Dos Locos – Simple Life Seems Less Easy Now

Johnny Lahoud - JAN 05, 2018
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We’re all in this together!

One thing I’ve learned living in Costa Rica for the past 20 years is how the gaps between the developed and developing worlds have closed in the technology sectors, but seem to be widening in terms of humanity.

When I first arrived here, I was taken aback by the rural nature of this amazing country. Like all adventurers, I had no problem with the crappy roads … or the challenges of getting from point A to point B with more than a few pit stops in between. It appealed to my sense of discovery. There were no freebies here. If you wanted to stay here, you had to earn it … figure it out on the fly.

I first came to surf. Just making it to Jacó involved some treacherous twists and turns that pumped fear and adrenaline through our veins. We were headed into the great unknown — a quest for great surf and any other unknown treasures that awaited. Fortune favors the bold!

After my first trip to Costa Rica, I decided to make a go of it. I knew the only way to successfully pull this off was to learn the language. So I bought a schoolbook and started learning on the fly. Words and verbs of the day associated with chapters in the book. When I came back in the mid-’90s, no one spoke much English. It definitely helped to be single and learn the local inflections from the local fauna.

That was when I realized how the pura vida mentality was so special. People here are so laid back and willing to help anyone. If you are willing to take the initiative and try, the Ticos will embrace your efforts and help you acclimate to Costa Rica. Your willingness to make them laugh with funny stories only endears them more to you.

We didn’t have any technology to lean on. We just surfed, hung out and hit the disco for dancing and fun.

I think it’s a shame that technology has reared its ugly head and become prevalent over the past 10 years. People spend so much time recording and posting their good times online that they forget to live in the moment.

I sometimes find myself watching the news and feeling depressed. It’s impossible to tune out the bad news that has crept down from the first world. There’s no way to avoid hearing stories about things I came here to avoid in the first place — things I certainly can’t control. It’s like living in a gray area between the cultural autonomy that makes Costa Rica a world unto itself and the technological blurring of global boundaries.

We want it but we don’t. At least I don’t. I know the future is now and this wave
is unstoppable. You have to ride it to survive or go the way of the dodo bird.

But I also know that none of us here gets out alive, and I refuse to live in a world that highlights conflict and failures.

I recently returned from a weekend at my friend’s resort in Lagarto. We spent a whole three days with no TV. We only had a radio, friends, seafood, surf and cervezas. It was an amazing time! It felt great to put down the zombie boxes and KISS. “Keep it simple, stupid” is a mantra we all need to recite sometimes for living and loving in the moment. It can keep us grounded, refreshed and happy while we spin on our little blue marble in the TTZ.

Pura vida, mae ;-)))