“A good traveler has no fixed plans, and is not intent on arriving.”
-Lao Tzu
It’s Wednesday in April; I land in Costa Rica, I look out my window and exhale knowing after months of nervousness and planning, I’m really here. With no deadlines and really no place to be, I’m freaking out — it’s a mix of both panic and excitement.
I activate the international phone plan, which is unlimited use for $10 a day. Kind of pricey, but worth it to send a few quick texts back home to say I’m safe.
A quick aside: if you want to go off-the-grid and not spend the extra money, you can also turn off roaming option on your phone so you don’t subscribe to the international plan. Just check in when there’s wi-fi available. The thing about Costa Rica is, there’s not exactly a Starbucks at every corner, so only having wifi from hotel to hotel made me feel uncomfortable. I went with an international phone plan, but you don’t have to.
Minutes later, a friend texts back, “Ve con Dios,” which means, “Go with God.”
I think of this line, the send-off that’s just right. “Going with God,” reminds me of following faith, and keeping my heart open and devoted to every gift this trip will bring.
I stay present and delete my Facebook, Twitter and e-mail apps. I loved focusing on the present moment, and I really don’t need to be bombarded by problems at work or at home. After all, I dropped a pretty penny on this trip.
So, I also put my phone away.
The San Jose international airport in Costa Rica is crowded. There are families, groups of men and women clearly dressed for bachelor and bachelorette parties, and I spot a few women and a few men with backpacks walking alone to Customs.
I strike up a conversation to see what people plan for Day 1, which is one secret to traveling. Don’t be afraid to talk and share stories with others. It works, because it’s a chatty line — a lot of, “Where are you from and where are you going?” Everyone is inviting.
One couple from Kansas tells me they’re heading to the Caribbean side, to the east of the country. They have a 3-hour drive ahead of them and they have visited Costa Rica for years. This is their 10th trip or so. They’re excited, and I like how they’re making me feel excitement too.
At first, I’m perplexed by someone who goes back to the same country — instead of traveling to new places. But I also feel relief. Costa Rica is a place calling for people to return.
I tell them I’m taking the 3-hour drive in the morning to the Arenal volcano; maybe I’ll hike down to the waterfall and explore a rainforest.
I’m not aggressive about planning strict travel timelines because I believe in scheduled “unscheduled” time.
But the trip is fairly open-ended: leave the hotel/hostel early in the morning, making stops along the way to see anything that intrigues me. I look up the major recommended cities and decide I can reasonably drive 2-4 hours each day, without going insane.
Here’s the route I’ve planned through Costa Rica, using Google Maps to budget each destination from hotel to hotel.
Even with a rough itinerary, my calendar is wide open for any inspiration, whims, delights. And when you leave things to chance and opportunities, I find more arrives than planned.
Go with God.
I have an easy system you can also use when traveling.
When I do research in the months and weeks leading up to a trip, I keep a simple bullet point list, gentle suggestions for each day.
That’s one delight of traveling alone — I focus on myself, what I want, and there’s no argument over what time to set— or not set — the alarm.
San Jose’s bullet point list, the capital of Costa Rica, only had:
- Get a rental car
- Check into hostel
- Find a nice restaurant
- Celebrate arrival with a grand first dinner.
I also had vague plans to dig into a new book and write in a new journal as often as possible. Both activities to make sure I record all revelations, so this trip would live on long after I’m back in the states.
I get the rental car, asking the staff behind the desk what I should do and see, and any last-minute suggestions they have.
The big one, they tell me to use Waze instead of Google maps.
Great tip. As I discover later, the roads aren’t clearly marked by abrupt street signs, so Waze has a better system of navigating with users submitting directions and traffic alerts.
As I hit the road, I realize the biggest driving change: lanes in Costa Rica are suggestions. It makes for a wild, wild ride and somewhat of a free-for-all. I’m closely following the map and not aggressively driving fast enough that cars honk at me.
