Working from the road? Piece of Cake!
One of the main parts of this experiment of living in another country for five weeks was also seeing if we could WORK in another country. Besides a couple of hiccups, which is more about the reliability of the internet connection than our business model, it has been refreshingly doable. I remember being in Florence end of 2008, saying to my travel buddy and roommate at the time that I need to really figure out a way to do my work from anywhere so that I could travel/live all over! I probably sounded like a mad woman … do or die in the tone of my voice. The avenue I saw at the time was being able to do my business ONLINE!
Here we are, two years later, and I have been conducting my consulting remotely for almost a year, as well as coaching which is primarily over the phone! The last month of that year has been in beautiful Costa Rica. Now that there has been enough time to compare the two: working in the states versus another country, I can offer some feedback.
Overall, working here versus from home has not been very different. Except for those hiccups I mentioned earlier and detail further below, it’s been fairly smooth sailing. Here’s a little list I put together for you as you venture in to the world of working remotely FROM REMOTE:
Things to Keep in Mind:
1. Internet connectivity should be a deciding factor for where you go. No internet, no working.
2. What type of space do you need? If needed, can you scale it down and work with bare essentials?
3. Are you okay with WiFi cafe’s to conduct your business or do you need some privacy to make calls or a secure internet connection to work on confidential matters?
Mechanics (How To):
1. For those that simply do their work online, internet connection options i.e. Broadband, WiFi and security of the line are all you need to concern yourself with. Obviously, the better the connection, the less interruptions you will have to deal with.
2. For those that need “phone” connection, there is an additional component to consider, but so many options:
• Skype – Computer to computer which is free, use as phone and/or video chat
• Skype Phone - Super cheap monthly fee to call various parts of the world (I paid $3 a month to have Unlimited US and Canada Calls which has come in VERY handy – calling clients, friends/family or making conference calls)
• Google Chat – You can call and/or video chat through Gmail/Chat (Like Skype, there are the free versions or super cheap rates, it’s worth researching)
• Google Voice – You can have a bridge line number (your choice of Area Code) and have incoming calls forward to your Google Chat so people from home are not charged International rates.
3. Design with your clients when you are going out of town – let them know the internet may be slow or your connection may drop. Build some flexibility in to your work to anticipate the things on the next list!
Things you can’t plan for:
1. Your “office” may be near the communal washing machine which will inadvertently be used during your coaching calls (Sally knows this one intimately)
2. The power may go out, sometimes for 5 minutes, sometimes for 5 hours. When this happens, you may not have enough juice on your laptop to do anything more than an hour of work! (I know this one intimately)
3. Your “office” may share a wall with your neighbor’s living room. Did I mention the walls are thin and there is a door that connects the two apartments which lowers the sound-proofness of the room?
4. Your internet connection may be moody. On several occasions, the internet would just drop and although it didn’t last long, it can get annoying for your client when having a call with them.
Luckily most of these things we had a feeling would be issues because Sally and I picked our place to rent mainly based on the fact that it had a protected, individual internet hook up and we would have a room (door to close and all) to conduct our coaching sessions via Skype. I also thought to just buy the monthly Skype calling plan for $3 and it’s ridiculous how much we have used it – BEST investment ever!
In our specific case, we had an additional “hurdle” since we have only one internet card to share between the two of us. In Costa Rica, the phone company assigns maximum one internet card per apartment. So obviously we have had to coordinate our internet usage for work and personal, i.e. sharing our schedules etc. Thankfully we are both coaches and do a fantastic job of dancing in the moment! For us it’s actually been a blessing at times … you can focus on your writing because you are not online getting distracted. I have been reading and writing a whole lot more as a result of less internet time. In any situation or location, you will come across your specific version of a hurdle and it will take flexibility on your part most definitely!
Now that I’ve actually done it … lived AND worked in another country, I feel so much more confident about taking myself and my business on the road. Hope you feel that same confidence and inspiration. If you have any questions or need more information, I would love to help out. Just send me a note!
Living with the Ticos
Well after nearly THREE weeks, I finally figured out why they call them Ticos! While having a beer with Marvin and Dorothy the other day, I asked my newly adopted neighbors and Marvin explained it’s because of the way Costa Rican’s speak. For example, instead of “Ratito”, they say “Ratico”. Another example is “Gattico instead of Gattito”. Hence, Tico. Voila!!! I feel like I am in the know now. Where other countries use the name of the country to distinguish the people, i.e. Nicaraguans are referred to as Nicas, Costa Rica tends to do it differently. My kind of peeps, obviously.
