12 Days in Costa Rica

 

It has been about three years since I visited a new country. I went to Japan at the end of 2019 and in January 2020. Then you know what happened. I moved home, built a bubble empire, and now here we are. I started writing in 2011 and it was mostly about travel. Let me tell you about Costa Rica. 

I spent the majority of my time around the Nicoya Peninsula/Gulf of Nicoya.

I spent two nights in Jaco. Not the best place but I hung out by the pool, read my book and watched the movie Cocktail.

I then spent a night at the Curu Wildlife Refuge. They only allow a certain number of visitors to stay the night. Luckily, I booked in July so I had a cabin that was about 20 seconds from the beach.

Costa Rica isn’t cheap. If you’re looking for a budget Central American destination, I hear Nicaragua and Guatemala are mucho cheap. The flight was around $1700. It was also during the Christmas break so that did not help. I was thinking a budget of $150-200 a day would be more than enough. It was not. A private room anywhere is going to cost conservatively $60-80 a night. Each meal, no matter where I was staying, was $10-14. Private transportation or taking an Uber for more than twenty minutes will also hurt your wallet. They accept American money but will give you back colones. If you go to Costa Rica, just take out colones from the ATM and it will save you the hassle of converting your money. Also, the bank will give out money that is less than perfect condition but shops and restaurants will only accept perfect bills so you can imagine that could become frustrating to some people. Not for me though.

 Getting around is also not the easiest thing. The roads are a bit rough but they have fruit stands in a lot of places so it’s not all bad. There is a lot of traffic so expect any type of transportation to take longer than you initially thought. I had to take a boat to cross the sea. As I was waiting for my bags to be taken from the shuttle bus to the boat, the transportation people misjudged the tide and the boat got buried in the sand. They had another boat there in under two hours but I had to ask the guys how often their boats got stuck. They said they have been running these boat trips for ten years and this is the second time this has happened. Twice in ten years. Lucky me!

I almost missed my connecting flight to San Jose. My flight from Toronto to Montreal got delayed a few times so I landed in Montreal and my flight to Costa Rica was taking off in like 10 minutes. Air Canada thankfully held the flight for the Bubble King and I even got to ride on one of those airport carts that usually transport the elderly. It was great. 

The food was excellent. I tried to eat as many breakfast burritos as possible. Lots of fruit, smoothies, and ice cream! I just finished my year without treats and I missed ice cream and cookies the most. Did I have a chocolate milkshake and a cone filled with gelato at the same time? Yes. Here are some pictures of more traditional Costa Rican restaurants and food.

It was warm. Every day was about 28 degrees. It barely rained so having a sunscreen gameplan is essential.

 

Ten years ago, I wrote my bucket list. I will revisit that list with you later this year but trying to learn to surf has been on my list for a long time. I blocked off three days in Santa Teresa to start my surfing journey. Let me start by saying, I still have almost no idea how to surf. When they take you out to the sea, you aren’t surfing. You are sort of waiting for the waves to die down while the instructor holds your board, tells you to start paddling then yells at you to get up. I fumbled around for a few seconds then would end up falling off of my gigantic beginner’s surfboard. I took three lessons and this sounds like an exaggeration but I think I got worse the second and third times I tried surfing. Taking lessons certainly helped and it might have made me feel good seeing the other beginners bail into the sea. Surfing is tough but I would try it again. People who surf are super-hot, chill and cool so I think whoever is in charge of letting people become surfers might contact me to tell me I don’t have what it takes. 

One activity that I was looking forward to doing was a bioluminescent night kayaking trip. I had never heard about bioluminescence before I arrived in Thailand. Then one night while swimming in Khanom, I saw them and I fell in love. I couldn’t wait to see them again. However, it did not go my way. It is sort of luck of the draw with the brightness of the moon and how lucky you get to get the full experience. I didn’t mind too much because I had already seen them but the strange part was that the tour guide kept yelling at the group to splash our kayak paddles into the sea. “Splash! Splash”. I saw nothing. The guide would then ask the group, “Do you see it? Isn’t it amazing?” The other 8-ish or so people in the group would yell back, “Yeah! So fun!” It felt like I was in a cult. Are these people seeing it or are they just trying to be kind? 

 

I would say I spent about 95% of this trip alone. I’m not a big, “Hey, where you from?” kind of guy. I talked to a few guys (exactly what I wanted…) but that was about it. I watched some of the World Juniors game at a sports bar in Santa Teresa and talked to a guy from the Niagara Region for a bit. I met a guy from Belgium who told me that women from Belgium aren’t fun. I wrote that down in my journal. One of the more fun nights was when a young person named Hannah invited me and a few of the people staying at this jungle guesthouse to a bonfire on the beach for New Year’s Eve. 

