I came to Nosara by "chance". I won a vacation to Costa Rica in a contest draw back in Canada. A few of my friends and I came a week early to check out the beaches, driving up and down the coast, and we actually came across Nosara by accident. But as soon as I saw it I knew this was a place I could live. I felt a profound sense of being home. Nosara was just full of beauty. I was captured by the stunning landscapes and beaches. I felt in my heart that it was my calling to come back.
After returning to Nosara to live here in 2012, I started my 200 hour yoga teacher training and began peeling back the layers of myself. I had no idea that when I got here that I would be taken on a deep healing spiritual journey that would unravel some deep truths about my past. I discovered a repressed childhood trauma that I had buried in my subconscious. This intense realization triggered post traumatic stress disorder causing me to feel lost.
To help myself get better, I practiced yoga, went to breathwork sessions and therapy and met a wise woman who worked with tarot cards. I had always been interested in tarot cards and I wanted to know more about how they were used. I asked the woman if she could purchase a deck for me and I started to teach myself how to read them. Things continued to get darker for me and I was looking for something to give me faith that things would improve in my life, the cards gave me hope and guidance. I would get these positive messages which provided the strength I needed to carry on. Eventually as I healed, the cards just became fun. I love reading and interpreting their energies and am so amazed that I am now able to give readings to others and offer them guidance and solace.
Before I came here I worked in many different industries. The most recent job I had before I left Canada was for the City of Toronto, Parks and Recreation. I got to mow lawns and run the park maintenance which helped me to connect with nature whilst in the city. Now I work for Vive el Sueño, a non profit here in Costa Rica. We empower and educate the local Costa Ricans that want to become small business owners. We provide them with 40 hours of business trainings, 60 hours of English lessons, social media training, as well as their own logos made by a local graphic designer and a session with our professional photographer.
I love working with our participants. I’ve always had a soft spot for the underdogs, those who were never given the opportunities needed to succeed. I feel like through our platform, those who had never had the education or support to learn these things are finally given a chance. It really warms my heart to see how dedicated and grateful the participants are. They make Vive el Sueño.
If there are a few things I could fix in Nosara it would be the healthcare and school systems. We really need our own medical laboratory for blood tests and other lab work. Some people here have to travel all the way to Nicoya or even San Jose to drop off samples. The public school system also needs more funding. With the lack of substitute teachers, sometimes the children will have 1 or more days off each week. It all comes down to money in the end though. There just needs to be more funding for these public services.