So far everyone we have met has been super genuine, kind, interested, in not only you as a person but your story. Then again, there was that ONE guy who threw shit at us on the beach as we were walking one night when we first got here, but he seemed clinically crazy. He was yelling nonsense. We won’t count him. Of course, in any social setting you are going to find those that are comfortable with their circle, their community and are not interested in being anything more than cordial with you. There are those type here too. Majority ruling though: Ticos really do live up to their reputation of being inviting and just good old fashioned sweet natured folks.
The general sense I get too is that everyone is just content doing their thing. Everyone is usually smiling and in a pleasant mood. Then again, if you use a phrase like “Pura Vida” as a greeting or salutation, it’s pretty obvious you get the simple beauty that life has to offer. There is a pride that is felt amongst the locals about their country and for the most part, they are more than willing to share its gems with you. Usually does not taking much inquiring either; one question is all it takes and you can sit back, enjoying your beer and listening to the various stories being offered. My favorite part of conversations with people, namely my neighbor Marvin who owns a horseback riding tour company in town, and the caretaker of the property we live on Miguel, has been all of the information about the weather, the land, the animals, etc. They both are from around here. Marvin grew up in a small mountain community and tended to animals on the ranch. When you live in nature in such a way, you become SO in tune with the way it operates, the rhythms, cycles. For example, the howler monkeys that live in our backyard get louder than usual, sounding like a symphony of sirens, to signal a storm is approaching.
We also talk about, Marvin and I, the state of the country and where it is headed. This week is Semana Santa, or Holy Week according to us Gringos. However, the locals consider it Drunk Week. They take it as an opportunity to leave town and go to the mountains and beaches to party. There is also a law that there is no drinking on Thursday and Friday of the week – but all that does is force people to stock up on Wednesday to tide them over and it allows illegal selling to take place. A ridiculous tradition that is still in place from the Catholic Church administration days, according to locals. Don’t worry, we made sure to buy our bottle of wine the day before “prohibition”. Ha ha. Tourism is another topic we broached recently. It is most definitely an industry Costa Rica thrives on, yet Marvin brought up the dichotomy of tourists coming here expecting First Class service at Third World prices. He made a good point and I agreed: Costa Rica is definitely NOT a Third World country, and in order for a country to evolve and grow, services or products must be improved and that usually comes at a cost, typically by the way of increase in rates for the customers.
Maybe I’m the person that sees the glass more full than empty, but I have not once felt “out of place” here. We have locals offering rides, neighbors sharing food, people filling you in on where you should go and what you should do. It feels like small town hospitality and it’s been prevalent. As most of you know, I’m the kind who prefers to hang out with the locals over the tourists. I want to know what it’s like living here, working here, playing here. I want to feel like I actually live here too, or at least have a taste of what that would be like. My verdict: It’s been an instant sense of community in Costa Rica and a welcomed approach to cohabitating. A breath of fresh air for sure.
Oh and for an update on my Spanish: Muy increible. Tengo muy divertido practicando mi Espanol con los Ticos. Puedo hablar mas que quando llegamos! Que varvarro!
My Commitment to Not Give a F**K
I am not a worrier by nature. Actually, I’m pretty easy going and in general know that things happen for a reason. Ask anyone, I’m usually the one that makes everyone ELSE feel at peace, and it is because I know that in letting go that is when the space is created for magic to happen. This does NOT mean however that I do not fall victim to the incessant voices in my head working around the clock to “figure shit out” or “minimize risks” or better yet “feel comfortable (aka stay small)”. The last couple of weeks this tendency seems to have been kicked in to overdrive. You may be thinking “You’re in Costa Rica … chill the fuck out and enjoy the beach! What do you have to worry about!?!” You’re absolutely right AND this is not a pure vacation. I’m here to test out this life of work and travel.
This is my dream life we’re talking about and I don’t want to fuck it up. Only problem is instead of just seeing it as an experiment, I was looking at it like I need to know what all my choices are and have them decided with a full on strategy and plan of attack by the time I leave here. No pressure, none at all! I think at times I also make matters worse by super-sizing the fear and having it be about where I fit in, whether in the world or with my immediate circle. Questions like “So what are my strengths? Do I make a difference at all? What makes me so special?” etc were running rampant. Realizing how I was living in the land of crazies hard core yesterday, I got to the point of “enough is enough” and made a pact with myself … It went a little something like this:
“My Commitment to Not Give a FUCK: After feeling off-kilter and indecisive and unsure of myself as of late, I’m committing to an attitude of being carefree and trusting of what’s to come. Worrying and doubting myself is not accomplishing anything – my attitude is the only thing I can change here.