There were about 8 of us. Once the fire was made and there was a brief lull in the conversation, I told the group I had questions I asked strangers and wondered if they wanted to hear some of them. They reluctantly agreed to be polite to the old guy in the group and this delighted me. One of the questions I asked was when were you in the most trouble? A guy responded, “When I was about 4 or 5, I thought our maid was cute. She would wake up around 5:30 am. I didn’t have an alarm clock so I wrote down, wake up at 5 on a piece of paper. Somehow, I woke up at 5, and hid underneath her bed to try and watch her get undressed. She saw me while she was getting naked and kicked me out of the room.” He later told me that he didn’t know how to write wake up at 5 so he just scribbled letters or shapes on the paper and hoped that that would work. Of course, a young boy would do something like this.

 

A lot of people rent a side by side, cars, motorbikes, or ATVs. Renting an ATV for a day is USD $80. Driving them around is super fun and a great way to see more of the area but it’s not conducive to saving cash.

 I learned that you can drink beer while driving in Costa Rica. I didn’t drink and drive but I was told that the driver and passenger can have a few cheeky drinks while driving. Doesn’t seem safe. 

 

A lot of people speak Spanish. Everywhere. All of the time. Also, a lot of Europeans. Germans, French. 

 

There were a lot of American-ish-looking tourists who seemed to own/be caring for dogs in a lot of the areas I visited. I’m not sure if these people live in the area and have adopted these dogs. I’m not sure if they just hang out with them for a few weeks and then leave them back on the beach. I don’t get it but there are a lot of people with dogs. 

 

I noticed there was a lot of bull riding/fighting/bull evading on random TVs at bars and restaurants. Give the people what they want. 

 

Should you visit Costa Rica? If you like jungles, nature, animals, coffee, chocolate, surfing, warm weather, ice cream, random dogs with mysterious owners, driving ATVs, eating great food, nice pools, fruit, and friendly people, then yes, yes you should visit Cosa Rica. I would recommend traveling with people you love. I think my traveling solo days should be behind me. Life is better when experienced with people you care about.

A Year Without Treats

In 2020, I gave up drinking. In 2021, I gave up gambling. In 2022, I gave up treats/desserts/candy. Was this the most annoying thing to give up out of the three? Read on to find out.

 

Last year, I drove from Ottawa to Florida. During one of my stops, I bought some Sour Patch Kids. But these were not your ordinary Sour Patch Kids. They were a mystery version. Let me tell you, they were disgusting. Let’s start by saying that I love candy and some desserts. Sour candy, Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups, Starbursts, Nanaimo bars, butter tarts, strawberry rhubarb pie; I’m a big fan. Things never got super out of control but if I went to a Dollarama or a gas station, it was more likely than not that I was buying something that would not be in my health’s long term best interest. So, I decided after eating those terrible mystery candies, that I would stop eating treats/desserts/candies for a year.

 

This year of treat free living has not been without controversy. The first mistake that I made was not listing what exactly was considered a treat. My second mistake was adding things that are not treats but I thought I could live without. The final list was essentially candy, desserts, chips, donuts, pop, juice, lemonade, popcorn, cake, pie, cupcakes and anything else you would give a child as a treat.

Did I eat two protein bars that I bought in 2021 that had chocolate in them? Yes. Would you give a protein bar to a child as a dessert? No. Do those protein bars taste like a treat? Yes. Was this cheating? No.

Did I start to eat spicy pepperoni sticks from the gas stations I frequent? Yes. Would you give that to a child as a treat? No. Was this cheating? No. Did it feel like cheating? Yes.

Have I consumed too many Red Bulls. Yes. Would it have been smarter to cut out Red Bull and keep drinking orange juice? Probably.

Did I once have a FRUIT crips that my mom made that did not have any added sugar? Yes. Should a fruit crip be considered a traditional dessert? I can’t say. Was this cheating? In my mom and her husband’s eyes, this was ok. Would you consider this cheating? To be honest, I don’t care. I just went 365 days without treats and if I ate fruit for dessert once, I’m going to let it slide.

Did I eat 20ish Cliff Bars because I thought they were somewhat healthy and I need to eat while working on the weekend with my successful bubble empire? Yes. Are Cliff Bars healthy? No. Was that cheating? No because you wouldn’t give it to a kid as a treat. Was I surprised to learn that people may eat cliff bars as birthday cake? Yes. Did I stop eating them once I realized how unhealthy they are. Yes. Do I want you to be impressed with this challenge? A little. Do I recommend anyone else attempt this? No. Do I feel healthier or feel like my life is better in any way? No.

 

Have I brought in donuts, cookies and other treats for people at work to like me more? Yes. Has it worked? No.

