We are switching over to this new blog format which will be easier to update. Since the old blog will be lost, I thought I would re-post/ salvage an old story that tells a little of how I started the school. Stay tuned for more news, stories, photos, and videos coming soon.

Swells are formed by wind blowing over an area of water, consistently in one direction until ripples or formed. Those ripples of circular energy roll along, gathering momentum and absorbing other ripples and growing until they finally arrive on a distant shore to spill that energy in the form of breaking waves. Living dreams are formed much the same way; an intangible force pushes you in a direction until you get organized, grow, and ultimately create something inspiring and beautiful.

My first trip to Costa Rica was exactly the same scenario that thousands of others have experienced. I was part of the backpacker brigade, ready to explore the beautiful little country’s beaches, rainforests, and volcanoes. I had everything but the kitchen sink on my back, guidebook in hand, and the meager Spanish vocabulary of a grunting cave man. I had an amazing time, as almost everyone does; I took at least fifty photos of the first monkeys I’d ever seen, witnessed the awe inspiring beauty of an erupting volcano, hiked to waterfalls in the jungle, met amazing people, and caught my first wave. More than twelve years have passed since that trip, but I’ll never forget it. Partly because it was my first big international adventure, partly because I get to constantly relive it through the excitement of so many travelers that come through the School of the World, and partly because I get asked at least 5 times a week “So what brought you to Costa Rica?”

Painting over the sign on the old cabinas the day we moved in (1997)..

A more accurate question would be “What brought you back to Costa Rica?” Like every young backpacker, that first trip I stayed until the last dollar was spent and went home to the reverse culture shock of what is referred to as “the real world”. I plotted my prison break from the rat race by working two jobs, saving every dime I could. Then one night I had a dream so vivid that I woke up and bought a plane ticket back to Costa Rica. It was a dream about…. waves… clean, beautiful, empty waves! It is amazing to me now that I can trace so much of my path and the paths of countless others to those images flashed on my subconscious mind that night. My initial plan, if you can call it that, was to spend two months learning to surf, learning Spanish, and making art. Two months flew by and I returned home, but just long enough to sell my car, give away my winter clothes, and get my dog bimini! I didn’t have a clue what I was going to do for a living, but I was healthy, happy, and inspired in Costa Rica and that was enough of a start for me. Five months after that, with just $3,000 left in the bank, I came up with the idea that would become the School of the World.

Showing off the plans for the new building (circa 2002)