I just smile and wave. I’m on vacation, and I’m not going to get worked up. Pun. Intended.
And there is something slightly liberating at this moment traveling along new roads and realizing there are new rules in the free-for-all intersections.
I booked the first hostel on Agoda.com.
The website seemed to offer immediate flash deals, more than popular or well-known sites. I also liked they had more creative filters to sort the suggestions. There is one where I sorted the hostel and hotels by proximity to the beach.
A quick tip. Even if you feel ready to book, always read reviews on Trip Advisor. Look for the most recent posts and carefully read the comments.
I also quickly Google the hotel name, to make sure no questionable headlines pop up.
It’s worth the extra 10 minutes to quickly vet hotels, to make sure the money is well spent.
I unpack in my hostel room at “Costa Rica Guesthouse,” and for the price, it’s spacious. It’s $26 USD for a private bedroom, but I do share a bathroom with another person on the floor. If you want your own bathroom, there’s an upcharge, but I think to get the whole works at this nice hostel, it’ll put you at $40 USD with the upgrades.
There’s also a lot of other beautiful hotels nearby I take a peek at.
I shower. Here’s one difference: the water takes a bit to heat up and doesn’t get extremely hot.
And although I’m “sharing” a bathroom on this floor, I made a request on Agoda.com for the quietest room, so it appears no one is actually on my floor and, as luck would have it, the bathroom is all mine.
I open Instagram since that’s the only social media phone app I’ve allowed myself to use.
On Instagram, I search “San Jose, Costa Rica” and see where people are checking in.
I wanted to follow other travelers’ photos in Costa Rica, which helps me check out a spot and decide if I want to go.
There are beautiful photos and people “checking into” and writing exceptional reviews about “Silvestre” restaurant, and the Instagram photos from random users look great. Silvestre was also featured on Trip Advisor’s top places to eat dinner in San Jose.
I change into a light dress for the warm weather, and head over to the restaurant. It feels good to know somewhere it’s snowing in Rhode Island.
Without set plans, I love just looking up something and going with my gut.
Don’t over think any spot. If the meal isn’t good, I’ll still have breakfast, lunch and dinner opportunities for the next nine days.
I walked in and it’s an outdoor paradise.
The menu is delicious and I meet the local chef who comes out to greet restaurant goers.
I ask for my own table so I can sit and read and write without much conversation. Sometimes I’ll sit at bars in new restaurants because generally, people traveling alone are sitting there, and with chatty bartenders, it doesn’t feel like I’m eating a meal alone.
The chef tells me to skip the main entree and go with the 10-course meal “with surprises.” He says each dish will take me through different regions in Costa Rica using the ingredients of their main crops in his creations.
I’m sold. A taste of entire Costa Rica, even before I drive to seven of the eight regions in Costa Rica.
Let me share what’s on my plate:
It’s all different types of noodles, pork, chicken, cheeses, tropical fruits, and different potato and plantain styles.
I eat like a queen, but this first dinner still feels unsettling.
When you land in a foreign place — or, maybe when you move into a new apartment and spend the first night there — the body has its guard up. And that’s okay.
It feels a little too quiet to me on Day 1, so I text my friend from my dinner table.
I’m also taking photos of each dish, so that keeps me occupied. The book next to me goes untouched.
My friend keeps me “company” for my first dinner — and so do the servers and the chefs. It’s so fun exchanging stories and hearing where else they’ve traveled and what spots they recommend.
I’m secretly an introvert, but what helps me come out of my shell is asking questions — after all, they do the talking —and I see it as productive “research.”
I’m incredibly full and satisfied.
I drive back to the hostel, take another cold shower, read and write in my journal, and fall asleep around 10 p.m.
There’s a 7 a.m. wake-up call to get to the continental breakfast (my way of saving money!) and I rest up before hitting the road for a 4-hour drive to the volcano.
I hit the road on Day 2 and it’s a great one.
The adventure continues,