Did I drink one of these?

 

 

Yes. Was it cheating? Technically, no. Did it feel like cheating? Yes.

Should you eat anything that is sold at a gas station? No. Will I continue giving something up every year even though it angers me and does not improve my life? I would guess yes.

My plan is to give up Red Bull, swearing and complaining in 2023. Will there be controversy in what swear word is and what is classified as a complaint? Surely.

 

Thanks for reading. 

Adults Are Just Older Kids

 

I have thought this for a long time but it’s become even more clear lately: just because you might be considered an adult and know better, the little kid in you is (probably) alive and well. If this doesn’t describe you in any way, then congratulations, but I feel like, for the majority of people, you will find some truth in the following bullet points.

You are just an older kid if you:

-get grumpy when you don’t get enough sleep.

-are disorganized and can’t find pencils/erasers/books.

-blame other people for problems you 100% created.

-get in a bad mood if you aren’t fed promptly.

-fail to go to the bathroom before leaving the house.

-fail to consider the consequences of your actions.

-have a sugar addiction.

-an inability to say no to things you know/should know are bad for you.

-have a hard time sitting still.

-love Marvel movies

-are arguing with refs or umpires at sporting events.

-can’t/don't listen.

-just want to play.

-call your mom or dad to complain about _______

-can’t read, tie your shoes, or brush your teeth.

-play with LEGO, eat ice cream, and stay up past your bedtime.

-act out for attention

-have trouble sharing

-unable to delay gratification

-easily distracted

-are afraid of the dark

-take afternoon naps

-have trouble spelling without spellcheck

-hate going to the dentist

-have a messy room

-can’t get along with your siblings

-love dressing up for Halloween

 

Is acting like a child always bad? Certainly not. I think we could learn a lot from children. From their curiosity to their sense of awe and wonder, and their love of having fun, we could all embrace our inner child more often. However, being and acting like a child has downsides. If you usually put off doing work until the last minute as an elementary student, it's likely that you are finding yourself in situations today that younger you would have thought you would have grown out of by now.

A questions I like to ask people is, what would be the split of percentage you feel you are and act like an adult to the percentage you feel and relate to being a kid? The other day I heard an adult tell me they felt like they were 80% kid. That seems high. I would say I am 65% adult. Does this question have flaws? Yes, but try and answer it anyway. 

 

Adults dislike going to work just as much (if not more) than kids dislike going to school. Adults stay up later than they should, eat/drink things they know aren’t in their long-term best interests, and lack discipline in many different areas. Have I been spending too much time around kids and seeing many of my own flaws in the students I teach? I would prefer not to answer that question. Has teaching been making me slightly more pessimistic about kids and the adults that parent them? Again, that’s a personal question but I would like to have you evaluate how adult you is similar to kid you. Are you still making the same mistakes? Have you outgrown certain bad habits or ways of thinking? If not, how does that make you feel? I think acting and playing like a kid is something we should all embrace but if we don’t consciously try to evolve and “grow up” by this age, is it ever going to happen?

What Do You Regret?

 

 

I’ve asked a few people this question lately and I am surprised with how different people’s responses have been. While some people have big regrets, others claim to have none. None! Truthfully, I believe this is a lie. These people have regrets. It’s impossible not to. However, I believe what people are trying to say has something to do with they are happy with the road they have travelled that has led them to where they are today. Will you regret reading this post? Absolutely.

 

• When we handle it properly, regret can make us better. Understanding its effects hones our decisions, boosts our performance, and bestows a deeper sense of meaning. The problem, though, is that we often don’t handle it properly.

I recently listened to The Power of Regret by Daniel Pink. I don’t think I had thought about regret that much before consuming this book. People have regrets. People move on. Nothing to see here. Apparently, regret has a lot to teach us. I will summarize his main points, add some regrets of my own that wrap this up so you can get on with making newer, bigger regrets.

 

-Contamination Narrative-Things were good; now they are bad. (of course)

-Redemption Narrative-Things were bad; now they are good. (happens less frequently)

Guess which narrative is better for your mental health?

-We can use regret to anticipate a future regret and act differently.

Here is an example of anticipating future regret:

https://www.history.com/news/did-a-premature-obituary-inspire-the-nobel-prize#:~:text=Thanks%20to%20poor%20reporting%2C%20at,not%20before%20Alfred%20had%20the

 

• The First Law of Holes: “When you find yourself in a hole, stop digging.”  …We often compound bad choices by continuing to invest time, money, and effort in losing causes instead of stanching our losses and switching tactics

All regrets can fall into one of four categories:

Foundation regrets: “If I only I had worked harder.”

