Los Angeles Cloud Forest, Costa Rica, hummingbirds

Hummingbird in the Cloud Forest

I was lucky enough to spend the afternoon hiking in the Los Angeles Cloud Forest yesterday. This cloud forest is located in the central valley of Costa Rica, about a 45-minute drive from San Ramon. I had never heard of it before, which is surprising because this place is unbelievably beautiful. I was especially blown away by …

San Ramon, Costa Rica

A Leaf on a Wire

The casita we are living in for these few short weeks in San Ramon sits on a perch overlooking a cow pasture that stretches far down into the valley. Yesterday I strapped my son and my camera to my chest and walked down to the bottom of our hill, searching for small details to photograph. This …

San Ramon, Costa Rica

A Fence Post in San Ramon

In Costa Rica, fence posts are living, breathing organisms. They grow and wrap themselves around the bob wire that connects them. This is the head of one such fence post on the property where I am currently staying in San Ramon while my partner spends his days building our container home. I haven’t been leaving …

Dasan Nevada Martinez

My Beautiful Day

We gave birth at CIMA hospital on March 24th, 2018. It was just the two of us, in a new country, speaking a language we barely know, but the universe around us felt expansive and full of love, as if all our friends and family were right there in the room with us.

After his birth at 3:20 pm, we spent the night in our little room just staring and laughing and feeling the most joyous love we have ever known, not just for our son but for each other as well. They say there is no love like that of your child, but I also now know that there is no love like that for the father of your child.

Two weeks later we are still in a state of bliss, through all the piss and shit and milk and blood, our smiles have remained stitched into our faces. And every day we are in awe of the love we feel for our son and the ever-growing love we feel for each other.

There is nothing more magical than creating and growing love, inside and out. And I am so happy to have this chance to love BIG. Bigger than I ever have.

Magic 97/365, My Beautiful Day, March 24, 2018, San Jose, Costa Rica

Playa Pelada, Nosara, Costa Rica

Playa Pelada.

One of my favorite things to do when I am really in the mood to manifest some magic in my life is to walk along the beach and through the little forest trail to our neighbor beach, Playa Pelada, to watch the sunset. This place is truly magical. And then enjoy some sunset cocktails at …

Playa Guiones, Nosara, Costa Rica

One Bright Morning

Yes, I am quoting another Bob Marley song. I am counting the days to one bright morning (32 days from now to be exact) when I can fly my way home to this place, our home. You see, we had to move to San Jose, the mountainous, bustling, narrow-laned capital city of Costa Rica, to …

Playa Pelada, Nosara, Costa Rica

Three Little Birds

Three Little Birds by Bob Marley was my high school graduation song. It is fitting. I felt that way then and I feel that way now. Especially today. Today is the day we become three little birds instead of just two. I rose up this morning and I smiled with the rising sun. And now, …

Escazu, San Jose, Costa Rica

View from my Perch

This is the view from my perch in Escazu. We rented a small studio with a big view for a month here in the mountains of San Jose, overlooking the valley and the lights. It has been a really peaceful place to sit and soak in the beautiful, harmonious vibes of Costa Rica. My first …

Nosara, Costa Rica

Being Beached

I am not one for sitting on the beach, at least, I didn’t use to be. Now it is my new thing. For now. In a month or so I hope to finally be back in the water, rebuilding my surf strength. But for now, here I sit, like a beached whale in so many …

Playa Guiones, Nosara, Costa Rica

A World Away

Yesterday we packed up – again – and moved ourselves to Costa Rica’s capital, San Jose. We will be spending a month here while we wait for our baby to come. So now I am trading salt water and sunsets for the forested mountains of the central valley. When I think of Costa Rica, I …