The search begins

Since getting my project in, our time has been dedicated to having awesome people show us potential spots for our future lives here.

In Costa Rica, we looked at a gorgeous farm near Dominical. It’s right on the river, with a cute little wooden house, flat alluvial soils within the river’s meander perfect for a kitchen garden and hillsides with secondary regenerating growth perfect for Ethan to start his reforestation! Whether this ends up being our new home or not, this was a perfect introduction for me.... something in progress that enabled me to start dreaming how our lives might be.... a kitchen garden right on our doorstep, a tree nursery by our back door, hydro-electric generated by a stream on the farm, clean drinking water being piped from a nearby spring, steep forest hill climbs being rewarded by ocean views and pristine beach within a 30 minutes drive. Doesn’t sound like a bad beginning to me!

In Panama, we've seen 360° views of rolling cattle pasture, mountainous backdrops and spectacular waterfalls, all within easy reach of urban hubs that can supply us with all of the agricultural supplies, cold sodas and western comforts we might desire (including a vast array of cake mixes courtesy of the US!). Having visited someone’s house the other day, I’ve learnt that every property can have hidden treasures... after the tennis court, swimming pool and open plan mansion, the property had a steep descent down to the valley floor where there was the most spectacular swimming hole fed by a gushing cascada. Absolutely perfect for a mid-day dip! There are the most beautiful hidden spots here... without car parks, snack kiosks or hoards of the general public (no offence intended to anyone!). I feel extremely privileged to stumble upon them. I can probably keep dreaming though if I expect the same at the bottom of my garden.

As well as learning about the land, people we meet share with us their lives, their work and their passions. In Costa Rica, we met Jennifer, who runs the not-for-profit Community Carbon Trees. The organisation raises trees, indigenous to Costa Rica, in their nursery and then plants them on Costa Rican owned, degraded cattle pasture and ensures their maintenance until the trees are big enough to fend for themselves. To us, the project seems to be a great way to ensure native tree species are preserved, create a community culture that values trees, build the capacity of the local workforce and provide them with invaluable employment, all of which contributes to primary forest higher up the hills being left untouched and carbon sequestration within populated areas. The Community Carbon trees website is well worth checking out if anyone ever fancies sponsoring some trees.

It’s exciting to think that in years to come we too might be speaking Spanish fluently, contributing to maintaining the world’s tropical tree diversity and enjoying the beauty of Central America on a daily basis. We just have to keep looking for the right spot (and work really hard on our Spanish!).