I Moved to an Ecovillage in Costa Rica (again)

Remember a couple articles ago I said that La Ecovilla was the only village I could really see myself living in?

Well, as of one week ago, I live here now.

Actually, I was sort of headhunted to come down there to work, which I’ll tell you more about below. I will also tell you why I refused the same offer 2 years ago.

I flew in from Oaxaca, Mexico just one week ago.

My first week launched with the Eco Festival, which was a big event organized for the future residents of the new Ecovilla San Mateo.

There were talks, workshops, dances, circles, ceremonies, and shared meals. There were around 80 of the 150 future residents present, all starry-eyed for their future together.

Now, I feel even more optimistic about my own life here.

When I first got here last Sunday, I was still feeling it out. But after last night, huddled under the moon around a single citronella candle with 4 others telling our life stories, our love languages, and our secrets, I felt again the spark of community come alive in me.

I’ve been craving settling down long-term, so I am prepared to barnacle down here for at least the next 5 years. I will still travel, but much less than I have in the past.

Instead, I will focus my efforts on the mission that La Ecovilla and I share — build more ecovillages in the world.

What creating ecovillages in a professional setting looks like

This is not the first time

This is not the first time the founder, Marcelo Valansi invited me to come work with La Ecovilla.

About 2 years ago, we had a call to get to know each other and the project, he learned about my experience with ecovillages, and he offered me to come live and work with the Ecovilla team.

I just didn’t feel like it was the right time. I was in the middle of a trajectory that didn’t make sense to change.

Plus, less than 1 year prior, I had been living in Costa Rica at Pachamama Ecovillage, and I had made the conclusion that Costa Rica just wasn’t for me (which mostly had to do with the empire of mosquitoes and the fact that everything I owned was molding from extreme humidity).

Not to say that I didn’t have an amazing time going full hippie in the jungle… (credit @soulfocus_media)

Top that off with discomfort at how many international retreat centers, permaculture centers, and expat “conscious communities” were settling in CR that did not integrate Costa Ricans beyond being maintenance and kitchen staff.

I couldn’t swallow it.

So what’s different?

1. I am different. Those 2 years have changed me irrevocably. I don’t think I would have been nearly as effective or confident back then as I can be now with the experiences and skill expansion I’ve had as a village researcher and designer. Also, all the travel has made me long for home. Even though I have wings, it’s about time I found my nest.

2. La Ecovilla is different. I see it much differently now. I used to think it was just a sustainable real estate development, which I thought was “nice”, but not what I wanted. Come to find out that they are innovating on social masterplans, invisible structures, and high integrity local impact projects. They have a deep sense of regeneration and what it means to avoid eco-gentrification. Also, they are growing.

And I mean they are growing. They have their original location in San Mateo (76 hectares), as well as their new location (200 hectares), which used to be a petting zoo and park that they are reforesting with native trees and syntropic forests. They also are creating a community in Santa Theresa, and even property in Sicily they are converting to an Ecovilla.

This is why they interest me so much. They are genuinely dedicated to scale the ecovillage movement, while intentionally developing a golden thread through the ecosystem of all their Ecovillas.

I am floored that I get a chance to contribute to the mission.

Watching a mother tour the permaculture gardens with her child

What this means

I’m going to continue my work with Regen Tribe, Terrenity, this publication, and my other projects.

I won’t be as available for onsite community activations, traveling for events, or any new event planning that isn’t the Village Mastermind, which will now be hosted at La Ecovilla instead of in Mexico.

PS, as a Terrenity reader, I want to point you to this newly created survey that is R&D for the first Village Mastermind cohort. Shape the curriculum and tell us about your needs as a village builder!

Some readers requested life updates about my travels, because they know I’m a bird that flies to different communities.

If you also want to hear occasional personal updates like this one, please let me know in the comments below. I love sharing my voice, and this publication is meant to co-evolve with you so we can create a community together.

Also, why not introduce yourselves in the Terrenity intro chat! I want to know all about you and your village building journey <3

One of my affiliated partners, Community Finders, run by Cynthia Tina, offers services for people seeking ecovillages or building ecovillages. I highly recommend you join one of her courses to uplevel your ecovillage journey.

Use the code TERRENITY for $100 off your ecovillage tour.