The Journey to Harmony
Hola y Bienvenido!
My name is Karen Henson Jones and I am a guest blogger here for the Harmony Hotel. For the next few weeks, I’ll be sharing some snapshots about life here in Nosara.
Specifically, I am here in Costa Rica to work on my second book, which touches on themes of how to live a good life.
My teacher explained to me once that your relationship with anything begins from the moment you first come into contact with its energy. For example, my relationship to the Harmony hotel would have begun when I first saw a photo of it somewhere on a travel article.
On a more practical level, in 2017, my journey to Harmony began at the Liberia airport, where I was picked up by a driver called Randall, an affable, well-dressed Costa Rican guy whose name came from his father’s passion for American football, a game that neither Randall nor I follow, because we cannot understand its rules.
Randall asked me if I spoke Spanish, and I think I may have told him “poco” when the correct answer would have been “un pequito” (a little.) Shortly into our journey, we stopped at a small shop so that I could pick up a few snacks. Randall elected to stay behind and guard the car. “You’re not coming in?” I asked him.
“No, but you’ll be fine, because your Spanish is amazing,” he said with a chuckle.Well, at least the first part was true.
As we drove through emerald mountains and passed well-kept houses with gardens spilling over with butterflies, Randall shared that Nosara is his favorite place in all of Costa Rica.
He said that it had a special energy that couldn’t be found any other place in the country. It seemed as the one and only bumpy dirt road to Nosara – the same road that wrecked cars and made people carsick had a dual purpose; it created an inaccessibility that has somehow over the years acted as some kind of barrier to over-development in Nosara. As we turned a corner, Randall signaled to some mauve colored dirt spread on the road.
“Do you see that?” he asked. “That dirt is that color because it is so rich in minerals. Toss a seed anywhere around here and it will grow.”
Nosara is located in what is called the planet’s “blue zones” a geographic area of Earth where a high percentage of inhabitants experience longevity and stunningly good health. Here, the soil, unspoiled from industrialization, yields some of the most nutrient filled food on Earth.
There are some really interesting environmental projects going on, such as reforestation of the beach edge, turtle protection, and a sanctuary for monkeys. And then there is local life stuff: town soccer games and church, the two staples of Costa Rican town life. I’m looking forward to exploring and experiencing how this culture changes me.
Toss a seed in the soil here and anything will grow. Maybe even a book. Maybe a dream or a wish you’ve been waiting all your life for. And before you know it, your Spanish will be amazing.
Pura vida,
Karen
Karen Henson Jones is the author of Heart of Miracles, a spiritual travelogue. She is also a Philip Stein Global Filipino Hero and speaker for Women in Leadership’s Economic Forum. www.karenhensonjones.com
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