So I CHOOSE …. DANCING! I will have a dancing relationship with everything. With some things I will choose to sit it out for a song or two to catch my breath and wait for the next rocking song to come on. With other things, we will be shaking our booties to some merengue or salsa. Really it is about the feeling of no more stress. It will be what it will be and I will enjoy myself by doing things I enjoy! I’m tired of second-guessing and beating my brain up. It’s time to Surrender and Trust that my Vision is clear and I’m going to be taken care of … it’s all a learning experience anyway.
Plus this is the uncomfortable metamorphosis stage: I’m changing, growing, evolving. A pretty big transition so it’s totally natural to experience pain, anxiety or ambiguity. Not only am I finishing a year-long schooling and certification program, I am building my business/empire, shedding material attachments (i.e. my STUFF) and making traveling and working a reality.
I, Natalie Vartanian, commit to a life of freedom, ease, trust and confidence. I commit to being carefree and clear and faithful when it comes to the amazing vision I see for my LIFE! I’m ready…”
So who’s with me? I want to hear your declarations and commitments too!
The possibilities of the Fork in the Road
Walking back from Cobano today after our grocery shopping expedition, I could not help but look around and think how being here is opening up so many possibilities. It’s as if merely taking that step of deciding (stay at home or come live in Costa Rica for 5 weeks), created a bigger, brighter version of the life I want for myself. In voicing that mini-revelation to Sally, I saw how the various decisions in my life have led me here. It’s as if in every instance I was at a fork: dream life or status quo life, though it was not that black and white, or even very clear. A little faith and luck was needed to decide in which direction to put my foot down and go from there. I might as well have rolled the dice literally.
What blew me away today though is how regardless of what I chose in the past, it got me HERE! There are numerous occasions where I felt I made the wrong choice and beat myself up about it for years. Other times, I regretted not taking the action sooner than when I finally did. I wished it were different, better, cooler, funner, more exciting, etc. Yet, it’s almost as if it did not matter at all WHICH one I chose, as long as I started walking. Going down that path led me to the next fork in the road. From there I aimlessly or determinedly walked towards the NEXT fork in the road. Regardless of how or when or why, I kept walking and the events in my life, in the sequence with which they appeared, led me to Costa Rica. Choices being: struggling to stay or leave my relationship, contemplating whether I should move up North to Oakland, wondering if coaching is what I should do as a career, deciding if I should reach out to one of the assistants in my class and get to know her, facing the question of do I leave a place I so enthusiastically came to call home.
Some choices were easy, some not so much. Some choices hurt my heart deeply while others made my heart sing and soar. As I sat near the beach in Montezuma last night, looking up at an almost full moon, I was not thinking about this logically but intuitively it felt right. Being here felt right. These past two days has sunk in that realization for me. Yesterday morning we had run in to the friends we made from a couple of days ago. We hung out at the beach, swam, chatted on as the sun went down then proceeded to a yummy dinner. Our dinner location choice? The tapas restaurant at the main intersection of town as it is the perfect spot to people watch. It seriously is where all the action happens! Our friend Francisco, who’s one of the taxi drivers in the area, joined us at our table and we got to practice our Spanish as we talked about dancing and languages. After dinner, the urge struck to grab a fruity cocktail at Chico’s which easily led to more dancing with the locals, Francisco included! And I’m talking Salsa, Merengue, Cumbia, the legit shit! Today we decided to take it “easy”. It was perfect in its own way. Had tea, did laundry, hung the clothes on the line, wrote, lounged around, walked in to town for groceries, got rides part way, made dinner at home and hung out a bit with our next-door neighbors who got married yesterday. Each day has been as fulfilling as the next. I get as much joy staying here and leisurely going about my day than going on our adventures because it confirms that we actually LIVE here.
I can’t even tell you how long I’ve been talking about, dreaming about, wishing for or lusting after going to live in another country. It still trips me out that it’s happening. My first instinct is to think that it isn’t real, like I haven’t woken up from my dream yet. When I wake up I am going to be in Southern California. When I DO realize I’m really living here, like “Finally, it arrived!” is when all these sparkling new paths open up for me. Why not just travel the whole year? Why not start living like I’ve always wanted to: all over the world? Why wait when there is no better time than now? If you had talked to me even a couple of months ago, this would not have been my train of thought in the least. But I chose to say yes to 5 weeks in Costa Rica and bought that plane ticket. In a very big way, I chose the path of dream life versus status quo. Thank fucking heaven I did! Now it’s your turn … when you’re at your next fork, how will you choose and how boldly will you go forth?