Boldness regrets: “If only I had taken that risk.” I wish I asked or I wish I tried.

Moral regrets: “If only I had done the right thing.” I wish I had been kinder to…

Connection regrets: “If only I had reached out.” When we let friendships die.

• The very act of contemplating what they hadn’t done previously widened the possibilities of what they could do next and provided a script for future interactions.

 

Which type of regret do you think people have the most of? Apparently, connection regrets are the most frequent regret us humans have.

-2/3 of regrets are due to inaction. We must take action. Or don’t and regret it. Up to you.

-There is something called the World Regret Survey. People have lots of regrets. Some are small like regretting not going to that Billy Joel concert 25 years ago because it was on a school night. Others are more serious about not being a better husband/wife, leaving things unsaid until it was too late and not taking a certain risk.

 

https://worldregretsurvey.com/

• These seventy years of research distill to two simple yet urgent conclusions: Regret makes us human. Regret makes us better.

 

There are open door regrets: Regrets you can still do something about.

There are closed door regrets: Regrets that cannot be undone.

Do you have any open-door regrets that you still have the power to change?

The “no regrets” ethos is a strong one, but as Pink points out, it’s also dangerous. In adults, the true absence of regret can be a sign of serious illness including a range of psychiatric and neurological diseases. Regret is actually a marker of a healthy and maturing mind.

https://www.psychologytoday.com/ca/blog/pressure-proof/202202/the-4-major-kinds-regret

 

At Leasts and If Onlys.

At least I saved my tennis racket before my condo burnt down.

At least I tried.

If only I had woken up earlier.

If only I had made a to-do list.

At Least counterfactuals preserve our feelings in the moment, but they rarely enhance our decisions or performance in the future. If Only counterfactuals degrade our feelings now, but-and this is key-they can improve our lives later. Regret is the quintessential upward counterfactual-the ultimate If only.

https://waiyancan.com/summary-the-power-of-regret-by-daniel-h-pink/ 

• All deep structure regrets reveal a need and yield a lesson. With boldness regrets, the human need is growth—to expand as a person, to enjoy the richness of the world, to experience more than an ordinary life. The lesson is plain: Speak up. Ask him out. Take that trip. Start that business. Step off the train.

 

·        Imagine your best friend is confronting the same regret that you’re dealing with. What is the lesson that the regret teaches them? What would you tell them to do next? Be as specific as you can. Now follow your own advice.

·        Imagine that you are a neutral expert—a doctor of regret sciences—analyzing your regret in a clean, pristine examination room. What is your diagnosis? Explain in clinical terms what went wrong. Next, what is your prescription? Now write an email to yourself—using your first name and the pronoun “you”—outlining the small steps you need to learn from the regret.

·        If your regret involves your business or career, try a technique from the late Intel CEO Andy Grove, who reportedly would ask himself, “If I were replaced tomorrow, what would my successor do?”

·        Imagine it is ten years from now and you’re looking back with pride on how you responded to this regret. What did you do?

·         

https://waiyancan.com/summary-the-power-of-regret-by-daniel-h-pink/

 • Over time we are much more likely to regret the chances we didn’t take than the chances we did. What haunts us is the inaction itself.

Ok Bert, I’ve scrolled this far to get to the point where you write about your regrets. Tell me what you regret!

-I regret going on that roof in Thailand; big regret.

-Do I regret going to NZ? If I had to spend 6 months somewhere, knowing what I know now, I would have gone to Australia. Good or bad, hard to say.

-I regret waiting another two years after deciding in 2009 that I wanted to move abroad.

-I once put dishwashing liquid in my brother’s dishwasher instead of those tiny pods; regret that.

-Questionable tattoo choices.

-I gave a terrible speech at the end of the year graduation in 2019; still haunts me.

-I once sent someone a voice message saying that I thought that we should stop being friends. It was harsh and I could have handled that better. Big regret.

-I regret not buying thousands of Bitcoin in 2009. You think you would ever hear from me again if I was a billionaire? No chance.

If this was me, I don’t think I would be able to wake up and function:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7MBRgLEXLEE

 

-When my dad was dying, I definitely could have said things I didn’t say. That is what they call a closed-door regret.

-I lived with a guy named Matt for 4 years; massive regret.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pSW2FDXuFe4

 

Apparently, we can learn from our regrets. I know it’s not a fun topic of conversation but ask people in your life what they regret or take some time this weekend and think about how your past choices can help you make better decisions in the days and years to come.

Book summary:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CPsxbUod2UU 

 

• Regret is not dangerous or abnormal, a deviation from the steady path to happiness. It is healthy and universal, an integral part of being human. Regret is also valuable. It clarifies. It instructs. Done right, it needn’t drag us down; it can lift us up.