By Douglas Evan Weiss
For The Jungle Gazette
“If society fits you comfortably enough, you call it freedom.” Robert Frost
Costa Rica is changing, in so many ways, and we are all trying to find our place in it.
This was the topic of discussion while on a trail run with my good friend from Costa Rica this morning. Navigating the social and economical innuendos and facts that will dictate the future of this country is challenging and fascinating.
Costa Rica has long symbolized the nature driven gem of a peaceful country that has graciously welcomed a diverse swath of tourism to a fertile patch of jungle bordered by warm oceans. The late 20th century visitor to Costa Rica was originally searching for a harmonious simplicity that stronger economic nations had either forgone or over priced. The hunt for health and wellness, while immersed in a relatively pristine nature, whether via surfing or yoga or cleansing, were socially accepted activities in Costa Rica. These untraditional pursuits were even celebrated in Costa Rica, welcoming a type of tourist and expatriate who were searching for an affordable alternative to the more rigid social economics and approved cultural constraints abundant in the USA or Europe.
A long time ago Aristotle wrote “he who is unable to live in society, or has no need because he is sufficient for himself, must be either a beast or a God.” I’d venture that in the early days of tourism and expatriation Costa Rica attracted a wandering combination of both, all exploring a beautiful country with a long history of isolation and individuality. Today we are feeding upon the fruits that were planted here decades ago by these pioneers, lured by the promises of lifestyle and adventure.
This wave of visitors transformed the country. Airports were built to accommodate the larger numbers of international travelers. Roads and bridges were constructed to open potential economic centers. The entrepreneurial spirit, long practiced in Costa Rican culture due to scarcity and small communities, were encouraged by the governments and banks lending start up money, giving birth to a nationally accepted practice of development and growth. Food and hospitality, tour agencies, transport drivers, and a whole tourist based economy from bartenders to architects sprung up from the fertile ground that is the attractive gem of Costa Rica.
“Society is a mental concept,” Oscar Wilde once wrote. “In the real world there are only individuals.”
A few short decades later and it seems the country is struggling to define itself while also accommodating these blatant individuals, all with their own vision and pursuit of the Pura Vida anthem. The marketing worked very well. Yet it seems, at times, that the plot has become muddled.
While this country still attracts surfers and wellness searchers, Costa Rica also now attracts the more main stream type of visitor, whom are less comfortable in hammocks and dust, and more desirous of air conditioning and strong wifi connections. Or the party seekers whom are attracted to the budding and popular DJ and festival circuit that has exploded in Costa Rica over the past 10 years. Or the wealthy young families with inflated budgets and modern expectations. This is not a judgement at all. It just is.
On our run this morning we spoke about the vague prospect of a modern Costa Rica. A country that embraces their beautiful roots while also accepting the unstoppable wave of changes that have arrived. The concept that Costa Rica as an isolated haven bereft of the ailments that more economically strong countries struggle with is an illusion based on marketing and some delusional expat dream. The horrors of economic inequality, physical and mental health issues, drugs and corruption are well seeded here and continue to grow. Here in Guanacaste the sole acceptance of the ox and cart and farmer surviving in some idyllic simplicity, while still present and beautiful, may no longer be the norm, and we don’t know how long that Costa Rican cultural pillar may even seem relevant here. The popular slurs that blanket certain social media groups aiming to defy change or growth might soon seem ignorant and naive.
What is modern Costa Rica? As an outsider, an expatriate, an immigrant, my opinion is nuanced. Similarly my cultural connection to Costa Rica is not irrevocable, so my view will always be from the outside perspective. I’ll never know what it truly is to be Costa Rican, with the roots and allegiances and history, as someone not from New York City might never fully imbibe that cultural experience. Ultimately it is a privledge to be from wherever we are from, and our origin stories are important and thankfully unique.
Although as an outsider there is also some steely eyed clarity available. A certain truth to power sans the sentimentality that often tints one’s view of home.
My running friend is born and raised here in Costa Rica. He is the first in his family to own a home. His technological abilities are far more sophisticated then generations before him. His work is not in a pasture but rather on a computer. His class and relationships are less strictly defined, and his vision of the future is less sedentary and traditional. The concept of farmer and cart and rural Costa Rica, while a point of pride and love, is not his sole path forward while living here in the country area. Decades of pop influence via movies and music and media has created a generation with less fear and resistance to the outside world, but rather an appetite for modern accesories and access that the outside world values and reveres and sells. When the undeniable influence of the past merges with the unstoppable force of the future there arises a critical question of identity that affects everyone who visits, resides, or cares for this beautiful country.
The American philosopher Alan Watts wrote “the only way to make sense out of change is to plunge into it, move with it, and join the dance.”
The actual practicalities of this indulgence are not simple or without repercussion. The idea that “change in all things is sweet” praised by Aristotle can be difficult to digest when opposite that sweetness are rising prices, cartels, and cut down trees.
These questions and realities are massive and affect not only Costa Rica but ultimately all societies, as the singular constant in all global locations is change. Understanding and adjusting to these shifts are hard. Experiencing critical moments in a cultures growth and maturation is upsetting. It feels like Costa Rica is currently experiencing such a growth spurt, and navigating all the pains and exults that accompany such transformation is difficult. Mistakes are made. The answers are complicated, if even pronounceable. But we are certainly witnessing change here.
Thankfully we are talking about it, civilly and intelligently, while running dirt roads that curve and climb through this awesomely lush and fertile country.