Montezuma how I love thee
It’s only been two days in to our weekend but so much has happened in that short amount of time that I felt a blog post was needed. We’ve found that time slows down here, strange phenomenon I know, but on so many occasions we feel like we’ve had a full day and one or the other reminds that “It’s only 7pm” or “It’s only 6pm”. Weirdest thing, but it’s true and trust me I am not complaining!
Friday (which is the official first day of our weekend) we decided to go to the main waterfall in Montezuma with our upstairs neighbors, Daisy and Orlando. A little background on them: Daisy is from Orange County, Orlando from Florida, they met while working on a cruise ship that stopped at various islands in Hawaii. Super chill and cool couple. They had offered to take us to the main waterfall so we took them up on it finally. Grabbed a cab to town (Montezuma) and were dropped off at the main entrance. It was a short and fairly easy hike. You pass the first waterfall which is pretty small. The second one which is where we ended up is a 60 foot fall. Orlando informed us that it was a pretty rigorous hike up to the third one which is an 80 foot fall and the fourth one, which is highest up, is another small one at 10 feet. Swimming in the little pool at the base of the waterfall was wonderful. I did not get out of that cool clear water once as soon as I went in, except to leave of course! At one point, I was literally swimming with the fishies. Well it was either swim with them or let them bite at my feet thinking I’m lunch.
After a while of lounging around the “pool” and swimming multiple times to the waterfall so I could have my head under the rushing water (breathtaking experience literally), the four of us decided to head in to town, grab a six pack and sit on the beach. Randomly ran in to Krista on the beach, someone I met at coach training. She had mentioned she was in town doing a workshop and we had been trying to coordinate meeting up to no avail … so what better way than not planning it at all. Love when that kind of stuff happens … right place, right time, check! We got caught up and she hung out for a while until it started raining. It was fine at first, welcomed actually since it’s been so damn hot and humid. We actually sat there for a while until the down pour happened. At this point, laughing and running like little kids, we made it to shelter which coincidentally and serendipitously was the local bar we’ve been frequenting: Chico’s. Okay, so there was some planning involved as we were running, but it was not in the general plans of the day. We stayed there for a couple of beers, did some dancing near our table and decided to call it a night a little less soaking wet than when we first got there.
Yesterday we went back to Montezuma to lay out and do some swimming at the beach. We decided to walk to town and see how long it would take. An hour later, which didn’t feel like an hour because Sally and I can obviously talk, we were back near the ocean. There are some gnarly hills on the way there, but it’s all downhill, no biggie. We decided we’d figure out the return trip part when we crossed that bridge. We swam and laid out on the beach for an hour or two, which felt great. I feel like I gain such perspective and release so much of my stress when my body touches the sand. There just is nothing like it in the world. Being near the water so much makes me remember how much I want to live closer to the ocean. Not too long after we were wondering if our neighbor Marvin was still around, we saw him coming back from a tour with two of his horses. We went to say hi and he asked if we wanted a ride back, a horseback ride that is. And guess who I got to ride again … YUP, Romeo! It’s fate people, I’m telling you. Ha ha. Both Sally and I got to ride the same horses from our first horseback ride. The timing was awesome and the fact that he had exactly two horses with him was perfect. We rode to the ranch where the horsies live, helped him cool the horses down, give them some water, play with the colt who is there while his mom is on vacation, put the saddles away, then drove back home with him. (We’ve been calling this home since we first got here, but almost two weeks later and there is no denying that this IS home … waking up to monkeys in the trees in our backyard and everything).
We were ready to call it a day after our awesome beach morning and horseback ride; as in finish off what little wine we had, split a can of beer, eat some veggie tacos I made and stay in for the night. Orlando came down and asked if we wanted to go in to town since it was Daisy’s birthday. We quickly made the decision that we were ready for some more adventures and got ready to go. We were scheming to grab a bottle of wine, sit on the beach and possibly skinny dip. All three happened! While Orlando and Daisy were having birthday dinner, we drank our wine hiding from the rain. When it cleared up we went to the water, passing our bottle back and forth, listening to the waves crashing, looking up at the stars proudly on display and contemplating how amazing this all is, our lives, how everything led to that moment and how quickly it all happened.
