Don’t You, Forget About Me!

By Dustin Ramsbottom

Oh, how I would love to be able to do exactly the opposite that the band Simple Minds had once suggested and forget Judd Nelson’s ridiculous wardrobe and how I had once mimicked it. Isn’t it surprising how corny 80’s movies like “The Breakfast Club” can seem so fresh in our minds, but here we are living in paradise and every day we battle with remembering the sheer beauty that surrounds us.

I came down here the same as most of us have, on a vacation that was simply too good to be true and now I am not sure if I could once again fare in the “real world”. I have recently opened up a tiki-bar on the beach not far from Manuel Antonio National Park that is a scene cut straight out of “Cocktail” (I really need to buy some new movies…), and I am once again a working man… if you can call it that.

Yes, I am working my dream job, but a job is still a job and there will inevitably be stresses involved. If you are anything like me, a foreigner on perma-vacation, or even a Tico, every once in a while you must stop and appreciate where you are.

Here is a short compilation of items that elude us on a daily basis, but if we take 5 minutes now and then to pay attention to them, the majesty that is Costa Rica will hang in front of us as fresh as the coconuts in the trees!

1)    The Ocean – It is the most obvious and most important, but honestly, when was the last time you utilized this magnificent gift? It can be as simple as a walk along the beach, but there are an endless number of activities that are available to us and not to the majority of the world. Let’s not forget it!

2)   Culture – How is your Spanish? Or English? We are blessed with an abundance of visitors from all over the world with great ideas to be shared and stories to be told. Take a step back from your clique and meet someone new; a Tico, a gringo… a new perspective can help you revitalize your zest for your tropical home.

3)   The Wildlife – I probably complain about the bugs more than anyone, but I wouldn’t give up a single mosquito bite if it meant that I wouldn’t get the opportunity to open my front door and have a monkey, iguana, crab, or sloth looking back at me.

4)   The Tico-Time – Yes, it can be frustrating, but in the long run, the pace of life here is quite beneficial to us. Release from the headaches, let your blood flow a little slower, and live a little longer…

I could certainly list forever, and I may continue next month, but I think you get my point. Don’t forget to take a little time every day to do the most important thing in the world… bask!