The Very Unhelpful Series

In case anyone wants unhelpful advise for the places I visited.

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    A Very Unhelpful Guide to Costa Rica

    ByChih Sang
    (According to Someone Who Came for a Month and Forgot to Leave)

    Costa Rica was never on my to-visit-list.

    It showed up anyway.

    Not with fanfare —but with a quiet yes from a Workaway host in Golfito.
    And just like that, the universe booked my ticket before I could overthink it.

    📍 Golfo Dulce / Golfito
    DO:
    • Wake up to water so still it feels like a paused video.
    • Learn the sound of rain arriving before you see it.
    • Confuse peace with boredom, then realize your mistake.
    DON’T:
    • Expect urgency.
    • Ask why the boat is late.
    • Assume your thoughts are in charge here.
    Things no one warned me about:
    • The jungle does not care about your schedule.
    • Stillness can feel confrontational.
    • You might hear yourself think and not like it at first.
    DON’T MISS:
    📍 San José
    DO:
    • Treat it like a passage, not a destination.
    • Eat casado like it’s a daily ritual (because it is).
    • Accept that cities don’t need to impress you.
    DON’T:
    • Look for Costa Rica’s magic here.
    • Rush through out of obligation.
    • Overstay unless invited by curiosity.
    Things no one warned me about:
    • San José is honest, not flashy.
    • It exists to move you somewhere else.
    • And that’s okay.
    DON’T MISS:
    📍 Jacó
    DO:
    • Watch surfers fail repeatedly.
    • Walk barefoot longer than socially acceptable.
    • Let the ocean reset your nervous system without asking permission.
    DON’T :
    • Pretend Jacó is trying to be something else.
    • Judge it too quickly.
    • Forget sunscreen. Ever.
    Things no one warned me about:
    • Jacó wears its chaos openly.
    • It doesn’t apologize.
    • It just keeps going.
    DON’T MISS:
    • The neighbouring beaches
    📍 Paso Canoas (Panama Border)
    DO:
    • Walk across for shopping only
    • Let borders remind you how arbitrary they are.
    • Consider leaving…. then reconsider.
    DON’T:
    • Cross just to say you did.
    • Confuse movement with progress.
    • Forget why you’re here —Shopping/Food.
    Things no one warned me about:
    • Borders are louder than they should be.
    • You don’t have to cross every line presented to you.
    • Staying can be braver than going.
    DON’T MISS:
    • Shopping at City Mall
    📍Peñas Blancas (Nicaragua Border)
    DO:
    • Stand there longer than planned.
    • Let possibility sit beside fear.
    • Notice how calm can feel dangerous to a busy mind.
    DON’T:
    • Assume hesitation is weakness.
    • Force a decision for the sake of momentum.
    • Ignore your body’s vote.
    Things no one warned me about:
    • Sometimes the journey pauses you on purpose.
    • Sometimes the next country isn’t the point.
    • Sometimes the lesson is waiting.
    DON’T MISS:
    • Getting there EARLY
    📝 Absurd Costa Rica Checklist

    ☑ Lost track of days
    ☑ Trusted strangers (within reason)
    ☑ Missed plans and found better ones
    ☑ Confused rest with laziness
    ☑ Realized they are not the same

    “Life moves pretty fast. If you don’t stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it.”
    — Ferris Bueller’s Day Off (1986)

    Costa Rica didn’t ask me who I was.
    It showed me who I’d been outrunning.


    And when I finally stopped trying to control the journey —
    it quietly took the wheel.

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