Why Are We Going to Costa Rica?

By: Michael Youngblood, Unsettled Co-founder

Why are we living Unsettled in the heart of the Costa Rican jungle for the first time this October? 

Our friend Stephen has spent the last 20 years building our off-grid retreat center, surrounded by primary rainforest in Costa Rica. 

When we say off-grid, we mean that this is a place on the edge of the earth. You cannot get here by car. There are no roads. We get in and out by foot and boat. There are no powerlines here. No noise pollution. No distractions. 

We are going back to the essentials.

For us, going back to the essentials means two things: 

1. Leaving behind our day-to-day reality that is full of an unimaginable amount of distractions at every corner of our lives.
2. Going into a more simple world, so we can be in a tonic of wilderness with our thoughts, and concentrate on the question, what are we creating?  

First, going back to the essentials means that we will be leaving behind the omnipresent meetings, calendar reminders, emails, and messages that fill our days. Haven’t you dreamed of this? Of relieving yourself of the endless responsibilities in life? Of putting a pause on how everyone and everything is filling your days with endless amounts of — there’s no other word for it then — bullshit. 

Second, going back to the essentials means we will be entering a new world. A distraction-free world. An oasis on the southern coast of Costa Rica, surrounded by 10,000 acres of protected sea and land in the Gandoca Manzanillo National Wildlife Refuge. A place where you can stretch or practice yoga in the morning. Where you can walk on the beach in the afternoon. Find a quiet place to truly focus on what’s important for you right now. It’s a place where we serve three meals a day full of fruits, vegetables, and superfoods that are grown right on site. 

It’s a place and a retreat designed for you. Not for anyone else. 

We are going Unsettled in Costa Rica to have a refuge from distractions. An oasis of independent freedom. To rediscover what is truly important when we remove ourselves from a world that is crushing down on our precious time and space.