When our friends were done with dinner, we headed to Chico’s and thankfully got our dance on, like for reals. By dancing I mean, salsa, cumbia … and it was freaking wonderful!! I haven’t danced like that in YEARS! I was proud of myself for still remembering most of the moves. We danced, drank, walked to the beach again, skinny dipped, danced some more. I can’t describe how refreshing it felt being in the warm ocean water on a beautiful night … feeling like we were being naughty yet barely anyone was around and we were having the best time! Another first by the way. I am seriously checking shit off my bucket list. Sometimes it is not even a conscious thing, a thought comes up of something we should do and maybe because I’m in this state of being of fiercely living my dreams that it’s so natural to say “YES, LET’S DO IT!” No real questioning, just going for it! Don’t know what was the highlight of the last two days, but the theme was definitely the ocean and all its magic. Today we are going in to Cobano (feels like a town, but they call it the city here) to have a beer or two at this one bar/restaurant that has a pool, go swimming, grocery shop and head back. Tonight we are having a bon fire on our property with our neighbors. We feel like we lucked out hard core … then again, we are becoming masters of creating our luck wherever we go! Much more empowering perspective don’t you think?
I met my Romeo on the beach
At first I thought, it’s only been two days, there is not much to report. I don’t want to post a blog about me just “hanging out”. Then I took a step back and realized how full and fulfilling the last couple of days were.
Sally and I have been hanging out with our neighbors more and it’s been wonderful. Before we moved in, our landlord told us about the couple that owns a horseback ride tour company in town moving in around the same time as us. Needless to say we felt we scored! We had talked about going for some rides while we were here. First day at the beach in Montezuma was because our upstairs neighbors invited us out with them. We shared a cab to the cute and quaint little beach town of Montezuma, had lunch and our first celebratory cocktails right near the water then went swimming in the ocean. We felt like little kids … dreaming about summer camps for adults. We ran in to our other neighbors right after lunch, and had JUST been talking about them and their business. Again, score! We booked right then and there to be back at Montezuma the next morning to ride some horsies!!
Saturday morning, we got up at 7am, took the cab to the beach and were ready to ride. The path was from the main entrance of Montezuma beach to where one of the smaller waterfalls is in town. What a gorgeous, beautiful experience. So many moments I would just look out at the water on my one side, then lush jungle trees on the other side and feel like “Shit, I think THIS is paradise right here!” Saw a couple of monkeys hiding in the trees, a ton of crabs hiding in the rocks near the waterfalls and even a crab duel (pinchers held high up in the air and everything). Marvin leads the rides and he is super fun. Both he and Dorothy have been wonderful, not just as business owners or neighbors but as friends – you know how commerce SHOULD feel, like you actually care about your customers and are passionate about what you do for work! Marvin loves those horses you can tell and he loves talking to you about them and educating you on how to really connect and interact with them. Plus he’s a super knowledgeable guy period! Feel super lucky that they are the people that live right next door to us. Dorothy brought over soup for us two days in a row and has been teaching us some yoga moves as she is a yoga instructor as well (I know right?)
I totally bonded with the horse that took me for the ride. His name? You guessed it. Romeo! Although yesterday over some beers with Marvin and Dorothy we told them we are renaming Romeo to Cassanova since he’s quite the stud and has a couple of girlfriends. We literally were like “No, we know you named him Romeo, but that doesn’t suit him. He’s Cassanova now!” But he was perfect for me and mirrored the way I am. All the horses would be walking down the same path and he would choose to go around a rock even if it was a bit cumbersome just so that he did something different (or did it his way). When on the beach as opposed to the trail, we would walk close to the water, but Romeo would go right to the shore and walk IN the water. Muy romantico no? Plus I’m sure his personality reminds you nothing of mine, right?
Another thought that has been popping in to my head a lot lately is “take nothing for granted”. On my horseback ride I kept wondering if people ever get tired of looking at this splendid view. Does it loose its luster after a while? I actually even talked to Marvin, my neighbor about it. He says “like anything you do all the time, it does become routine … however you find things to make it different” (my interpretation: keep it interesting aka not take it for granted). In his case, his scenery is the ocean. It is ever changing and at times unpredictable. He also works with horses which as he said “It’s something different with them every day”. I find myself sinking in to that with every passing day. I want to just feel the joy of living simply and gratefully. I mean, I coach for a living … I don’t need to go out there and exterminate vampire bats because they are biting the hell of out of my horses. Not saying we don’t have a right to gripe and complain about our shitty experiences, I’m just saying I have a lot of perspective and appreciation about my set up these days. Get the drift?
Today as I went for a walk, did some yoga, read, took a nap, answered some emails, hung out with Sally and the neighbors, did some writing, played with the kitties, I realized how luxurious that is for me. At least it feels like it because I don’t typically allow myself the luxury of truly enjoying those moments when I’m at home. Oh, and if you’re wondering about Romeo, he got bit THREE times by Vampire bats a couple of days ago. Poor guy!! So when Marvin said they were going hunting for Vampires soon, I couldn’t help but think “Get those damn blood suckers!” Thus … our love story is to be continued. Until the next time we ride.
