I Heart Nosara Costa Rica and Why I Call this Paradise HOME

So here is the inside scoop from a Canadian gal who gave it all up to move to Nosara ( a.k.a Playa Guiones ) and live my dreams of surf , sun and Pura Vida! This is my take on this gorgeous little surf town, how I live, experience and see it everyday! This is the HOT spot for surfers and fitness enthusiasts worldwide yet it has managed to maintain a yet peaceful and angelic quality to it. Just last week we had Brooke Shields and Julie Ann Moore both hit the waters of this beach break and yet I barely heard any buzz…. it wasn’t a riot of people following them around… life is more than that here, its really Pura Vida! I am using this as an example of the mind set that locals and travellers to Nosara have to a simple and un-cluttered life focussing on nature and family. The pipa (baby coconut water) I drink every morning now gives me more joy than a US weekly magazine ever did although I have no idea who has a baby bump nowadays!

I decided to make the move to Nosara just over a year ago after another visit here. It just seemed natural, felt like every time I went back to Toronto I left part of myself back in Costa Rica. Its a place that can restore you and make you feel whole. I currently wake up every morning and check out the surf, head out into the ever so consistent waves and start off my day on a wet foot! Playa Guiones is the best beach breach I have ever surfed and its as soft and gentle for beginners as it is challenging out back for those more advanced. The culture on the water is very friendly and welcoming in comparison to some breaks I have surfed in this world. It is a sandy bottom, over a mile long sandy heaven. I have been so lucky to share my love of the sport by teaching others to surf as well. I personally love teaching the kids.. they are fearless and well I can’t resist a little grom (surfer term for surfer kid) in a rashie charging waves.

Surfing also means for me… bleached hair, salted and dreaded after every session. My pale and freckled skin is now a somewhat golden tone (for an irish chica) and what I wouldn’t give for a good facial! Nail polish and pedicures are a thing of the past but its all worth it to me. Staying fashionable is also very important to me as that what my background has been in for over 10 years! I am usually rocking a rashie or swim suit for Canadian designers Akela Surf (www.akelasurf.com) or my favourite surf leggings from another wicked Canadian designer Michi (www.michiny.com)

Physically surfing has transformed my body. My upper body and back have developed trememdously and its a new strength that is welcomed. I maintain a very healthy life style down here and run weekly workouts each week with my girlfriends. This is when I get to dance! This is when my feet and toes hit the sand and my arms come into first position and I push my entire self to train in The Extension Method way. (www.extensionmethod.com) This methodology of training truly changed my life… it changed my posture, flexibility, strength and also my attitude. I miss the studio back in Toronto but always new I could combine both my love for surfing and ballet fitness. This is how Pointe Break Retreats was born. (www.pointebreakretreats.com) The two are complimentary to each other and both are FUN! Isn’t that what its all about anyways!

Lastly I will comment on my favourite part of Nosara… THE SUNSETS. Never ever have I been bewildered every dusk by these stunning sunsets. I think I actually fell in love with them before anything else here, even my tico boyfriend (stay tuned for love in Nosara!) They will stop everyone on the beach at sunset in their tracks. People gather at the beach every night to watch the spectacle, businesses close their doors so their staff can head down in time to watch the golden orange globe disappear behind the aqua horizon. Babies (usually naked) and families run and frolic and there is nothing but laughter that fills the air. The sun sets quite early here in Playa Guiones, usually around 5 30 depending on the season which allows for a coming down period before you sleep. Its a natural sleep-wake cycle… up with the sun and down with the bright moon.

I hope this is the beginning of a glimpse into the life of me here in Costa Rica and I can’t wait to share more stories about my daily adventures in my dream world. Mom and Dad I miss you everyday xo