the blood, and all of our emotions scared him tremendously. He kept repeating, “I don’t want to lose you and mama. I don’t want to die”. The thought of his mortality changed something in him from that moment on. A deeper, quieter demeanor and sense of appreciation for his life and his family took over for the next few days of our family vacation. Thankfully he wasn’t permanently damaged. But, he has been permanently changed. I don’t know if it’s for the better or worse, but these are the formative years and it’s moments like this that go on to shape his spirit. I saw it with my own eyes - an incredibly painful and beautiful moment of my sons becoming.