When you start on a new path paved with uncertainty and unknowns, even though it’s everything you truly want, it often fails to live up to your expectations. And when it does you might be tempted to turn back and give up on turning your dreams into reality. When I arrived in Costa Rica two months ago, after the initial excitement wore off, I was quite unhappy. Other than the days that I spent hanging out with my good friend Mark Harai, I thought that only thing that Costa Rica was going to leave me with was days that test my patience and build my character and a few good surf sessions.
When I left NYC filled with ambition to go the whole nine yards, I honestly had no desire to return to Costa Rica. The day I landed was a logistical nightmare. To add to the 5 hour layover, I had a taxi driver take me from the airport to a bus stop and that same bus came right back to the airport. I was out 20 bucks because of the cab driver. To add to that, it took more than 3 hours to get back to Tamarindo. If had just taken a taxi straight from San Jose or a bus it would have been faster. The efficiency clusterfuck made me wonder what the hell I was doing back.
But over the last few weeks something really interesting has started to happen. I’m not sure what it is. All of a sudden my life in Costa Rica has a started to finally grow on me. I finally feel like I’m living the dream I intended to when I arrived here. I’ve started to make new friends like Julia Tarquinio and her boyfriend Rafa. I picked up a dream social media client, a surf camp. To add to that I’ve caught some seriously epic waves that will leave footprints on my imagination that will last a lifetime. I’ve finally made it past the adjustment period.
The Adjustment Period of Any Experience
Anytime friends ask me about learning how to surf, I have to tell them “surfing is awesome, learning how to surf sucks.” The truth is that learning how to surf is a pretty thankless experience. You have no idea what you’re doing. You look like a complete idiot (known in the surf world as a kook). You’re terrified and it seems like you’re going to drown every single time you paddle out. But, once you get past the adjustment period and get your first wave, you’ll find yourself in a place of complete bliss because all of a sudden your plans start to live up to your expectations and in many cases even exceeds them. After the adjustment period you’ll not just be on your way, but sprinting to the point of no return.
The New Surfboard
Earlier this week I took some of the proceeds from my e-book and finally bought myself a brand spanking new surfboard. I figured at this point a new board would be a worthwhile investment since I don’t think I’ll be giving up the sport anytime soon. But part of the new board is that it comes with performance challenges because I’m not used to it. Because it’s smaller and narrower, I don’t have as much control as I’m used to. As a result I don’t do nearly as well. But once I get past the adjustment period I rarely tend to notice the difference.
Finishing What You Start
A few days ago we talked about the importance of the first step. While I was in support of a false start over doing nothing, there comes a point where you have to be willing to finish what you start. Too many false starts and too much scattered effort is going to leave you irritated, frustrated, and confused as to why you’re not accomplishing anything. This going to sound crazy to some of you. If I can’t convince you subscribe to the time management ninja. The reason most people get nothing done is they try to get everything done. If you did one thing a day and actually finished it, you’d better off than starting 50 things and not making progress on any of them. So persist through the adjustment period, sprint to the point of no return, and start getting some shit done.
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Congratulations on getting adjusted to the "Pura Vida" lifestyle in Costa. At times it can be frustrating, and at other times exactly what living is all about.
Most importantly congratulations on the NEW board! Getting to know your new best friend / work out buddy can feel like your starting all over in the waves. Once you get the hang of it the new experiences out in the water is incredible.
I have been in Costa Rica for the past 2 years and It's exciting to see the like minded people this place attracts. I left the concrete jungle to experience the real jungle and a different pace of life in a new job. Just like any surf session you have good and bad days. The key is being in the environment and in the relationships that make you want to be your best.
Welcome. It's a good thing you stuck came back and stuck it out. It's only going to get better!
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