Two passions, travel and coffee…

Spending a month in Costa Rica taught me one thing for sure, Costa Ricans are fiercely proud of their country. It is Pura Vida! From the top of the Volcanoes to the beaches on either coast, it’s no wonder why tourism is one of the top industry in this picturesque country.

One of the newest forms of tourism in Costa Rica is the agro-ecotourism. According to a recent article in the Costa Rica Reviews, over 3,000 make their living from rural-community based tourism in Costa Rica. This kind of tourism is right up my alley. I prefer authentic, non-commercialised destinations and mixing with the locals. The idea of combining this kind of travel with another passion of mine… coffee, got me hooked.

Don’t get me wrong, I loved the adventure of zip lining through the rain forest in Monteverde, the relaxation of lounging on the Playa de Tamarindo, and all the wild life at Manual Antonio. However, you can’t drive through the mountainous areas of Alajuela, Heredia and Monteverde without recognising that the coffee industry is important Costa Ricans. Iwanted to learn more.

I scheduled a tour at Café Britt, a famous coffee roaster located in Heredia. Honestly, I was a bit worried that it would be too commercialised. I signed up for the coffee lover’s tour which included a tour of the processing plant, lunch and a barista demonstration. I was not dissapointed.  The facility at Café Britt is gorgeous with murals everywhere depicting rural plantation scenes. The staff is bilingual and very knowledgeable about their industry. I was entertained as I learned about the coffee industry, history, the harvesting of the coffee bean , processing, coffee cupping and brewing. One fact that I discovered is that coffee is only harvested in the dry season. I happened to visit in July, the wet season. Although, I didn’t get to see the actual work at the beneficio Tierra Madre, the processing plant, it was fascinating. The beneficio offers a breathtaking view of the areas that the coffee is harvested; such as Poas, Tarrazu and Tres Rios. I definitely learned a lot about one of my passions, but it left me with a thirst for more.

I have a lot to learn about fair trade, coffee plantations and farmers.  As I traveled throughout Costa Rica I noticed many coffee tours advertised and saw acres and acres of coffee trees growing. I want to return to Costa Rica in the dry season to find rural-community based plantations in action. Coffee and tourism gives a new meaning to Pura Vida for me! Stayed tuned, I am busy researching my next agro-ecotourism adventure to Costa Rica.

Travel adventrue, agro-ecotourism, Alejuela, beneficio Tierra Madre, Cafe Brit, Coffee plantations, Costa Rica, fair trade, Heredia, Manual Antonio, Monteverede, Poas, Pura Vida, rural community-based tourism, Tarrazu, Ticos, Tiffany Eckhardt, Tres Rios

Getting ready for my big trip….Costa Rica for a whole month!

I’d say this is a trip of a lifetime, but I’m not sure it will cure my wanderlust…might even create a bigger appetite for adventure.

By my friend Sherry’s definition: This is definitely a trip not a vacation. A vacation is sitting on the beach doing nothing but relaxing. Actually, it is called a gap trip with Real Gap.  I will be in language school in the mornings and working with abandoned children in the afternoon. I wish I had spent a little more time brushing up on my Spanish…but jumping into something is my usual MOD. Friday, Saturday and Sundays will be spent exploring and yes, hitting the beach to do a little nothing.

The big joke within my family is that Tiff is going away to “find herself“….Jeff jokes about Tiff finding Paco (I hope after 20 years he KNOWS that he is all the Paco I can handle)….the truth is that I’m not exactly sure what I hope to “find”.

I have had several people tell me that I will come home a completely different person…Hope so!

I DO BELIEVE that travel expands your horizons and gets you away from your comfort zone in order to really see life in a new perspective. Reality is that once I get back, I’m going to have to” find” a JOB. I hope that my great adventure will give me a new outlook on my purpose…. at least give me a good next step.

I also hope to establish some cool relationships with International friends, love on some children who need it, experience the culture, learn to hold a conversation in Spanish, visit a coffee plantation, enjoy my adventurous side - zip lining through the rain forest, call on some couch surfers for coffee dates, and just be open to what Costa Rica has to offer, AND…. loose 20 pounds. I am glad I have a month!

I expect that this trip will be a springboard for further adventures, but hope to gain a deeper understanding of travel and what it adds to your life. I would love to take you along… Stay tuned to see what I “find”.

Travel Costa Rica, finding myself, International friends, orphanage, spanish, Tiffany Eckhardt, travel, trips, vacations

The options for travel seem to be endless and dreams don’t seem so far off!

For years I have been dreaming about traveling abroad.  After coming out of an extremely difficult season of my life, it is now time to pursue that dream.  I even sold my car and embraced minimalism in an effort to save money for trips.  Not exactly sure where I want to go or what I want to do while I am there, I went on search for a plan. 

I love Twitter!  Twitter has opened the world of real travel to me and has introduced me to numerous bloggers on the subject of travel.  There are blogs that alert me about the deals in the tourism industry.  Although I appreciate the information I have gained, those who are living “outside the box” intrigue me.  I have discovered that there are actually people who have decided to live nomadically, taking their businesses on the road and selling it all to travel full time.  One of my favorite bloggers on this subject is the Soultravelers3.  This family sold it all, moved to Europe and purchased a motor home to live nomadically for the past five years.  I also enjoy Vagabonish and Rolf Potts Vagabonding.  These bloggers have opened my eyes to the possibility of traveling frugally.  I am learning about Hostels and joined Couch Surfing, an organization that links fellow travelers all over the world that open up there homes and offer a couch to crash on.  I have a friend who traveled throughout Germany using Couch Surfing.  How fun is that?  I now understand that travel does not have to be expensive.

Still, in the vastness of our world…. where do I start?  My husband and I are about two years away from having the freedom for extended travel.  True to my nature, I want to take off now!  So, I keep watching twitter for inspiration. 

I received a Direct Message from @Real_Gap.  They happened to respond to a comment I made about checking out Argentina.  I love Twitter!  Real Gap for Grown Ups opened up another intriguing option.  What about volunteering, learning a skill or even work while living abroad?  I have taken short-term mission trips in the past.  Taking extended time off for “holiday” or taking a career gap seems so foreign to most Americans.  This organization offers opportunity for people to take a career gap, for as little as two weeks and up to a whole year.  I spent the day reading about all their trip options and am excited about possibly going to Costa Rica to learn Spanish, cooking and Latin Dancing.  I could go for two or four weeks and be immersed in their culture.  This could be a “quick fix” for my wanderlust.

Do you have wanderlust?  Do you think travel abroad is impossibly expensive?  Is time an obstacle for you?  I would love to open a discussion with fellow travelers…. we can all learn from each other!  The options for travel seem to be endless and dreams don’t seem so far off!

Travel Costa Rica, couch surfing, dreams, gap years, hostels, living abroad, nomadic lifestyle, Real Gap for Grown ups, Soultravelers3, Tiffany Eckhadt, travel options, twitter, Vagabonding, Vagabondish, wanderlust